Welcome to Racerhead. Things have been relatively quiet this week on the domestic front, though over in Portugal, they're finishing up this year's FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE). There have been a few team signings announced, though the one we're all waiting for—Chase Sexton—is still way, way up in the air. It's hard to believe that a rider with this kind of talent would be without a ride at the moment, though it's also hard to believe that things did not fit right for Sexton at both Red Bull KTM and now Monster Energy Kawasaki. He's still under contract with Kawasaki for two more years and could actually stay there, but it seems like both the rider and the team are trying to move on from 2026. While not announced yet, Kawi has extended Garrett Marchbanks' contract another year, and there's the addition of Malcolm Stewart for the full SMX year (also not yet announced officially), as well as some staff changes. Having already been with Honda, then KTM, and now Kawasaki, there are not a lot of options out there for Chase right now. We've heard everything from a gap year in the FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP) to signing with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing, but Yamaha already has their alpha dog in Haiden Deegan, backed up by Justin Cooper, and a season in Europe means no supercross for Sexton, which seems very unlikely. Stay tuned.

Speaking of Yamaha and Europe, the OEM announced a reset of their MXGP plans, focused on the premier class moving forward. Primary contender Tim Gajser did not have a great year, and the company has committed to improvement by moving their program in-house and into Yamaha's campus in Italy, alongside their MotoGP and Rally programs. This news has a mixed vibe, because while promising more investment in MXGP, they also announced that they would not be competing in the MX2 division, effective immediately.

Speaking of Italy, Cooper Webb ended up racing there last weekend in the Fast Cross, those really cool off-season races originally founded by the late Sergio Saporiti. Webb was supposed to be at the Birmingham WSX in Great Britain, but then the series shut down operations, giving Webb a free weekend. Having just stepped up to race the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations for Team USA in France, Webb decided to head over to Italy to compete in the Fast Cross, just as guys like Ricky Johnson, Jean-Michel Bayle, and Jeremy McGrath all used to race back in the day. The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Monster Energy Team Tedder Husqvarna-mounted Webb found himself on the starting gate once again with Jeffrey Herlings, the man who just flexed his MX skills on the whole world by sweeping his two motos at the MXoN. Webb and Herlings actually go back ten years to the 2016 Charlotte MX2 Grand Prix, where they had an excellent battle, advantage Webb. This time the boot ended up on the other foot as Herlings won, continuing his amazing roll on the Honda HRC PETRONAS CRF450R, though Webb, who ended up fourth behind Herlings, Tom Vialle, and Liam Everts, did say he had an excellent time. Check out his vlog right here:

Here is yesterday’s update on the very dry (so far) ISDE taking place over in Portugal.

This week Red Bull KTM announced it had signed Ryder DiFrancesco and Daxton Bennick to its 250 team for 2027, with Nathan Ramsey acting as the new 250 team manager.

These are all in-house moves, as Bennick, DiFrancesco, and Ramsey were part of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team in 2026, but that squad has now shut down. KTM absorbed a good bit of that staff and riders into an expanded 250 squad that will also add Sacha Coenen and keep Julien Beumer. That's a lot of talent.

The loss of Husqvarna's in-house factory team is really felt on the 450 side, as Malcolm Stewart had to find a new ride (which will be at Monster Energy Kawasaki), as did RJ Hampshire (already announced to Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing Team). There's a chance this loss of Husqvarna's in-house factory squad could end up as a net gain, though. Stewart and Hampshire found good landing spots, and Husqvarna is going to roll out factory support to satellite teams. That's what put Cooper Webb in a position to race a factory bike at the expanded Team Tedder squad DC mentioned above. Husqvarna support is also helping AEO Powersports (formerly on KTMs, and that's the team Carson Mumford rides for) and Toyota of Redlands/BarX (formerly on Yamahas). Both of those teams have told me the level of support from Husqvarna will be much better than what they had previously, and they're pumped on the move, both from a technical and financial standpoint. Same for Tedder, obviously. Plus, with Eli Tomac choosing to retire, getting Webb back into the fold is a much-needed step for the Austrian brands in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, so you know Webb will be getting a lot of help.

Further, both Bennick and DiFrancesco have said their move from Rockstar Energy Husqvarna to Red Bull KTM will be a step up. Ryder D said he got bike upgrades when he moved from the Troy Lee Designs GasGas team to Husky, and there will be further steps forward on the KTM program. So, you still get Husqvarnas in the pits, but you also get some young talent on better, faster bikes in the 250 class with the upgrades Bennick and DiFrancesco have been talking about. Could be a win-win all around here, especially if Webb gets back to his winning ways in supercross.

Also, in the news this week was the signing of Evan Ferry, who is coming off an ACL injury, and Gavin Towers to ROKiT Partzilla Racing Yamaha. Here's Evan discussing moto:

All is quiet on the SMX front this week, as most riders are in their most relaxed mode of the year. Perusing Instagram will take you to all sorts of vacation destinations as the sport takes a deep exhale. I expect this same dynamic to continue en masse for the next two weeks with varying degrees of rest and recovery. That dynamic will shift quickly, though, as the first of November coincides with the beginning of a new week. That week will likely mark the "boot camp" kickoff for many. Some will push it another week to coincide with a two-month timeframe, but the exercise and off-bike work will ramp up in any case. Boot camp is the most grueling part of the season but arguably the most important, too. During November, I will try to walk through some of the most common routines and also dive into the difficulties faced on a daily basis. Sure, riders are living their dreams and shouldn't be pitied during the process. But, in the same breath, it is also a brutal couple of months where everything on your body hurts and your mind is taxed daily. Some enjoy this torture fest, but I more viewed it as a necessary timeframe of pain. I didn't look forward to two-to-three-hour bicycle rides coupled with 80-100 laps on a supercross track. Those are extreme ends of the range on a daily workload, but they do happen. Those days create the peak fitness athlete that will arrive in 2027 and are not negotiable. The how and when are never-ending subjects of debate, and we will walk through different approaches there in the coming weeks. For now, though, everyone gets to enjoy a Mai Tai and a sunset. Mahalo.

The latest issue of Racer X Magazine dropped this week with Jorge Prado on the front cover for the second time ever. He was on it a year and a half ago, but he was aboard a Monster Energy Kawasaki and ready to make a splash in America. Then the bottom fell out of his program and the team, and it ended badly, with Jorge not qualifying directly in the last round of MX, sitting out the SMX Playoffs and Finals, as well as the MXoN for Spain. Well, has there ever been a career turnaround as quickly as what Prado accomplished in 2026? He proved to be steady and very much improved in supercross; he was a constant podium contender in Pro Motocross. This time he not only qualified first at the final round, but he won both motos. Then he shocked everyone with the SMX World Championship title, then went to the MXoN for Spain and battled for the win with fellow multi-time FIM World Champion Jeffrey Herlings, settling for second after a brilliant battle. That all seemed cover-worthy!

The issue includes a breakdown of the 450 Pro Motocross title, featuring the Lawrence brothers and Haiden Deegan, plus a day-in-the-life feature on Cole Davies as he clinched the 250 Pro Motocross title at Ironman. There are also features on the Motodemption program at RedBud, as well as a story about four friends who all graduated from Pro SX MX Tech and are now all spanners for the Gizmo Mods Yamaha team. Look for the issue in your mailbox or on the local newsstand. You can also subscribe to the digital edition right here:

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The second Annual Vet Masters is coming to Matt Walker's track in Echeconnee, Georgia, November 13-15. I attended last year's first annual event, and it was one of the most fun vet races that I have been to. If you haven't been to Echeconnee, then you're missing out. With a flowy, sandy, safe track that leaves room for plenty of passing, it makes for a fun race for all of us older riders. It reminds me of an old-school motocross event where the track gets rough, and the atmosphere is laid back. I am trying to get Steve Matthes to come race; being that he is a four-time Manitoba Champion, maybe he can add a green jacket to the list of his accomplishments. If you're an older rider and want to come to a great weekend of racing, "The Stalker" puts on a well-run race. I don't pick a lot of races to go to, but this is one that I really can't wait for.

Every Father's Day, motocross fans gather at the magnificent High Point Raceway to watch the greatest racers in the world compete on the big stage. Last weekend, we gathered at High Point for a different reason. Red Bull's Day in the Dirt Out East invaded the Country Club of Motocross for a weekend filled with racing, friends, and good times!

Usually, on a Pro Motocross National weekend, campers from all over fill the hillsides of Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania. But last weekend, it was a different sight. Instead of campers lining the hillside, a track had been mowed into the grass for Day in the Dirt, sending riders zigzagging through the tall grass before they would disappear into the woods. High Point looked a little different from a normal national weekend, but this weekend was not going to be normal.

There are certain sounds you never get tired of hearing. Ask any motocross fan, and I'd be willing to bet they would give you the same answer: the sound of a two-stroke, wide open on the pipe. That unmistakable "braaaaaaap" would echo through the High Point hills and woods as the "Still Smokin'" two-stroke race got underway, bringing smiles to anyone's face that was within earshot. As badass as those two-strokes would sound ripping through the fresh High Point dirt, some of the best times of the weekend would have nothing to do with race results or even being on the track.

The Fasthouse pits had the kind of atmosphere that made you want to pull up a chair and stay awhile. Friends gathered around the campfire, laughing, cracking open a cold one, and telling old race stories that have probably gotten a little more exaggerated as the years roll by. There was certainly no shortage of jokes and laughter as old and new friends bench raced and reminisced about the good ol' days. It was the kind of scene that reminds you just how much motocross lives on beyond the track.

Before the pit bike madness got underway, Cody Jones busted out his guitar and absolutely crushed the national anthem, setting the tone for the madness that was about to unfold. The organized chaos began, and man, did we get a show. From pit bikes to mopeds, crashes to takeouts, the race delivered plenty of laughs and entertainment for all of us watching.

The jump show brought even more excitement to the weekend. Fans lined up at the big quad in the back of the High Point pro section as Darryn Durham, Patrick Evans, Tyler Bereman, Wyatt Fontenot, and Kelana Humphrey put on a show. The guys tossed whips and Nac-Nacs, while Evans and Fontenot even tossed synchronized backflips over the quad. With bikes flying through the air and the crowd cheering them on, the show was just another reminder that this weekend was not just about racing and lap times around the track.

Day in the Dirt is not just about racing motorcycles; it's about all that's happening around them. It's the sounds of the two-strokes clicking through gears. It's the glow of campfires lighting up the fields on a cool fall evening. It's the old race stories and jokes that leave everyone's faces hurting from smiling. It is also the feeling that everyone there genuinely wants to be there. They are there because of their love for dirt bikes, and they know that some of the best memories are made when things are not being taken too seriously.

It is also the little things you might not expect at a motocross race, like the closest-to-the-pin competition, where golf balls came dangerously close to making contact with some of the fans gathering around to watch. Shoutout to Racer X's own Andrew Fredrickson for channeling his inner Tiger Woods and sticking a shot within a foot of the pin to take home the win!

At the end of the weekend, you might not remember every single race result or every lap spun around the track. But you will remember how that two-stroke sounded ripping through the Pennsylvania dirt, the stories at the campfire, the music, laughter, and the people you spent the weekend making memories with.

And if you ask me, that is one hell of a weekend at the motocross track.

Check out some photos below, as well as my full gallery from the weekend!

2026 SMX CHAMPION | YES CHEF Levi Kitchen

Colton Haaker's "Smash Face" song haha

"920 Horsepower Hybrid Lamborghini Joins Dubai Police Tourist Patrol Fleet"—email from Dubai Police News Centre

"Rams cut Harrison Mevis, the 'Thiccer Kicker,' after overtime field-goal miss, per report"—Yahoo Sports

"Video: Magic player accidentally blocks own shot with his face"—Larry Brown Sports

"Former Browns WR David Bell Has Filed $300 Million Lawsuit Over Alleged Surgery Scheme That Ended Career"—NFL Memes

Here are a couple of good weekend reads. First, PulpMX has a Classic Ink feature on the 1999 N-Style team, which included factory Suzuki as well as Yamaha of Troy, FMF Honda, and Pro Circuit Kawasaki.

And with the move to America for the Coenen brothers, our buddy in Europe, “MX Geoff” Meyer, has a cool history piece about riders crossing the Atlantic, in either direction, to compete on other shores: