The Steve Matthes Show on RacerX

It's The Troy Lee Designs Race Tech Blair Matthes Project where industry insiders Daniel Blair and Steve Matthes dig in on a multitude of topics. In today's episode, we lay it all out there of what could have happened to decide the Pro Motocross Championship at Ironman. Let's dive in!

--- CHAPTERS ---
00:16 Intro & Troy Lee/Race Tech sponsor reads
02:01 SMX finale preview: stadiums, heat, and hard-pack dirt
04:57 Lawrence family 'fix' controversy: the case for suspicion
14:36 The Hayden/Jorge hypothetical & the fanbase divide
21:54 Deegan's crash sparked it all
23:30 Kellen on LVK's silence & Steve's in-race-decision theory
28:23 Sport needs to grow up: agents, unions, and TV money
33:52 Fantasy football insurance stories & sponsor reads
35:25 Eli Tomac's retirement, decline, and GOAT debate
44:14 Jorge Prado, Cooper Webb & career number banter
49:22 Ad reads & ClubMX SMX team update
54:49 250SX and 450SX Anaheim predictions
1:00:20 Justin Hill's Ironman comeback & fantasy football rant
1:04:56 ASV ad read, fantasy contest results & sign-off

Sergio Avanto, now at FOX MTB, talks about the innovations in MTB that could work in moto, his path in and out of the motocross industry, working with James Stewart, Chad Reed, Ryan Villopoto, Ken Roczen and others, the politics in factory racing, his accomplishments, regrets and more.

--- CHAPTERS ---
00:02 Show intro & sponsor rundown
01:18 Guest intro: Sergio Avanto
02:36 Sergio's return to mountain biking with FOX
04:28 MTB suspension customization, fork tech & OEM testing
14:52 Fork tech evolution & the e-bike suspension challenge
20:20 Specialized's Genie Shock & American vs European rider styles
24:05 Ad reads & FOX's Live Valve NEO system
31:58 USD forks, Answer Manitou & breaking into Factory Yamaha
38:20 Learning suspension from John R and Ross Maeda
44:27 James Stewart's photographic memory & Kawasaki whoop curve
52:24 Adapting bikes to riders (Barcia) & Kawasaki's data problems
59:46 James' L&M fork stiffness debate & Suzuki's frame edge
1:07:34 Ad reads & the pivot-point/AMP-link history
1:13:10 Honda's 2027 bike, leaving Yamaha & Keith McCarty
1:19:02 Kawasaki/RCH suspension politics: Barcia and Roczen
1:31:19 Roczen's low-maintenance Suzuki title & building FOX's MotoShock
1:35:22 Aftermarket suspension struggles & the L&M/Larry Brooks fallout
1:41:31 Ad reads & what made elite riders special
1:44:29 Toughest riders to reach & why data-driven setups fail
1:53:15 Kawasaki's inflexible setups & leaving for RCH
1:57:34 Toxic Suzuki team rivalry & Villopoto as best tester
2:03:43 Happiest career moments & would Sergio return to moto
2:09:58 Custom NEO tune requests & sign-off
2:12:16 Outro

Weege, JT and Matthes get together to discuss Eli Tomac announcing he's hanging up the boots after SMX, his legacy, where he sits all-time, speculating on why he decided now and more.

--- CHAPTERS ---
00:10 Intro, Renthal ad & Tomac retirement announcement
01:22 Why now? Paulo crash and career-altering injuries
09:36 Results decline as the real trigger
13:54 KTM silly season fallout & where he ranks historically
20:21 Star Racing motivation theory & Cooper Webb contract twist
25:03 Ranking Tomac among the all-time greats
32:00 Tomac's philosophy vs. the Alden/Ricky/Ryan era
36:58 Family life, what's next, and sign-off

It's the Leatt LVK: More Than Moto show where Start Your Systems' Kellen Brauer and Vital MX's Lewis Phillips debate current SX/MX/MXGP topics as well as general life itself. In this episode, we discuss Eli Tomac deciding to retire, and rehash our predictions from the start of Pro Motocross. It's all brought to you by Leatt, Alpinestars, ICON Meats, and Partzilla.

--- CHAPTERS ---
00:23 Intro and season wrap-up setup
02:33 Eli Tomac announces retirement
03:35 The Supercross-only deal timeline
06:45 Why Tomac walked away now
08:17 Team USA snub speculation
12:11 Favorite Tomac memories
15:20 Tomac vs. Kenny Roczen longevity
17:36 Reacting to the retirement video
20:08 Alpinestars ad and Tomac's gear legacy
24:35 Biggest Flop: Sexton and Forkner
27:25 Loser's Ride: Ferrandis and AP
28:33 New Winner: Prado vs. Deegan
30:43 Cole Davies debate and outside criticism
35:52 Partzilla ad and PRMX playoff battle
37:10 Impressive Team: Cowboy vs. Triumph
42:21 Champions category: Jett and Shimoda picks
43:42 Dramatic Storyline predictions review
46:30 Team USA prediction victory lap
49:17 Surprise winner and Summer of Blank picks
53:33 Icon Meats ad and Icon of the Week
54:55 Sign-off and SMX playoffs tease

Wrapping up action from the race weekend, covering all the scoops, with the normal cast of characters.

--- CHAPTERS ---
00:00 Cold open & sponsor rundown
01:18 Ironman overview & Fly Racing ad
03:06 Setting up the Jett/Hunter fix controversy
06:09 Confirmation bias, gambling conspiracy & JT's ankle evidence
12:19 Weege's Jet interview & Moto 2 recap
17:28 Three fix theories, broadcaster speculation & JT's prize-money theory
28:02 Respecting Hunter's talent & will Jett return to form
32:46 Congrats Hunter, HRC celebration & scoop banter
35:27 Honda execs at the track / Toru talk
37:09 Jorge Prado's dominant win & Unadilla re-litigation
43:04 Prado's playoff whoops take & RJ Hampshire's runner-up
45:03 Coop-Harup battle, real Cooper Webb & MXoN prep
49:41 Hayden's start-money denial & Eli Tomac's last national
53:16 Zach Osborne's secret DNF & Cowie bails on Nations
55:15 Team USA Nations drama rant
58:07 Zacho's Brazil race, AP, D16, Barcia & Pipe Suzuki offer
1:02:20 450 class recap: Beaton, Harrison & Justin Hill's look
1:06:51 Gavin Gracek Award debate, Corndog & Canadian legends
1:13:03 Levi Kitchen's crash & the media-criticism debate
1:18:54 Beaumere & Hymus's Nations plans
1:21:10 Track-section rant (GNCC layout)
1:25:42 RyderD's podium, dad-credibility stories & Star's rough year
1:32:48 Landon Gordon, Romano & the points math on Davies' title
1:36:24 Mosman/Thrasher moves, McAdoo & Lux Turner's dog
1:42:14 Dax Bennett, Husqvarna's shutdown & Brody Connelly's mystery dip
1:47:22 Mechanic shuffle & Star's 250 manager guessing game
1:49:22 Brunt ad, Duff's villain arc & SMX preview plug
1:52:26 Clarifying Hunter's contract & final wrap-up
1:55:17 Sign-off