Wilson and Husky part ways

So with the end of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season and the riders and factory teams gearing up for the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross season it's the end of the road for some riders contracts. All riders are signed for a limited time in this sport and the most you can expect to get is a multi year deal which will extend two to three years. This is mainly to protect the teams as most of you know injuries are common in this sport and a team cannot function if all it's riders are out for extended periods of time. This also means that the transition from the 250 lites classes up to the premier 450 class means there are an ever shrinking amount of rides available and some are forced to ride self funded as a privateer in the hope of picking up a stand in ride for an injured rider.

One of these riders as the season closes is Dean Wilson whos Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing contract has run it's course. As there has been no news up until this point i think everyone was under the impression that he would return to the team after recovering from his injuries this season and pick up the third ride on the team. That, however will not be the case as Wilson has confirmed via social media that he will not be returning and his time with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing is at an end.

I can't quote the riders actual announcement here as i will be flagged for plagiarism... Hopefully this will be changed soon as it's pretty important to be able to quote an athletes public announcements. Anyway, that being said he speaks about how it is a hard pill for him to swallow but he wanted to say thanks to everyone at Rockstar Husqvarna for all the support over the last two years and that he will miss them greatly.

This means Wilson, who finished seventh in the Monster Energy Supercross standings this year even though he missed two rounds, is now a free agent and faces the reality of having to face the privateer path again for the upcoming season. Nobody can argue though that with only two spaces on the 450 squad at Rockstar Energy Husqvarna that Jason Anderson, the current 450 champion and Zach Osborne the two time 250 champion would be the riders to fill those spaces.

I hope a team picks up Wilson in the run up though as he has always worked very hard and produced great results. His many injuries over his career have hampered what could have been long and successful contracts with teams though so if he can stay healthy and fit then i believe someone will take notice. Good luck mate!

Red Bull KTM finally announce Cooper Webb

So the worst kept secret in Supercross/ Motocross has finally been made official and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have announced the signing of Cooper Webb for the whole 2019 Supercross and Motocross season. This means the North Carolina native will join Frenchman Marvin Musquin in piloting the 450 SX-F Factory Edition KTM for both indoor and outdoor competitions next year.

Webb will not be a new name to most regulars to my blog and made a very big name for himself coming through the amateur ranks and has proved himself worthy with dominating performances in the 250 lites class. Following on from his pro debut in 2013 he went on to pick up back to back 250 SX West titles in 2015-16 then topped it off with an outdoor championship in the 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross series before moving up to the premier 450 division.

Since his move up be has picked up two career podiums in Supercross and multiple top five finishes in both Supercross and the outdoor Lucas Oil Pro Motocross championships. It looks like both the rider and the team are very happy with the new partnership and Webb is looking confident and ready to prove himself to the new team.

Again i am unable to quote the riders official announcement which is frustrating but Webb is blown away at the chance to ride for Red Bull KTM and is honored to have the chance to train and ride with some of the best in the sport. He is a very focused rider and with a team this strong behind him i think we can expect good things from the young gun.

Webb has had a tough start to his 450 career, picking up a few injuries but i think Aldon will get him on the right path. He has experience training many people to reach the very top and i wish Webb all the best with team Orange. He is set to debut his new ride at the Monster Energy Cup in Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 17.