Silly Season 2016 Underway

But silly season is already getting less silly, as some factory teams are announcing rider contract extensions for the 2016 season and beyond.

Silly season 2016 is underway, and it is already getting less silly by the day, as a number of contract extension announcements have headlined the news in motocross and off-road racing so far this week.

The week began with an announcement by the JGRMX Yamaha team that it has reached an agreement with Justin Barcia that will keep the former GEICO Honda rider with the Blu Cru through the 2018 racing season. That doesn’t seem so silly on JGRMX’s part, as the Justin Barcia that contested the second half of the 2015 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship was a completely different rider than the one who began the 2015 outdoor campaign. Barcia clearly came to grips with his factory Yamaha YZ450F, his fitness improved, and it produced exciting results for Yamaha, as he scored two overall wins and six consecutive podium finishes during the second half of season. Barcia finished third overall in the 2015 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship Series, and he has been selected as part of an all-Yamaha crew to represent the United States in the 2015 Motocross of Nations in Ernee, France, September 26-27.

JGRMX team owner Coy Gibbs voiced his pleasure at securing Barcia for three more seasons.

“We feel like Justin is a great addition to our racing family, and even though he was under contract through 2016 we wanted to extend his agreement with us long-term,” Gibbs said.

Barcia said that he feels at home with the JGRMX Yamaha team.

“I really like the guys on the team and the overall atmosphere here,” he said. “Now I don’t have to think about anything but riding and training for a long time. We all get along great, and I’m pumped.”

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing also quelled any silly rumors about its plans when it announced contract extensions for both of its 450cc riders, securing 2015 450cc rookie Jason Anderson through 2018 and Christophe Pourcel through 2017. A former AMA 250cc West Supercross Champion, Anderson recorded podium finishes in both the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series and the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship in his first year on 450s, finishing seventh in the Supercross Series and sixth in the Pro Motocross Championship.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team”, Andeson said. “To have my deal go through 2018 makes it easy for me to focus on the goal of delivering results, and nothing else.”

Team manager Bobby Hewitt spoke highly of Anderson, stating “Jason and I have built a great working relationship, and we feel the same way about what we want to accomplish together.”

The Frenchman Pourcel was a steady campaigner after signing onto the team just prior to the start of the 2015 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, and he finished fifth in the series final points standings.

Robert Jonas, Vice President, Husqvarna Motorsport, said that having Pourcel compete alongside Anderson marks an important step forward for the team.

“Christophe is a highly skilled racer, with championship winning experience to match,” Jonas said.

Pourcel was enthusiastic about his new deal.

“I’m really excited to continue with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team and look forward to starting my 450 Supercross career,” he said. “I am also looking forward to racing the new 2016 Husqvarna Motorcycles and bringing even more success to the brand and team.”

Both riders will transition to the newly redesigned 2016 Husqvarna FC450 in preparation for the upcoming MXGP of USA, the final round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, which is scheduled to take place at Glen Helen Raceway on September 20.

But here’s where things get a little silly: Post-season chatter on the American front continues to revolve around other riders and factory teams, most notably those of Kawasaki and Honda. GEICO Honda rider Eli Tomac has long been reported to be signed, sealed and delivered to the Monster Energy Kawasaki team for 2016 even though no official announcement has been made. If true, Tomac’s departure would leave an opening on the GEICO Honda squad’s factory CRF450. The latest word is that RCH Soaring Eagle Suzuki rider and former Lucas Oil 450cc Pro Motocross Champion Ken Roczen (inset) may be departing the Ricky Carmichael- and Cary Hart-owned, factory Suzuki team for the GEICO Honda seat. Monster Energy Kawasaki may also be looking for another rider to replace Wil Hahn on its second KX450F. The one name that has been linked to that seat so far is Justin Bogle, although it stands to reason that if Roczen is, in fact, leaving the Suzuki camp, he may be a prime candidate for the Kawasaki seat, which could make Bogle a prospect for RCH Soaring Eagle Suzuki. It’s all speculation at this point.

On the FIM World Championship Enduro front Bel-Ray Husqvarna announced that it has extended the contract of current FIM Enduro 3 World Championship class leader Matthias Bellino of France through the 2017 season. Bellino has been tabbed to lead Husqvarna’s efforts in the newly created EnduroGP class, which will commence next season.

Bellino returned to the Enduro World Championship following an injury in 2015. A former Enduro Junior World Champion (2013), he has claimed seven Enduro 3 class day wins in 2015 after switching to two-stroke power for the first time in his enduro career. He currently holds a solid 24-point lead in the Enduro 3 series standings with just one round remaining.

“I’m really pumped about signing for two more years with Husqvarna,” Bellino said. “I’ve been in this team since 2011 and started my enduro career with them, so it means a lot to be staying with Husqvarna. Everything has gone really well during all this last five years, so staying with the team was absolutely what I wanted to do. But at the moment I’m 100 percent focused on finishing this year in the way that I started it. After that it will be time to work hard with the team, to be ready for the 2016 season.”

Robert Jonas, Vice President, Husqvarna Motorsport, said that the brand is pleased to be continuing its relationship with Bellino.

“He is one of the world’s fastest enduro riders, and in the last 12 months has been competing at the very highest level,” Jonas said of Bellino. “Knowing that we have such a motivated and talented rider competing for the Bel-Ray Husqvarna Factory Racing team is great. With Mathias we believe we have a true title contender for the new EnduroGP class.”