Ryan Surratt and Ryan Morais air it out on the Straight Rhythm course. Photography by Jean Turner
Southern California fans got a preview of the upcoming Red Bull Straight Rhythm on Saturday, September 20 at Milestone Raceway. The track was host to the Red Bull-backed ride day, which showcased a quarter-mile Straight Rhythm course and several of the star athletes slated to highlight the October 4 event at the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California.
Scott Champion and Josh Hill take to the sky.
Red Bull promised a “tamed down” version of the Straight Rhythm course so that Milestone riders could try their hand at the new concept, but there wasn’t anything particularly tame about the Supercross-sized jumps.
“It’s a little tame for the amateurs,” Malcolm Stewart commented. “But its still pretty Supercrossy. This is a great test run.”
Josh Hill was walking proof that you don’t need to be a Red Bull rider to compete in the Straight Rhythm.
The fans and locals who came out to witness the spectacle got to enjoy some up-close and personal stadium-worthy action, that turned into more of a practice day for the Red Bull Straight Rhythm hopefuls.
Will a Monster eclipse the Red Bull? Josh Hill sure did look good at Milestone…
James Stewart, Malcolm Stewart, Josh Hill, Ryan Morais, Jessy Nelson and even some seasoned pros like Grant Langston and Jeff “Chicken” Matiasevich were among the riders at Milestone. Matiasevich couldn’t resist giving the quarter-mile course a few runs, but admits he won’t be trying his hand at the Pomona event.
“I just wanted to get out here and ride a little bit and have fun with it, which I did. But I think I’m too old!” Matiasevich said with a laugh.
Jeff “Chicken” Matiasevich couldn’t resist giving Straight Rhythm a try.
After chatting with the pros, including James, Malcolm and the “Chicken” about the Red Bull Straight Rhythm concept, and what they think we’ll be seeing in Pomona on October 4, there’s only one thing they all agree on: It will be unpredictable.
“It’s going to make for interesting racing,” said Matiasevich. “It levels the field a little bit because there’s only so much you can do, really. I don’t think necessarily the best guy has the best chance to win; who knows who’s going to win?”
KTM amateur rider Sean Cantrell finds his rhythm.
The Stewarts Weigh In: James and Malcolm talk Straight Rhythm
MALCOLM:
What do you think of the Milestone Straight Rhythm course?
It’s kind of sketchy for me because I do have motocross suspension on. But it’s still fun! That’s what it’s all about.
A lot of guys are talking about running a stiffer setup since you don’t need to worry about turns. Are you going to change your setup?
Definitely. I’m going to change my setup more toward Supercross for the Straight Rhythm because even though they don’t have this a half mile, they really didn’t put all the obstacles in there, so it’s definitely going to be difficult. I’m looking forward to it!
What is going to be the key to winning in Pomona?
I think the key is actually going to be remembering the whole track and remembering the obstacles. Because a half-mile is a long time. When we did a test run back in December last year, it actually took us a lot of time to get it done. Even going next to each other, we still made mistakes. That’s what made it fun because you’re not only worried about the guy next to you, but you also have the rest of the half-mile. That’s what’s going to be interesting.
Is your experience from doing the test runs with Red Bull last year going to give you an advantage?
I can’t say I have the upper hand… just because I did it last year, it’s not going to be easy for me. Every track is different.
JAMES:
How was it this morning?
It was fun. It was nice to have a chance to ride before [the Straight Rhythm race]. It’s good to have Red Bull and give these guys a chance to ride it so when they watch us do it, they kind of have an idea. It was good. I got to do some runs with my brother. It was a good time.
Do you think being part of the test runs last year is an advantage for this year?
I don’t think so. It’s like Supercross. They change the tracks a lot. Everybody knows how to jump a triple or go through whoops. I don’t really think [I have an upper hand.] It’s going to be more of not making mistakes and kind of an all-out event.
After working so hard all year, is it fun to change things up and do unique events like this?
Yeah. That’s the unique part about it. There’s not a lot of opportunities where amateur riders can show up at Milestone on Saturday and get to have a chance to ride a unique event like Straight Rhythm. Having this ride day, having kids like six-year-olds and adults out there riding—it’s a lot of fun. I think a lot of us, [Ryan] Dungey, myself, Malcolm, [Travis] Pastrana, coming out of retirement, I think everybody sees the concept being different and fun, so it’s going to be a good time.
Did you see Jeff Matiasevich is out there, too?
Baby Chicken? Aw, that’s awesome! I heard maybe Grant Langston is coming out of retirement, too. The Zulu Warrior!
What do you think is going to be the key to winning the Red Bull Straight Rhythm?
I think for sure the scrub is going to help, but I think this is going to be kind of a make-a-mistake-and-go-home kind of event. There’s no corners, no whoops, so I think it’s going to be about having your timing down. We’ve been testing Supercross the last couple weeks, but I think, with Myself, Dungey, my brother, Travis coming back, I think it’s going to come down to… maybe a little luck? It should be fun!
