Cycle News Observation Check
COLUMN
A Year To Remember (But aren’t they all?)
For only the second time ever, the editors at Cycle News considered naming a back-to-back CN Rider of the Year recipient. In 2001, we named Ricky Carmichael our ROTY winner, which was a no-brainer decision. Carmichael rode off with the AMA Supercross and Motocross title for the first time, which included winning 14 out of 16 Supercross races, tying Jeremy McGrath’s record. That same year, he won seven 250cc Nationals en route to his second outdoor title and won a 125cc National MX race, breaking Mark Barnett’s all-time win record of 25. (Remember that?) These are just a few of his highlights that year.
The amazing part was Carmichael had an even more impressive racing season the following year, the year he won every outdoor National moto, along with winning all the usual major titles again, earning him our ROTY title for the second consecutive time.
Fast forward almost two decades, and we found ourselves in a similar situation. Last year, Jett Lawrence was our clear favorite for Rider of the Year. Much like Carmichael in 2002, Lawrence clinched both Supercross and Pro Motocross titles, winning every outdoor moto along the way. Replicating Jett’s remarkable 2023 season would be a daunting challenge, but it seemed possible until a severe crash at Hangtown halted his winning streak from the previous year. Another injury shortly after kept Jett out for the remainder of the season. Nevertheless, he came back and played a key role in leading Australia to its first-ever Motocross of Nations title. Clearly, his credentials for our 2024 Rider of the Year were solid—once again. If not for Jorge Martin’s impressive and crazy year, which saw him secure his first MotoGP Championship, Jett Lawrence would likely have become our second-ever back-to-back ROTY winner.
If you haven’t done so yet, check out Neil Morrison’s coverage of Martin’s remarkable year in this issue. A lot of good stuff in there. I find Martin’s achievement almost unbelievable. Winning the MotoGP title is already challenging, but to navigate all the hurdles he faced—especially winning it for the first time—is astounding. How he was able to maintain focus at such a high level of racing for an extended period, knowing your team had publicly announced that they weren’t retaining you at the end of the season, opting instead for another rider, even if that rider is Marc Marquez, is beyond me. I can’t grasp what it must have felt like for Martin to celebrate the MotoGP title with his team Sunday night, only to be riding for a different team on a different bike on Monday morning at the Barcelona test. I think many people will be pulling for Martin and Aprilia next year.
It’s hard for me to believe that Cycle News will be celebrating its 60th anniversary next year and that another 50 issues of Cycle News have come and gone. Every year seems to be getting shorter and shorter, but I must give a shout-out to our loyal readers for making 2024 our best ever. More eyes read Cycle News in one form or another this year than any other. Our digital magazine reached more than 500,000 unique visitors, up 11 percent over last year. We had 3.5 million unique visitors to our website, up 16 percent, and we enjoyed 7.7 million page views, an increase of 15 percent. Even our YouTube channel viewing has grown by 16 percent. You keep reading and watching, and we’ll keep delivering. A big thank you!
However, as good as 2024 has been, it does end on a few sour notes following the recent passing of AMA Hall of Famers Mary McGee and Malcolm Smith. I, unfortunately, never met Mary, but I did have several good times with Malcolm, as many of us have had. Perhaps the most memorable was when I rode on the same minute as him at the Mauna Kea 200 Enduro in 1986 when we came to a large fallen log blocking the trail in the dense jungle. I stopped to assess the situation, contemplating riding around the log, which seemed only slightly better than going over it. Then, here comes Malcolm. He stopped, too, and without saying a word, turned around, got a run at the log, wheelied up to it, and ghosted his Husky to the other side. He picked up the bike, got on, and rode off. I chose the more time-consuming and less spectacular way around the log. I will never forget that moment, nor his iconic smile and distinctive soft voice. What a gentleman.
I was also stunned by last week’s unexpected passing of Scott “The Burner” Burnworth, who rode for factory teams at Suzuki and Yamaha. I feel fortunate to have watched him race and to have written about his career. He was consistently approachable, honest and friendly. While he might not have secured major titles, he garnered the respect of his competitors as if he had won 20. This is such a significant loss, and he was far too young.
The year concludes with troubling news regarding the financial challenges currently faced by KTM. This unfolding story will be interesting to follow in the coming months. I recall witnessing the company rebound from a near demise in the 1980s and look at where they are now. They persevered then, and I believe they will again. Time will tell. However, one thing remains constant: Cycle News will strive to keep you informed about all the latest developments in the motorcycle and motorcycle racing scenes, just as we have since 1965.
Just a reminder that this is our last issue of the year. Expect your next issue to be delivered to your inbox on January 6, 2025. However, our website never sleeps.
See you at Anaheim 1. CN
Click here to read the Observation Check in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
