Jeff Simpson
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On the last edition of Going Pro, we walked through the past 6-9 years of 250MX champions, their last Loretta’s year and what their last class at the Ranch was. We did learn a few things, the big one being the time it took to become a 250MX champ was shorter for those who graduated in the A class than those who chose to forgo their A and/or B class seasons.
This time we will take a walk through the Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon Award winners from 1997-2009 along with a several stat lines. What year they won the Horizon Award, LL Class graduates, first Pro MX race/result, best 250cc MX series finish and their best 450cc MX series finish. Some of you might be wondering, WhAt AbOUt SuPERcroSS ReSUlts?! That will be a conversation for December, not June.
As noted in the previous column, there are no two similar paths to going professional in any sport, let alone a sport like motocross. The NBA introduced a minimum age rule which prevented kids from coming out of high school right to the NBA like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady did. This now forces kids to either play a year of college, which most do, while others take an alternative route playing for the NBA development league (G-League). This was before the NCAA agreed to allow student athletes to be paid for their likeness which was a blockbuster move but one that was needed.
In moto, the pulse of the paddock once felt that you have to dominate Loretta’s otherwise it was all over for your moto career. Is that still the case? Most of us would disagree as we sit here now in 2022. Yes results matter, as they always have, but the races in which those results come is all over the map. Take Matt LeBlanc for example. After Mini O’s went so-so, he came back firing at Freestone this past spring, grabbed a moto win and is now alongside his teammate Nick Romano for the entirety of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.
That said, popping off a good result at Loretta Lynn’s CAN help you going forward, especially if you are in search of factory support for the transition into the pro ranks. Just ask Preston Boespflug, Justin Cooper and RJ Hampshire. Loretta’s can be the stage that propels you into the future, but solely relying on THAT one result can also lead to disappointment.
Let’s take a look at the Horizon Award winners from years past and how their careers shook out. Yes we know RV, Deano and co raced in Canada before making their US pro debut but these colors don’t run so USA results only.
1997:
Nick Wey
Class Grads:
Danny Smith, Doug Parsons, Kelly Smith
First Pro Race + Result:
1997 | Broome Tioga | 17th OA
Best 125/250 MX Series Result:
1999 | 4th in Series | 2nd Year Pro
Best 250/450cc MX Series Result:
2008 | 6th in Series | 11th Year Pro
1998:
Billy Payne
Class Grads:
Matt Walker, Ernesto Fonseca, Shae Bentley
First Pro Race + Result:
1998 | Spring Creek | 34th OA
Best 125/250 MX Series Result:
2000 | 21st in Series | 2nd Year Pro
Best 250/450cc MX Series Result:
2010 (SX Only) | 43rd in Series | 12th Year Pro (kinda)
1999:
Travis Pastrana
Class Grads:
Ivan Tedesco, Dennis Stapleton
First Pro Race + Result:
2000 | Glen Helen | 4th OA
Best 125/250 MX Series Result:
2000 | 125cc Champion | Rookie Year
Best 250/450cc MX Series Result:
2002 (SX Only) | 16th in Series | 3rd Year Pro
2000:
Ben Riddle
Class Grads:
Chase Reed
First Pro Race + Result:
2000 | Broome Tioga | 22nd OA
Best 125/250 MX Series Result:
2001 | 35th in Series | 2nd Year Pro
Best 250/450cc MX Series Result:
2002 (SX Only) | 33rd in Series | 2nd Year Pro
2001:
James Stewart
Class Grads:
Ryan Morais, Andrew Short, Josh Woods, Troy Adams
First Pro Race + Result:
2002 Glen Helen 1st OA
Best 125/250 MX Series Result:
2002 & 2004 | 125cc Champ | 1st & 3rd Year Pro
Best 250/450cc MX Series Result:
2008 | 250cc champ (24-0) | 6th Year Pro
2002:
Evan Laughridge
Class Grads:
Josh Hansen, Justin Brayton
First Pro Race + Result:
2002 | Spring Creek | 16th OA (450cc Class)
Best 125/250 MX Series Result:
2004 | 47th in Series | 3rd Year Pro
Best 250/450cc MX Series Result:
2002 | 33rd in Series | Rookie Year Pro
2003:
Davi Millsaps
Class Grads:
Broc Hepler
First Pro Race + Result:
2004 | Hangtown | 27th OA
Best 125/250 MX Series Result:
2004 & 2005 | 8th in Series | 1st & 2nd Year Pro
Best 250/450cc MX Series Result:
2006 | 3rd in Series | 3rd Year Pro
2004:
Mike Alessi
Class Grads:
Ryan Sipes, Matt Goerke, Gavin Gracyk
First Pro Race + Result:
2004 | Broome Tioga | 17th OA (450cc Class)
Best 125/250 MX Series Result:
2006 | 2nd in Series | 3rd Year Pro
Best 250/450cc MX Series Result:
2007 | 2nd in Series | 4th Year Pro
2005:
Ryan Villopoto
Class Grads:
Jason Lawrence, Zach Osborne, Jake Weimer, Martin Davalos
First Pro Race + Result:
2005 | Broome Tioga | 15th OA
Best 125/250 MX Series Result:
2006-2008 | 250cc Champion | 1st & 3rd Year Pro
Best 250/450cc MX Series Result:
2011 & 2013 | 450cc Champion | 6th & 8th Year Pro
2006: Josh Hill
Class Grads:
Broc Tickle, Matt Lemoine, Matt Boni
First Pro Race + Result:
2006 | Spring Creek | 22nd OA
Best 125/250 MX Series Result:
2007 | 15th in Series | Rookie Year
Best 250/450cc MX Series Result:
2008 | 7th in Series | 2nd Year Pro
2007:
Trey Canard
Class Grads:
Austin Stroupe, Nico Izzi, Wil Hahn
First Pro Race + Result:
2007 | Spring Creek | 11th OA
Best 125/250 MX Series Result:
2010 | 250cc Champion | 3rd Year Pro
Best 250/450cc MX Series Result:
2014 | 3rd in Series | 7th Year Pro
2008:
Darryn Durham, PJ Larsen
Class Grads:
Blake Wharton, Steven Clarke, Hunter Hewitt
First Pro Race + Result:
DD: 2008 | Glen Helen | 18th OA
PJ: 2009 | Broome Tioga | 17th OA
Best 125/250 MX Series Result:
DD: 2011 | 10th in Series | 3rd Year Pro
PJ: 2009 | 16th in Series | Rookie Year
Best 250/450cc MX Series Result:
DD: 2016 | 51st in Series | 8th Year Pro
PJ: 2012 | 36th in Series | 4th Year Pro
2009:
Dean Wilson
Class Grads:
Blake Baggett, Justin Weeks, Travis Baker, Malcolm Stewart
First Pro Race + Result:
2010 | Glen Helen | 6th OA
Best 125/250 MX Series Result:
2011 | 250cc Champion | 2nd Year Pro
Best 250/450cc MX Series Result:
2017 | 4th in Series | 7th Year Pro
What does all of this mean? Honestly even as this is being written I am still unsure. If we compare it to the previous stat line, the Horizon Award means something, but not everything. There may have been a few guys who’s career didn’t go as well as they had hoped but let me rattle off some of the others. Nick Wey, James Stewart, Travis Pastrana, Trey Canard, Davi Millsaps, Ryan Villopoto and Dean Wilson all won the Horizon Award and went on to win a major title (or 6-9 like RV). Those Horizon Award winners who didn’t capture a title did not leave empty handed. Mike Alessi, Darryn Durham and Josh Hill went on to have storied careers, Hill injury aside. Do y’all remember him on the San Manuel Yamaha!?
Then there is the other half of the coin, the side that didn’t work out as anticipated. Billy Payne, Ben Riddle, Evan Laughridge and PJ Larsen all had promising amateur careers but the transition into the pros is not to be taken lightly. Unfortunately there is no mercy in the sport of moto, especially during the Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Chad Reed era of the 2000’s. They were left off of rosters as the years clicked by only to fade into the abyss of the backside of their moto careers.
Stay tuned for Part 2 covering 2010-2021 and maybe some lowercase predictions for the Horizon Award winners to come.
