POMONA, Calif. – Ken Roczen ruled the roost Saturday night as Red Bull Straight Rhythm returned for its sixth year, throwing back to the 1990s as the retro-themed event celebrated the “Golden Era of Motocross.”
Originally notable for its unique format – an evolution of the sport of supercross, where riders race dirt bikes head-to-head on a half-mile “unwound” straight track with no turns – the event has built off of that premise and transformed into a celebration of years gone by, with riders racing 20 year-old two-stroke dirt bikes and donning vintage-inspired gear.
As the event takes place at the end of the supercross/motocross race calendar, with no series points at stake, the event is a great time – for riders and spectators alike.
Held at Fairplex in Pomona, Ca, the event featured only two-stroke motorcycles – older technology machines that have a fervent fanbase, even though they are no longer used in professional racing.
Racing was broken up into three classes by engine size – 250cc and 125cc – and operated on a single elimination bracket, with racing held in a best-of-three format.
In addition, a special one-off exhibition race featured action sports hero Travis Pastrana racing Tyler Bowers on massive 500cc bikes. Pastrana, true to form, couldn’t help himself from throwing backflips on every run of the race.
Roczen, who was perfect throughout the night, never lost a matchup en route to the 250cc title, while in the 125cc class, Joey Crown lived up to his name by racing his way to the top step of the podium.
In the most anticipated and exciting match of the night, Bowers edged out Pastrana in the Maxxis 500cc Showdown.