The Story Behind the Yamaha PulpMX LCQ Challenge

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One of the number one questions Steve Matthes gets asked is: “How do you get a job in this industry?” He’ll tell you the same thing every single time—work your ass off for free, keep showing up, and hopefully you’ll get noticed.

That’s not just some cliché either. It’s the reality for a lot of people chasing this dream. The early years usually come with more sacrifice than reward—burning through savings, maxing out cards, sleeping on sofas, and doing whatever it takes just to get a shot. And while all that effort might seem extreme, it doesn’t even come close to what privateers are spending just to line up and race at the professional level every Saturday night.

The irony of this sport is brutal. Only a few guys are ever truly set for life after racing. A handful more might finish their careers barely in the black. And the rest? They’re scraping by, juggling loans, credit card debt, and side hustles just to keep the dream alive—hoping that the next round might finally change everything.

Let’s stop and look at a few examples of weekend expenses according to several privateer riders I spoke with:

Race Entry: $262.50 (that includes a $12.50 service fee)
Race Gas: $70
Bike Transport: $500
Hotel: $600
Rental Car: $250
Food: $300
Airfare: $400
Basic Bike Maintenance/Parts: $400
Mechanic Credential: $50
Rider Credential: $30

Total: $2,852.50 per weekend. Multiply that by 17 rounds and you’re brushing up against $50,000—just to show up and participate.

And that’s not counting practice bikes, weekday track fees, clutches, chains, coaches, trainers, supplements, or the 500 gallons of coffee required to drive across the country in a van held together by zip ties and caffeine-fueled optimism.

We all love this sport—but make no mistake, it’s expensive to pay to play.

This is where Steve Matthes of PulpMX comes in.

If you know Steve, you know he’s not just a podcast guy. He cut his teeth wrenching for privateers back when being a mechanic meant everything. You didn’t just twist wrenches—you booked the lodging, shopped for groceries, dialed in suspension, rebuilt engines in parking lots, and tried to keep both the bike and rider glued together long enough to make a main event. He was doing all of that while driving a box van that had less life left in it than your grandma’s VHS player.

So when PulpMX blew up, and Steve had a platform, he didn’t forget where he came from. He built a place where privateers—guys like Alex Ray, Grant Harlan, and Kyle Chisholm to name a few—could come on the show, speak freely, and be themselves. No PR filter. No team managers cringing in the background. Just real dudes telling real stories from the trenches. (cue the smack smack “In my a… drop from A-Ray)

Yamaha, a long time sponsor of the show, reached out in 2018 and offered Steve a second bike to do whatever he wanted with as long as it brought awareness to the brand. His response? “I barely ride the one I have, why do I need a second one?” After some brainstorming he thought he might give it to A-Ray as a practice bike in exchange for content. Or maybe he could sell it and give the money to a privateer.

Then came the idea of all ideas landed: instead of having to choose which rider to give it to, what if there was a way to compete for the prize purse?

Enter: The Yamaha PulpMX Privateer LCQ Challenge—a championship within a championship.

The concept was genius. Take Supercross point scoring, starting at P5 in the LCQ all the way back to P22. That way, the guys who aren’t making mains every weekend still have something to race for—something that pays. He raffled off the Yamaha, took the money, and built a prize purse to be awarded at the final round in Vegas.

The first winners? Cade Clason, Adam Enticknap and Nick Schmidt. Guys grinding week in and week out. But Steve caught on to Schmidt intentionally missing mains to stay in the running. He wasn’t mad–he respected the hustle. “Good on him for working the system,” he said. “But what the f__k man I want these guys to keep trying to make mains.”

So Steve took it further. He wanted his own race.

He hit up the big dogs at Feld—Dave Prater, Mike Muye, and Sean Brennen—and asked for a shot. Worst case, they’d say no. Instead? They greenlit it, making him wish he had asked sooner.

And just like that, the Yamaha PulpMX Privateer LCQ Challenge Race became a real thing— Friday, during the day at the Denver round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross.

The format evolved from a 12-minute moto in its first few years to two short mains starting last year. The first, a traditional gate drop; the second, a reverse-order staggered start that practically guarantees chaos. In 2024, Josh Hill took home over $30,000 going 2-12 for the overall win.

The payout? It goes 22 deep. And that’s just the purse. There’s also prop bets—like Adam Cianciarulo handing out cash to whoever finishes P9. Or prizes for the biggest air wheelie on the parade lap. Or maybe even the sketchiest swap. Whatever the donor desires. The prop bets are endless. It’s truly grassroots insanity—and the privateers are all in.

Each year, aside from those who qualify, a select few wildcards are chosen—riders personally picked by Steve. One of those spots this year will be filled by 250 rider Hardy Munoz. Another notable name on the lineup is Kyle Chisholm, who will ride in place of Jerry Robin. All of Chisholm’s prize earnings will go directly to Jerry to support his recovery following the heartbreaking injury he sustained at the East Rutherford round of Supercross.

What started with a $30 raffle ticket to win a Yamaha YZ450F now includes over 20 other killer prizes—gear from Fly Racing and FXR, parts from Fire Power, Works Connection, Race Tech, Michelin, and more. It’s grown from a $14,000 payout in year one to a movement that’s rapidly approaching nearly a million dollars raised since its inception.

This event means so much to Steve, a guy who remembers what it was like to be broke, tired, hungry, and still chasing the dream. It’s pretty cool to see how far it has come and is exciting to see where he will take it next.

There are no participation trophies in Supercross—but from the riders chasing dreams to you, the fan, buying raffle tickets to keep the dream alive, everyone involved in this thing is a winner.

Head on over to pulpmx.com/lcqchallenge for your chance to win the Yamaha YZ450F or one of the many other great prizes as we help increase the prize pot. You can watch the race live this Friday on the Vurbmoto YouTube channel and a replay on the Vurb and PulpMX YouTube channels.

Main image: Feld