Feature Story
Feature Story:
Comeback Kid - Seth Hammaker
HAMMAKER MAKES IMPRESSIVE RETURN TO AMA PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER INJURY
Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Seth Hammaker has been proving his pace returning to the AMA Pro Motocross Championship after a long, grueling 10 month recovery post injury. The No. 35 has finished in the top 10 and secured his best career motocross finish since his return in the 2023 season. We sat down with Hammaker and asked long awaited questions about his injury, return to racing and goals for the remainder of the season.
Q: What was the extent of your injury? A: I broke my arm/wrist. I fractured my radius, ulna and scaphoid and all required surgery.
Q: How did you maintain physical and mental health in your off-time? A: Luckily, I was able to keep up with cardio and strength throughout my time off the bike. I really put my focus into that and my therapy/recovery. Mentally, it was super tough. I handled it well and controlled what I could. I didn't think in the past, just to the future because that is all I had control over at that point.
Q: How did it feel to return to racing? A: It felt great to return to racing. I had nerves and jitters but I am just excited to be there and it felt amazing to be back with my Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team. Overall we have had great weekends so far and will keep moving forward for the rest of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
Q: How do you feel about your results the past two rounds since you have been back? A: I wasn't too focused on results but I feel like we've been doing good so far. Obviously I am not where I want to be but it's been awhile since I had races so I'm pretty happy considering, and looking forward to continue improving each race.
Q: What are your goals moving forward? A: My goals moving forward are to learn as much as possible each race and to put myself in a good position to do well and perform. I am excited to see my work show and pay off!
STATISTICS
2023 AMA Pro Motocross Championship Results:
Round 5: 8th Place Overall
Round 6: 5th Place Overall
2022 AMA Pro Motocross Championship Results:
8 Top 10 Finishes
2021 Monster Energy® AMA Supercross Results:
7 Top 10 Finishes
6 Top 5 Finishes
3 Podiums
4th Overall Points Finisher
2017 Monster Energy® All-Stars Cup Overall Winner
Mark Gomez
“After entering multiple classes my goal was to just make it on the podium in Huntington. I charged hard and started to fatigue after the motos, but coming home with back to back wins in 2 classes made it all worth the pain. It was a big weekend that made me dig deep to finish through, but I did it because riding my Kawasaki SXR 160 is my absolute favorite thing to do.”
Alex Lowes
"I’m super excited to continue my relationship with Kawasaki into the 2024 WorldSBK season. My motivation to achieve the best results possible on the Ninja ZX-10RR has never been stronger. The number one goal now is to focus on the remainder of the current season, starting with my home race weekend at Donington. It is really nice to have confirmation that I will be racing with Kawasaki again agreed in time for my home round. I will enjoy it all the more because of that. I want to offer a big thank you to everyone at KMC, KME and all the crew at KRT for their great support in the past and their continuing belief in me. I look forward to working alongside them again next season."
“ Krystian Janik
I finished last year out really strong with Championships in Schoolboy 2, and 250B at Mini O's, so I'm really aiming to carry that success into 2023. I've spent the last few months working on improving the areas where I felt I could be better and I've made a solid amount of progress. Looking to RCSX, my goal is to go out there and execute what I've been working on at the practice track because I know if I do that then I'll be finishing at the front.
“Carson Wood
I look forward to these first few spring races every year, it's so exciting to come out and show everyone all the hard work that we put in during the winter time. I'm really excited to be with Kawasaki Team Green this year. I joined the team in November last year and after only two weeks on the Kawasaki KX™85, I won a few championships and two Olympiad awards at Mini O's so that was really encouraging. Now that I've had a few more months of training and testing on the bike, I'm super optimistic about what we can achieve this year and a strong showing at the RCSX will give us a chance to start the year on top.
Snodgrass Prepares for Title Defense
After 12 rounds of action-packed off-road racing, Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy®/Kawasaki Team Green’s Lyndon Snodgrass secured the 2022 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) XC2 250 Pro Class Championship. The championship capped an incredible year of racing for Snodgrass who entered the 2022 season with a career-best third-place finish in the GNCC Championship. Building on his success from the previous year, Snodgrass went on to claim his first GNCC victory at Round 4, with additional wins coming at Rounds 6 and 12.
The 2022 GNCC XC2 250 Pro Class title marked the inaugural GNCC championship for the Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy®/Kawasaki race team and added Snodgrass’ name to the growing list of Aussies who have found success in GNCC racing. The No. 178 KX™250X rider has had his sights on the championship trophy ever since and looks to carry his momentum into Round 1 at Big Buck on February 18th.
“Lyndon Snodgrass
I’m stoked to see my teammates kick off the 2023 racing season with wins in two very competitive enduro races. Watching them succeed has me extra motivated to start my XC2 GNCC title defense this weekend. The Babbitt's Online/Monster Energy®/Kawasaki Team Green™ squad has a proven record of success in GNCC racing and I feel more prepared than ever to continue Kawasaki's winning legacy in 2023.
“
Grant Baylor
"Things have been going really well since joining the Babbitt's Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green crew. We've had a good season of preparation through the winter and feel ready to compete at the front of the pack. I've had a quick adjustment to the Kawasaki KX450X and I'm looking forward to going racing in just a couple weeks."
“
Robby Bell, Team Manager
"I'm really looking forward to the upcoming season. Zach has been back on the bike for a few months and he's looking fast and fit. It'll be so great to have the No.100 back under the tent. And after a very successful season in 2022, I'm quite excited to see what Tyler will be capable of this year. Our guys are armed with the 2023 Kawasaki KX450X, which has proven to be an incredibly competitive platform in the pro class. That foundation, along with all of the amazingly supportive companies that are backing our effort have me feeling confident we'll make 2023 a truly rewarding campaign."
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Guim Roda, KRT Team Manager
“2016 was a very succesful year for us. We achieved all the objectives within our reach. Our riders Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes topped the first two positions in the overall classification and Kawasaki obtained the Manufacturers’ title for the second consecutive year in the World Superbike Championship. Still, after that nearly perfect season, we were straight back to work to challenge again in 2017.
Question
Robby Bell's primary focus in 2023 will be managing the Chaparral Motorsports/Precision Concepts/Kawasaki racing effort and helping the riders achieve their very best throughout the racing season. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Bell will also compete in the Pro Class at most WORCS and NGPC rounds to dice it up and have some fun in what can be a very stacked class, with many former Pro Class winners participating.
Notable Achievements:
• 3-time WORCS champion
• 3-time SCORE champion
• 3-time Baja 1000 winner
• 3-time Lake Elsinore GP winner
• 4-time Best in the Desert champion
• 2012 NGPC (then WCGP) champion
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Jonathan Rea
“It was such an incredible journey that 2020 season. My gratitude to WorldSBK, Dorna, all the circuits and organizers to even get racing through the year. In the middle of what everyone had experienced in 2020, sport always comes second – but we managed to race. I missed the fans in attendance and all my traveling support from back home in Northern Ireland; I wish they could have been there but we were happy to be racing nonetheless. That championship was for all of them and my Kawasaki Racing Team, for continuing to push forward. We started behind, like the year prior but never gave up. It was a hell of a journey and something to truly be proud of for all of us."
Robby Bell
#32
Robby's primary focus will be managing the effort and helping the riders achieve their very best in 2023. But he'll also get out in the vet pro class at most WORCS and NGPC rounds to dice it up and have some fun in what can be a very stacked class, with many former pro-class winners participating. Notable Achievements:
• 3-time WORCS champion
• 3-time SCORE champion
• 3-time Baja 1000 winner
• 3-time Lake Elsinore GP winner
• 4-time Best in the Desert champion
• 2012 NGPC (then WCGP) champion
“
Jonathan Rea
"It has been an incredible partnership, we have enjoyed so much success together that it is almost a natural progression to continue our agreement for the years ahead. I am looking forward to continue making memories and representing an incredible manufacturer and brand. My team is my racing family. I love everyone inside the team like my own family and relationships like that count for a lot in racing. Huge credit goes to every single person in the staff, from Provec Racing, all the engineers in Japan, and everyone in the Kawasaki family."
Two overall wins so far in the 2022 AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Since his professional debut in 2019, Shimoda’s combination of hard racing and humble confidence has rapidly garnered attention from the diverse motocross fanbase. After earning his first Monster Energy Supercross Main Event win in 2021, Shimoda backed up his success with two overall wins so far in the 2022 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. As he continues to compile impressive accolades, the youthful Japanese rider is simultaneously earning his place as a fan favorite among the sport’s global audience.
The upcoming trip to Japan will be Shimoda’s first time competing on his home soil in seven years and, as he now returns with several professional wins to his name, he will look to claim the top step in front of his home crowd.
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Jo Shimoda
"It is an honor to be selected for Team Japan and represent the Japanese people at the Motocross of Nations (MXoN) race. I earned my first overall win at Red Bud earlier this year so I hope I can have similar success against the other MX2 competitors and make everyone back home proud."
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