Slaw Dog
Aside from a few things left to clear up–mainly, where the hell is Dylan Ferrandis going?–the 450 landscape for the 2024 SuperMotocross season is finalized. There were a lot of moving parts this off-season and I’ll be back next week to clear this all up, but for this weeks edition of “Slawservation” I’m going to rank the biggest moves this off-season, starting with…
1) Chase Sexton to Red Bull KTM
This is massive for Red Bull KTM. They get one of the best riders in the world at a very young age. Sexton just turned 24, is coming off a Monster Energy Supercross title, and will be at the front of this class for many years to come. How could this not be number 1?
2) Eli Tomac Re-Signing with Monster Energy/Star Racing Yamaha
Watching Eli Tomac ride off the track in Denver, his leg dangling off to the side of his bike, his dream scenario of clinching the title at his home race gone up in smoke, I thought it would be the last we’d see of one of the greatest to do it. In the back of my head I thought there might be a chance Tomac would return for this year. Mainly I couldn’t see a rider with the mindset of Tomac going out like that. Alas, he’s already back riding and will return for at least Monster Energy Supercross this year, which is awesome to see. He has earned the right to go out on his own terms, whenever that might be.
3) Ken Roczen Re-Signing with HEP Suzuki
Name another brand that needs Ken Roczen more than Suzuki? There isn’t one. Roczen is still a global superstar and needless to say, Suzuki needs a face of the brand. Can Ken still win titles? I don’t know. What I do know is that he will win races, get a ton of podiums and be the face of a brand that badly needs it. Also, how crazy is the meteoric rise of the Dustin Pipes led HEP team? What a job by Dusty and the squad.
4) Cooper Webb to Monster Energy/Star Racing Yamaha
People tend to forget that Webb was in the THICK of the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross title chase. Before he got hurt in Nashville, he was AHEAD of Sexton in points and only trailed Tomac by 11. If he had not gotten hurt, the title would have been his. He’s back where it all began and alongside Tomac and Justin Cooper, Star has one of the best 450 teams in recent memory. They are going to be a problem for people this year.
5) Justin Barcia Back with Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GasGas
Barcia is great for the GasGas brand. They are a bit more laid back than KTM or Husqvarna (the other brands in the Pierer Mobility Group) and Barcia fits the mold of the team. Like Roczen, Barcia may not win a title this year, but he’ll be in the hunt for race wins and podiums and is a great ambassador for the brand. He’s back for two more years, so he’ll likely end his career with the team.
Main image: KTM Images
