Event marks second visit to Southern California’s premier motocross venue
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, the world’s most prestigious off-road motorcycle racing series, made a return visit to Southern California’s premier motocross venue at Pala’s Fox Raceway this past weekend. As the championship battles come down to the wire, the Maxxis Fox Raceway II National served as a fitting opportunity for motorsports fans to celebrate the Labor Day weekend holiday.
The 11th event on the 12-round championship schedule signified Pro Motocross’ second visit to Fox Raceway, which saddles the San Diego County and Riverside County borders. This past May, the 2021 season kicked-off with a Memorial Day spectacle in Pala, where the sport’s international presence was on full display as Frenchman Dylan Ferrandis (450 Class), racing out of Lake Elsinore, and Australian phenom Jett Lawrence (250 Class) emerged triumphant. The pair of rising stars from two different continents returned to Pala in control of the championship, with Ferrandis on the verge of securing the prestigious 450 Class title and Lawrence gaining momentum at the perfect time to potentially capture his first professional title at 18 years of age.
The Fox Raceway, located on the Pala Indian Reservation, presents a distinctly unique challenge for the world’s fastest riders. The dry, hard-packed Southern California soil can be some of the most difficult to master, but with every competing manufacturer headquartered in the region, competitors spend a significant amount of time on area tracks, which makes for a relatively even playing field once they line up on the 40-rider gate and begin their battle for victory.
With its long rhythm sections, massive jumps, and dramatic elevation changes that provide high speeds and big air, Fox Raceway provides everything that makes motocross such a captivating sport, which ultimately caters to the thousands of spectators that line the trackside fences across the property. Pala’s presence in American motocross now spans more than a decade and is a direct result of the commitment from the Pala Band of Mission Indians to develop a top-notch, world-class motocross venue that deserves a place in the sport’s most prestigious racing series.
The 2021 Maxxis Fox Raceway II National consisted of a full day of action, featuring racing across two classes of competition – the youth-driven 250 Class, spearheaded by the sport’s most promising young talent, and the premier 450 Class, led by motocross’ most high-profile stars.
The podium saw Eli Tomac, Ferrandis and Menifee’s Cooper Webb take the top spots. With his second-place finish, Ferrandis clinched the 450 Class title in his first season of premier class competition. He became the 26th different 450 Class titleholder in 50 seasons and is also the first Frenchman in 30 years to win the motocross’ most prestigious championship. The 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will conclude Saturday, Sept. 11, with the sport’s oldest event in Northern California.
For information/results about the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, please visit www.ProMotocross.com and be sure to follow all the Pro Motocross social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news.
JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia.com.
