In Quotebook, a selection of riders detail how their races played out at the ninth round of the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship at Unadilla.

450MX

Image: Octopi Media.

Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) – First: 
I thought the track last year was fast, and I was amazed they were able to make it even faster this year. I appreciate them ripping it so deep and making it a normal Unadilla. Chase and Dylan [Ferrandis] were able to keep me on my toes all day, and I never felt like I was able to pull away. When I raced 250s, it was usually pretty easy to put a few good laps in and create a gap. Now, I have to work for it all moto. Overall, I had set a goal for myself to win the title in my rookie season, and I’m happy to get it done here.

Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC) – Second: 
I felt like I had a great couple weeks of testing over the break, and I think it showed in the first moto. I was super comfortable all day and felt like I could seriously make a challenge. Obviously, I didn’t get the result I wanted, but it’s great to see us continue to make progress so late in the season. I’m excited to get back out there and compete again.

Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Third
It was a good race for me yesterday after this refreshing break. The team did a great job. We finally got the bike that we wanted, and it’s good to be back to my normal speed and fighting up front. Unfortunately, we had little bad luck in the second moto with an issue with the holeshot device. I feel like I had more than third, but it was a good step in the right direction.

Jay Wilson (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 15th:
It’s a new experience for us. It’s the first time racing a Pro Motocross race here in America. Coming to Unadilla was pretty special. There’s a lot of history here, so it’s been a very exciting day. Besides the first moto crash, which we struggled with a little bit, we learned a lot. I was able to support the team and find some more data, and I’m happy to leave here healthy. I was pretty realistic about my expectations coming here. The intensity is quite high, but I just tried to learn as much as possible today. It was my first day on this bike, but the team was very accommodating. I’m pumped for everyone here today; the 250 guys had good results, and Dylan had a good result. If we can support these guys a little bit, I’m happy.

Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Fourth: 
Another fourth this weekend. I felt good and we are still improving. I’m leaving this round with decent points, so let’s do it again next weekend.

Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Eighth: 
We had an alright weekend at Unadilla. I had good starts but lost the front end in moto one and did some work to make it back to the top 15. Moto two was a lot better, we’re going to keep working at it and be ready for Budds next weekend.

Justin Barcia (Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing) – 19th: 
The day started off really well. I was really having a good time and was going into the first moto with a lot of good vibes and good feels. Unfortunately, I got in a first-turn pile-up, and damaged my bike pretty bad. I tried to do a few laps but I ended up crashing again and had to pull her in and go back to the semi. So that was a shame for the first moto, not really the race I wanted coming back. In the second moto I had the far outside gate pick. I got off to a good jump, but pretty much had nowhere to go in the tight Unadilla first corner so I was pretty buried. I was charging through the third corner and got in another little pile-up and ended up going down. It was an extremely tough moto. That was my first 30-minute moto in a long time. So it was a tough day, but all-in-all it was very nice to be back at the races. We know we’ve got a lot of work to do and knew that this would be a good test for the future Supermotocross stuff. So we’ll keep working and be back next week at Budds Creek.

Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM) – Fifth: 
Unadilla started off rough with 18th in qualifying… I only got better from there and worked really hard for both of my fifth-place finishes today with my starts – especially in the second moto. I was happy with how I rode, as I almost chased down fourth in that one. More homework to do, I need to be stronger early and find comfort sooner in the day, so that’s what we’ll work on and finish the year off strong with two to go.

Freddie Noren (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – 10th: 
The track was super-high speed. I’ve never hit fourth gear on the Suzuki before, but this weekend I did. In the first moto, I let off a little early coming into the first corner, which probably kept me out of one first-turn crash. Then I tangled with another crashed rider, and I went down. As I was falling, I put my arm out and someone ran straight into it. Once I untangled my bike and got back going I tried to shake my arm out, but that hurt a lot, so I knew it was going to be a challenging moto. My bars were bent as well, but I just had to keep going. I think I passed the finish line on the first lap in 30th place. I gained back to 13th, which was a surprisingly good charge considering I had bent bars and an arm that wouldn’t work properly. I was concerned I wasn’t going to be able to run the second moto. I’m the type of person who will always try, so I went out on the sight lap. I couldn’t fully extend or pull my arm in all the way. I knew it was going to be a challenge with a lot of pain. I had a decent start, passed a few guys, got up to ninth place, and actually rode really well. About halfway through the moto, both arms started going numb. I had to use all of my fingers to pull in the front brake and clutch. Overall, I’m super pumped with the team. They’re doing a really good job and the bike’s working really well. I’m happy with where I’m at right now, and I really just want to finish off the season strong and go into the playoff rounds healthy.

Kyle Chisolm (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – 16th: 
The track was super-fast. I couldn’t put it together and ride my best in qualifying. That left me with a poor gate pick for the first moto. In the first moto, I got caught in a little crash in the second turn. About halfway through the moto I finally found my stride. In the second moto, I had a really good start but made a couple of mistakes on the first lap and lost some spots. I ran around eleventh for most of the moto, so I was happy with that.

Derek Drake (BarX Suzuki) – 17th: 
Qualifying was good. I feel like I can ride how I want to with a smoother track. The first moto was okay. I feel like it definitely should have been a top ten, but my arms got super tight in the beginning. I worked through it to end up P12. In the second moto, I didn’t have a good start, then my foot peg got bent and eventually snapped off the bike.

250MX

Image: Octopi Media.

Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) – First: 
First of all, I want to congratulate my brother Jett on his championship. I’m super proud of him, and I can’t wait to see what he does in the future! Obviously, we had some good days off to let me heal and get ready for this final push. I know people will critique us for not emphasizing training during a break, but we just did what we know and trust. Sometimes it’s better to recharge than keep pushing the hammer down. I think it’s shown so far that we made the right decisions, so we’ll just have to go out there and prove it the rest of the season.

Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Third: 
It was a good day. We tried something in the first moto, and I just wasn’t comfortable. I started third and tightened up a little bit, and fell back pretty quick. I took a step back, regrouped, and tried to make a charge at the end of Moto 1, but I just lost too much time in the beginning. I went back to my normal setup in moto two and felt really comfortable, and I think I showed that and just rode aggressive the whole time. It was fun. There are a lot of fans here, so they were keeping me going the rest of the moto.

Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 17th: 
Today was going really well in the first moto. I felt super good, and then we had an issue and didn’t finish, which happens, so we just had to move on. I was all the way on the outside in the second moto, so I had a very bad start and just tried my best and finished 10th. It is what it is. At the end of the day, we are leaving here healthy and will be back to fight another day.

Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Second: 
It was a pretty good day. I didn’t qualify well, but that’s something I’m trying to work on. Then in the first moto, I got the holeshot and won that, which was great and also something I’ve been working on because we haven’t had the best first motos. Then in the second moto with some restarts and all that, I ended up fourth. It was a pretty good day, finishing second overall. I’m getting off the gate better, and it’s helping a lot throughout the day, so I’m stoked.

Daxton Bennick (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Ninth: 
Yeah, it was a good day. I didn’t have the greatest qualifying, but I regrouped for moto one and made my way up to about 12th. I actually ended up going down on the last lap, which is a little frustrating, but I’m glad I’m all right. I had a pretty good second moto and came out around 14th or 15th and made my way up to ninth, which ended up getting me ninth overall. So I’m really pumped on the day. I just need to figure out my first motos. I’m looking forward to Budds Creek next weekend!

Stilez Robertson (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 16th: 
Yeah, it was the first one back. In the first moto, I got a little bit of arm pump and just kind of struggled. In the second one, I was feeling good. I pulled the holeshot on the first start and was leading, but then, unfortunately, there was a red flag. On the second start, I came out fifth or sixth and again was feeling good but just tucked the front. Another rider got stuck on top of me, so it took me a while to get up. I’m not really happy, but it’s the first race back, so we got that out of the way and are moving on to Budds Creek.

Jo Shimoda (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Fourth: 
Overall it was a good day. I had decent speed towards the end of the motos and my starts were good. I just need to clean up mid race making better line choices and I feel like I will be closer to run with the top guys. Thank you to my Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team for the support. I’m stoked with my riding. See you next week.

Austin Forkner (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – 11th: 
I had an up and down day at Unadilla. It felt good to put my KX250 on top in qualifying for the first time in about five years. I ended up going down and having to stop in the mechanic’s area, but came back to 22nd. The second moto is where I should be at right now – good start, good ride, good finish. Time to carry that momentum into Budds Creek.

Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawsaki) – 14th: 
Unadilla was great until it wasn’t. I felt great in both qualifying sessions ending up second. I had a great start in moto one and battling for the lead was fun. I went down pretty hard but got back up to 24th. Moto two I went out and tried my best and maintained fifth until a tip over and ended up eighth. A lot of positives but I wish the day would have ended better considering how good I felt on my KX250. Time to get ready for Budds Creek next week.

Ryder DiFrancesco (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Eighth: 
I learned a lot this weekend. Getting good starts and running up front was my goal. I still have a lot of progress to make but we’re getting better each round.

Carson Mumford (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – 12th:
I had an okay weekend at Unadilla. I had decent starts and felt solid, but I need to limit the mistakes. Thank you to Mitch and the team for believing in me.

Jalek Swoll (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – Seventh: 
Starts were okay. Moto one was okay. I came in with a sixth and felt like I had some more in the tank to ride a little better and get a little further up. In moto two I came together with another rider. I don’t feel like it was my fault and I felt like there was nowhere to go and was stuck in his bike for what felt like forever. From dead last I don’t know what I came back to…maybe 12th or 13th. It sucks. It feels like a lot of work is being put in but it doesn’t show. It’s all good. We’ll use the fire and try to come out firing at the next two rounds.

Talon Hawkins (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – 19th: 
The final placement may not show it, but I feel like I rode great today and rode a lot better than I have been. I had a mishap in the first moto. I came with a clear head into the second moto and ripped a good start. I was in the top five, but unfortunately, my teammate went down and it got red-flagged. My second start after that was not up to par so I had to play catch-up the whole second race. But I ended with a 17th in the first and a 15th in the second for somehow 19th overall. But it’s okay. There’s a lot to improve on, but I’ve been improving every week. I’m ready to get to the Baker’s Factory to keep grinding.

Maximus Vohland (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – Fifth: 
I started the day well here qualifying in P7 – I’ve always liked Unadilla and I feel like it suits my style. I got off to a good start in moto one, inside the top five, and just felt like I had a good flow going. I tried to chase down Levi [Kitchen] for the lead, but ended with a couple mistakes and finished fourth. Second moto, rode well again, I just didn’t get off to a great start after the restart. Fought my way into sixth and then ran out of tear-offs, so that’s where my charge ended and finished the day with fifth overall.

Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – Sixth: 
Unadilla is a tough track – it’s actually super-fast! There were a lot of ruts that were really long, which made for a unique challenge, and really, I just struggled with finding a flow all day, to be honest. Both motos, I didn’t ride how I’d have liked to, but we have another race next weekend and I’m excited to give it my all at Budds Creek.

Pierce Brown (Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing) – 10th:
I had an all-right day, with tenth overall. I definitely want more. We struggled a little bit in both motos, just getting off the gate. I had to come from behind in both motos, especially the second one. In moto one I fell with a lap to go, so I lost some spots there. In moto two I had a charge. I made some pretty good passes with a couple laps to go to get myself in a better position. I’m happy, but I want more. We’re going to push to build for the rest of the season.

Dilan Schwartz (Toyota of Redlands BarX Suzuki) 18th:
In moto one, I rode really well and finished strong with a P10. In the second moto I was riding strong again, but unfortunately had another issue causing a DNF.

Chase Yentzer (Toyota of Redlands BarX Suzuki) 40th:
Unadilla was super fun as always. I have raced this track a good bit in my amateur career, so it was fun to come back! The first qualifier went really well. I was sitting P23 going into the second qualifier. I had a good ride, but I couldn’t get a clean lap. I ended up qualifying 28th overall.