Underdogs of Unadilla

Great racing was seen at the front of the field for Round 9 of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship at the Unadilla National in New Berlin, NY. Again, the spotlight shouldn’t only be on the frontrunners. Several standout riders, including notable international talents, also deserve recognition.

The riders were back this weekend after a three-week break and two weekends. The SuperMotocross World Championship starts in just a couple of weekends. Some riders are trying to claim the top 20 and top 30 (for the LCQ) in combined points, leading in so they can have a chance to participate in the SMX playoff rounds.

Let’s see who had some standout rides out of the "non-factory" riders that deserve some praise.

450MX

Dylan Ferrandis

Frenchman Dylan Ferrandis on the Phoenix Racing Honda had a great day at Unadilla, finishing 4th overall on the day with a sixth in the first moto and on the podium's final step in the second. The team and Ferrandis have been working hard to put the Phoenix Racing Honda machine on the box finally, and even if it didn't turn into an overall podium on the day, this is something to be happy about leaving Saturday. Ferrandis is sitting sixth in the Pro Motocross Championship points and eighth in combined points for the SuperMotocross World Championship.

Grant Harlan

Gizmo Modz/Rock River Yamaha rider Grant Harlan got the top 10 he has been looking for since the start of the series at Fox Raceway. He has been close on three separate occasions throughout this summer. Harlan sits 17th in the combined points and has been moving up the ladder since the start of the Pro Motocross series, now tied with Phil Nicoletti for that 16th-17th place position in the SMX Playoffs.

He spoke with us after Undailla, reflecting on his day : "Pretty good. 11-10 for 10th overall, so best one of the year for me. My first start wasn’t great, but I kind of got up there in the pack a little bit like the first two laps, and then I don’t know, I just put in the laps and ended up 11th. And then that second one, I started in the top 10, close to the top five, and kind of sat in eighth for a while and then slid back to 10th there right at the end. But, just consistent riding and putting myself in a good position the first two laps."

Freddie Noren

Madd Parts Kawasaki’s and Sweeden’s Freddie Noren has been solid all summer, just like the past years. At Unadilla, he finished 11th overall with 10-11 moto scores on the day, coming off a top 10 with an eighth from the last round at Washougal. This is where Noren shines here in Pro Motocross, and with two rounds left, he puts himself in the top 10 overall in points with two rounds left in the series.

He spoke with us after his day from Unadilla : "The day for me here at Unadilla was good. It was not like, you know, crazy, amazing great day, but it was a solid day. I was 11th overall, just outside of that 10th, but I feel like I rode really well. The bike worked well, and the team, everyone did a good job. Moto one I went down early on, like lap three or something, and that kind of hindered me a couple of spots because I had to try to charge back and regain some positions. I did that, and in moto 2, I rode solid and made some good passes, but then kind of just lacked the pace a little bit to get inside that top 10. So I got 11th in the second moto, but overall, I think it was a good day. Jumped back into 10th overall in points, which is big for me and big for the team as well."

Harri Kullas

Estonia’s Harri Kullas on the Michael's Reno Powersports KTM started the series at Hangtown Round 2, missed Thunder Valley Round 3, and was inside the top 10 at the next three. With an 11th at Washougal and 12th this past weekend at Unadilla with 15-12 moto scores, he has bumped himself into the SMX Playoffs, sitting 18th. This summer for Kullas has been a story to follow as it is tough for these “non-factory” riders who are not on a permanent team to get to the races week in and week out. Each round, the MXGP veteran has found help along the way and is making the most of it this summer with two remaining.

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Phil Nicoletti

Muc-Off/ClubMx/FXR Yamahas’ and New York native Phil Nicoletti was the weekend’s Grand Marshall of the event on Saturday. From his point of view, it was not the best showing for his final time at Unadilla, with the 13th overall and 13-15 moto scores on the day. He even had a chance to speak on the podium after the day's event for his final showing at Unadilla. The emotional rollercoaster of the day played a factor, which is understandable with so many friends and family in attendance. Regardless of the results, this was, potentially, his last showing at his home track. Phil has been solid all summer long in the 450MX class with two top 10s overall and multiple holeshots throughout the season. Filthy Phil sits 16th in the combined points for the SMX Playoffs.

Shane McElrath

The new rider on the Madd Parts Kawasaki and Noren’s teammate, North Carolina’s Shane McElrath, made a good first impression on the new machine and team. After “being fired” from the HEP/Twisted Tea Suzuki team and only three days on the KX450, he finished 16-13 moto scores for 14th overall. That in itself is a challenging feat with limited time on the bike. McElrath sits 16th in the Pro Motocross Championship and 13th in SMX. Shane claimed the weekend Pro Motocross FMF Privateer Power Award for his day.

We chat with Shane about his day from Unadilla : "Honestly, today was my third day on the Kawi, and I’m pretty excited about it. I mean, obviously, I want to do well, but I raced hard today given my limited time on the bike and just not knowing what the bike’s going to do at race pace. Really, every lap out, I was getting more comfortable, figuring out what the bike was going to do, and my fastest lap of the second Moto was like three laps to go. So, I’m really excited about how today went, how this week has gone, the transition to the team, getting on the bike, the suspension, the motor—I'm just like, dude, I got on the bike and I just rode. I kept riding and riding, and today, for the second moto, was the first time we’ve changed anything on the bike."

Romain Pape

TPJ Racings’ and Frenchman Romain Pape put in another top 20 result at Unadilla with 19-16 moto scores for 16th overall on the day. In the second moto, starting outside the top 30, he had to fight hard to claim a 16th-place finish. Romain has had some motos throughout the summer that resulted in zero points that have hurt looking to get into the top 20 and out of the LCQ for the SMX Playoffs in a couple of weekends. Pape sits 25th in combined SMX points, enough to enter the LCQs in September.

Marshal Weltin

The Gizmo Modz/Rock River Yamaha rider Marshal Weltin now jumps into the top 20 (19th) for the SMX Playoffs after his day at Unadilla for 18th overall with 14-38 on the day. The second moto resulted in a front flat tire for Weltin, which caused him to have a big get-off. He claims to be ok from the crash and is good to go for Budds Creek this weekend. Weltin came into Unadilla off his best summer result at the last round, Washougal, placing 10th overall.

Henry Jacobi

Another MXGP veteran and Germany’s on the Sarholtz KTM, Henry Jacobi, came to Unadilla for his career-first AMA Pro Motocross event and finished 20th with 17-40 moto results. In the second moto, his clutch went out off the start, forcing him to withdraw in the third corner. Jacobi will be racing this weekend at Budds Creek for his final go here in the United States. Here are his comments in a recent Instagram post on the struggles and emotions throughout the day:

"So guys, I’ve got my first AMA race behind me. The B practice was just chaotic—you have 15 minutes, and you’re not allowed to jump anything on the first lap. So after the first lap, you’ve got about 10 good minutes left. Overall, the track was definitely tough and, above all, new. I ended up 25th in the time practice. In the first moto, I was around 10th off the start, but in the first lap, I was still pretty nervous and dropped out of the top 20. Eventually, I started to get a bit more comfortable with the track and finished 17th. With a lot of hope and the 16th gate pick, I wanted to aim for the top 10 in the second moto, but unfortunately, the clutch wasn’t working properly right from the start... I had to pull off after three corners. Now we’ve got one more weekend to really push it. Dream fulfillment or not, I definitely want to do better."

250MX

Lux Turner

AEO Powersports KTM Racing Teams’ rookie Lux Turner has been turning heads and steadily improving each round in his full-season debut for the summer's Pro Motocross series. This past weekend at Unadilla was the best result of his rookie season, with a 15th overall with 17-16 moto scores. Turner is outside the top 30 (37th) for the SMX Playoffs in September, but that doesn’t count out that he is getting better as the season progresses, and keep an eye out for the #473 moving forward with two rounds remaining.