MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Following a successful debut of the program last season, MX Sports Pro Racing has announced the continuation of its Scouting Moto Combine, presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare, for the 2022 campaign to facilitate the ongoing development of American motocross’ next generation of aspiring professional talent. The second year of the program will once again be implemented in conjunction with select rounds of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and will expand to include a trio of invitational gatherings of pro prospects as part of the RedBud National, Ironman National, and season-ending Fox Raceway II National.
“If we want our future talent to succeed at the professional level of the sport and maintain the rich, dominant legacy of American motocross, we need to take matters into our own hands and provide our aspiring athletes with the proper guidance and tools to excel when they take that all-important next step into Lucas Oil Pro Motocross and AMA Supercross,” explained Tim Cotter, Event Director, MX Sports Pro Racing. “In working cohesively with our competing manufacturers, who share an equal, if not greater investment in the amateur level of the sport as we do as organizers, we collectively curated a structure that resulted in immediate success by providing invaluable insight and experience for these young athletes. A more refined Scouting Moto Combine will welcome an even deeper collection of talent in its second year and our commitment to continued growth of the program will allow it to become an integral part of every athlete’s path to the professional level.”
Gatherings for the MX Sports Pro Racing Scouting Moto Combine, presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare, for 2022 will once again be anchored by an all-star collection of coaches, which will feature the likes of former AMA National Champions and some of American motocross’ most highly regarded competitors. These coaches will mentor an assigned group of prospects through multiple facets of the Combine, including a dedicated classroom-style session that addresses cornerstone elements of the sport – competition, media, fitness, and nutrition – as well as a pair of 25-minute-plus-two-lap motos on the same National track their professional counterparts will wage battle on Saturday afternoon.
The Combine activities will be held on the eve of the three Nationals, on July 1 (RedBud), August 26 (Ironman), and September 2 (Fox Raceway II), and will feature a collection of the sport’s most high-profile amateur talent, developed in collaboration with each competing manufacturer – GASGAS, Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki, and Yamaha. This Friday showcase will put the spotlight on the sport’s most touted professional prospects, which will ultimately result in a trio of exclusive 30-minute broadcasts highlighting each Scouting Moto Combine on MAVTV Motorsports Network. Additionally, the invited athletes will take their turn alongside the sport’s biggest stars on Saturday, with a parade lap during opening ceremonies to kick off each respective National.
“The Moto Combine events provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about what it’s like to be a professional racer,” said Ryan Holliday, Team Manager, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green. “While there are many quality amateur motocross events across the country, nothing provides the professional race day experience like the Moto Combine. Being able to earn a place on the starting gate of these events is another step closer to the ‘big time’ and gives [amateur] riders the experience needed to compete at the highest levels.”
With a potential group that consists of more than 50 A & B level amateur racers, a full list of invited prospects will be announced at a later date but is expected to be headlined by the two riders who dominated last summer’s Combines, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Ryder DiFrancesco and Team Honda HRC’s Chance Hymas. Additionally, a multitude of AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship titleholders from Loretta Lynn’s are also expected to participate, including the likes of Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Haiden Deegan, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Evan Ferry, and Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Krystian Janik.