Troy Dog
Welcome to the offseason and our new ongoing “Team Previews” column. Every week from now until the Monster Energy Supercross season starts in January we will be profiling a big team in the sport. We’ll go through the changes that have been made, analyze results, and give each team a grade on all of their offseason moves. This week we have Bar X Suzuki and you will find the full schedule below.
Who’s In:
#52 Carson Mumford (250SX/MX)
#53 Derek Drake (250SX/MX)
#59 Robbie Wageman (250SX/MX)
#81 Ty Masterpool (250SX/MX)
Who’s Out:
Dilan Schwartz
Preston Kilroy
Larry Brooks
Last season’s Supercross Results:
Carson Mumford – 12th 250SX West
Derek Drake – 10th 250SX East
Preston Kilroy – Did not race.
Dilan Schwartz – 24th 250 SX West
Last Season’s Motocross Results:
Carson Mumford- 17th 250MX
Derek Drake- 20th 250MX
Preston Kilroy – 19th 250MX
Dilan Schwartz – 29th 250MX
Offseason Grade: C
The Rundown:
Bar X Suzuki started out as an amateur motocross team, led by Larry Brooks, that really came alive in 2020 with Dilan Schwartz and Preston Kilroy at Loretta Lynn’s in the B classes. The following year was more of the same in the A classes and then the team jumped into the pro ranks and added Carson Mumford and Derek Drake along the way. This team has had flashes of brilliance, highlighted by Schwartz’s 10th overall in the outdoors in 2021. The bikes are fast and the riders on this team have a lot of talent. Unfortunately, most of the team sat out with injuries for the majority of the 2022 season.
When the riders on the team were healthy they came back towards the end of Pro Motocross and found each other in the motos more often than not. That’s all I really remember about them from last year.
The bad news for the team is that Mumford is already on the mend with a broken wrist. While this team is filled with fast talent, I expected Mumford and Derek Drake to take that step up this season in Supercross. Drake is a talent that came up in the KTM Orange Brigade into the Red Bull KTM team. He had a couple of years to show what he could do and he even earned national number 33! Last summer, Drake set the record straight about his rare heart condition he’s had his entire life. He had heart surgery and Bar X has been behind him every step of the way. Drake has the talent to really step up this season and make some noise.
The Bar X team said goodbye to Schwartz in the off-season. He raced for Pipes Motorsports Group during the World Supercross Championship and they are signing him for 2023 as well. Schwartz isn’t the only person moving Suzuki teams as Bar X’s team manager Larry Brooks made the switch to PMG in the offseason. Also, Preston Kilroy, who spent the last four years with the team will be on his own program in 2023. I’m not sure if he didn’t get offered a deal, or if he chose to leave, but I’m assuming it’s the first scenario. Kilroy is currently riding his own Yamaha at ClubMX preparing for 250SX.
With those departures the team had two spots to fill. So, Bar X went out and scooped up Robbie Wageman from Team Solitaire and then just recently announced the signing of Ty Masterpool. Wageman really improved in Supercross last year, so it will be cool to see what he can do with a ride indoors and out. Masterpool has so much talent. He showed up on a used stock bike last summer and was top privateer at times. Will he be able to stay healthy this season? Let’s hope!
There you have Bar X Suzuki in a nutshell. They sign very talented riders, some talented riders go elsewhere, and they sign more talented riders. It’s a vicious cycle, but one of these days these guys are going to stay healthy and you’re going to see what this squad is made of.
Thanks for reading my series of team previews for the coming season. If you’d like to talk about these or any of the other stories that I’ve written you can email me at [email protected] You can also reach me on Twitter/Instagram: @troydogvurb.
Team Preview Schedule:
10/27 – Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/ GASGAS Factory Race Team
11/3 – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
11/9 – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Team
11/16 – Monster Energy Kawasaki Factory Racing
12/9 – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki
12/14 – Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha
12/22 – Pipes Motorsports Group (HEP Motorsports Suzuki)
12/28- Bar X Suzuki
1/3 – Team Solitaire
Horrible reporting. Larry Brooks left and was replaced by who?????