Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey won the AMA Pro Motocross Championship as a rookie in 2010, but can he back it up against a stacked field this year?

American Motocross

• The opening round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship is on this weekend at Hangtown in Northern California, and it looks like it’s going to be every bit as exciting as the supercross season if that’s even possible. Dungey, Villopoto, Reed, Metcalfe and more will duke it out all season long, making for an exciting year ahead.

• I was able to speak to Chad Reed on the phone yesterday for our Moto Talk interview, however he dodged the question of his plans for the outdoors. According to sources he’s entered under American Honda Racing, however he did say he’s very keen to continue TwoTwo Motorsports. An announcement detailing his exact plans is expected this week, or we’ll just have to wait until the weekend to find out what’s up!

• One of the biggest things to boost Reed’s popularity in recent years has been his return to the outdoors, and his dedication to the sport as he formed his own team when all other doors essentially closed. However the same can’t be said for James Stewart, who today revealed he won’t be on the gates at Hangtown and doesn’t know when he will be… this season has marked disappointment after disappointment for JS7 fans.

• Aussie rookie Tye Simmonds could be a dark horse for some top five finishes in the AMA outdoors, with a few people in the States suggesting he’s been on the gas in testing. Simmonds rode a fair bit of motocross during the supercross season, so hopefully his top 10 at Vegas has boosted his confidence coming into Hangtown. We’ll document his progress the best we possibly can and also try to catch up with him in the next week or two.

• Brett Metcalfe is still flying well below the radar coming into the AMA Motocross opener, which is probably just the way he likes it. Look for podiums from the outset, but I believe Metty will really shine through consistency week in, week out, this summer in the States.

• An Aussie who needs to make things happen outdoors this year is Michael Byrne. No doubt he’s fast, but injuries in recent years have slowed his progress. Burner has been fast outdoors before on a Suzuki, so hopefully he is feeling confident on the RM-Z450 this year and can make his mark following a frustrating supercross season.

• Jason Lawrence is back! Yep, that’s right, J-Law has signed for Team ARMA Energy Snax Suzuki City to ride a 450 in the outdoors alongside none other than Malcolm Stewart – James’ brother! Don’t expect too much, but hopefully he gets his life on track and we start to see him back to his best as the season progresses.


Dean Ferris leads the MX Nationals into Toowoomba for Monster Energy Kawasaki this weekend.

Australian Motocross

• With Toowoomba’s fifth round of the MX Nationals taking place this weekend, all eyes are on the home team, Troy Carroll’s Monster Energy Kawasaki outfit. With Dean Ferris leading the series through consistency and Billy Mackenzie coming off a big win at Murray Bridge, momentum is certainly on their side right now.

• Jay Marmont suffered from a finger injury in South Australia, but he’s healed up now and will be in the hunt for victory at Toowoomba. Marmont won a moto there last year and just this week he said he’s feeling the best he has all year while out practicing. Hopefully he can convert that form on race day.

• As soon as Cody Cooper suffered from injury including his ribs and lung at Appin, he almost immediately fell off the championship radar. The Rockstar Motul Suzuki 450 class rider was forced out of Appin and made a tentative return to Murray Bridge, albeit working his way back up to speed during the round. With an addition two weeks of healing on his side, Cooper could battle for race wins this weekend and play the ultimate spoiler for the series.

• Is Craig Anderson considering retirement? That’s what a post on his Facebook page hinted at earlier this month if you read into it. Anderson, who is a multiple-time national champion, has started his own team successfully with support from Berry Sweet Strawberries, Lucas Oil and Honda, but the question is after a recent shoulder injury, will Ando keep racing or hand the reins of his Honda over to another rider fulltime? Adam Monea did do an impressive job in South Australia, that is for sure, even though it’d be a massive loss to see Anderson hang up his boots within the next year or so.

• We’ve seen two more top contenders for titles forced out of the Toowoomba round as well, with Serco Yoshimura Yamaha’s Ford Dale out for the rest of the Pro Lites season with a knee injury. Also ruled out is Dylan Peterson, who suffered a broken collarbone recently.

• Also, just a reminder that MotoOnline.com.au’s MX Nationals Fantasy League round for Toowoomba is now open for this weekend. You have your chance to win a custom number one plate or copies of MX vs. ATV Alive for PS3 and Xbox, so get involved today!

That’s all for this week, thank you guys as always for stopping by and supporting the site.