FACTORY BIKES UP CLOSE // 2023 SAN DIEGO SUPERCROSS

It’s Friday and Motocross Action’s cameras are hot and ready for another Saturday Supercross. One day before the gate drops, we sent Trevor Nelson to scour the pits and highlight the work that each mechanic has done to their race bike since Anaheim 1. The 2023 San Diego Supercross was originally slated to be Round three of the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross season, but heavy rainfall in Northern California led FELD Entertainment to cancel the Oakland Supercross, which was supposed to race January 14th, and reschedule it for February 18th. Motocross Action’s Best in the Pits photo gallery is brought to you by Helix Racing Products.

2023 SAN DIEGO SUPERCROSS | FULL COVERAGE

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It’s a team effort. Each factory team has one truck driver (per rig), but on most teams, the mechanics and managers are required to pitch in while pitching the tent.  

 Mechanic Josh Ellingson is all smiles with Eli Tomac’s red plated Star Racing Yamaha YZ450F. 

Tomac’s steed looks pretty sharp. 

HEP Suzuki truck driver, Joe Thomas, served our country as an electronic warfare technician in the US Navy. It’s fitting that he is the man assigned to the job of setting up the American Flag. Learn more about Joe in our interview with him by clicking here.

Up close on the Star Racing Yamaha YZ450F engine and LightSpeed skid plate. 

Ken Roczen and Dilan Schwartz are apart of the HEP Suzuki team, but their primary sponsor is Progressive insurance. Kyle Chisholm and Shane McElrath represent the Twisted Tea HEP Suzuki team. Reason being, Ken Roczen’s Red Bull sponsorship conflicts with the Twisted Tea alcoholic iced tea brand. 

Notice Ken Roczen’s Suzuki RM-Z450 doesn’t have fork stickers? He was testing factory Showa suspension and Factory Connection suspension this past week in Florida. He posted how thankful he was for the hardworking HEP Suzuki team. 

We’re excited to experience the brand new SnapDragon Stadium. 

Chase Sexton was third at A1, but he tightened up while leading the race. We expect him to have ironed out the kinks for Round 2.

Sexton’s front wheel.

Christian Craig was 13th in his first 450SX Main Event at A1. 

Wow, those 52mm WP forks look big from this angle. 

Cooper Webb’s Red Bull KTM 450SXF loaded and “Ready to Race.”

Shane McElrath’s Twisted Tea Suzuki.

Another view of the Suzuki RM-Z450.

Jason Anderson’s mechanic, Jason “Rango” Montoya, is proud of his work.

Anderson was 7th at Anaheim 1 and is surely looking for redemption after lots of crashes at the opener.

FACTORY BIKES UP CLOSE // 2023 SAN DIEGO SUPERCROSS Motocross Action Magazine.