A few nights ago, we attended the 2019 Team presentation for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in Murrieta, California. As a decades-long supercross fan, I can attest to the fact that it wasn’t so long ago when the thought of a European motorcycle winning an AMA Supercross main event was far from anyone’s mind. The Japanese bikes dominated for a long time.
That began to change with KTM, and, now, sibling factory Husqvarna. In fact, the reigning AMA Supercross 450 SX champion is Husqvarna rider Jason Anderson, who was introduced along with his teammates that evening.
Husqvarna should be strong in the 450 class once again with Anderson joined by Zach Osborne, who is moving up to the 450 class after earning two consecutive 250 East AMA Supercross championships, as well as the AMA Pro Motocross championship. Three riders will contest the 250 Supercross events for Husqvarna next year, as well.
Here is the team press release:
Husqvarna Motorcycles is excited to announce the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s rider line-up for the 2019 AMA Supercross season. The launch took place this evening in Murrieta, California at the Husqvarna Motorcycles North American headquarters, where the riders, team, and media met for the team presentation and interviews leading up to an exciting 2019 AMA Supercross season.
No stranger to the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team is Jason Anderson. Coming off a 2018 AMA Supercross 450SX Championship title, Anderson is back and prepared to contend aboard the FC 450 ROCKSTAR EDITION. Joining him in the 450SX premier class is, Zach Osborne. Osborne joins the ranks after earning two consecutive 250 East AMA Supercross championships and one AMA Pro Motocross championship.
The drive within the team doesn’t stop there, as Thomas Covington makes his U.S. racing comeback with the team aboard the FC 250 after a successful career overseas racing the FIM Motocross World Championship. Michael Mosiman will continue to race in the 250SX class joined by Jordan Bailey, making his AMA Supercross debut.
Front and center at the team presentation was Jason Anderson’s 450.
Bobby Hewitt- Team Manager: “Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing had a great 2018 Supercross season, in achieving two championships. Looking forward to 2019, we are going to work even harder to have a repeat successful season. Having both Anderson and Osborne in the 450 premier class is beneficial as we have young, up and coming 250 riders on our team. Covington, Mosiman, and Bailey are training hard for the upcoming season. I feel very fortunate to have a great staff, strong manufacturer support with Husqvarna Motorcycles, and a dedicated title sponsor again with Rockstar Energy. We are surrounded with 100% support and it gives everyone the confidence to have another historical season!”
Jason Anderson: “The 2019 season is rapidly approaching. I look forward to getting back to Supercross aboard my FC 450 ROCKSTAR EDITION. It’s going to be stacked this year in the 450 class and I look forward to consistently racing my way to the podium.”
Zach Osborne: “2019 marks my rookie season in the 450 class, an opportunity I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid. The 450 class is the pinnacle of the sport and I’m very excited to try my hand and see what I can do against the best in the sport.”
Team members for 2019 include, from left, 250 riders Jordan Bailey, Michael Mosiman, and Thomas Covington, Team Manager Bobby Hewitt, and 450 riders Zach Osborne and Jason Anderson.
Thomas Covington: “I’m really excited to continue my relationship with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing here in the states with Bobby Hewitt’s team. They’ve had a lot of success in the last couple years so I’m thankful to get this opportunity.”
Michael Mosiman: “I’m excited and honored to be riding for such a proven team as Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing. After having a whole season healthy under my belt I think we’ll be able to go out and turn some heads in 2019.”
Jordan Bailey: “I’m looking forward to the 2019 season as a Supercross rookie. I’m extremely excited to race the new Husqvarna FC 250 and be part of a prestigious team.”
The 2019 AMA Supercross season kicks off on Saturday January 5, 2019 in Anaheim, California. Follow the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team action on Instagram; @rockstarhusky #RockstarHusky #ElevatingTheSport.
Former Supercross and Motocross champion Jeff Emig (right) was Master of Ceremonies for the event.
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And I am old enough to remember when Husqvarna two strokes mostly ruled everything off road ! I too recall when the Japs became better and better about the time that Supercross was invented. And so now Austrian owned and made? Husqvarna are back-sort of?
Two days and no comments. Perfect!
Motocross, Supercross and all forms of road racing died to me when they became a marketing lie for obsolete four stroke engine technology.
I’ve seen you mention that before, but I don’t understand why 4-strokes are obsolete and 2-strokes aren’t. Neither format is new, and they both debuted within a few years of each other and enjoyed extensive development over the decades that followed.
Don’t get me wrong… I love two-strokes, and I can’t really imagine using anything else for enduro riding. The engines are light, also contribute to light handling IMO, are tough to stall, easy to work on, and I don’t have to change the oil every 20 hours.
On the other hand, I could go a lot farther on my little 2.5 gallon tank of fuel on a four strokes. That is the only thing that really gets me thinking of going over to the dark side from time to time.
In mx 450 four-stokes have taken over the most important market, the one that doesn’t have displacement rules (or any rules for most riders): the vet rider market. And the reason is simple, they are easy to ride. They are also very reliable and don’t need constant rebuilds.
They are easy to ride on a motocross track. The same guys on the same bikes are likely to be pretty slow in the woods. The bikes lack vesatiliy.
The reliability question has been answered numerous times by guys pushing in their 450s off of my ice race tracks. And I plow tight tracks, so the guys on the 250 diesels can compete.
So bikes designed for mx don’t make the best enduro bikes? Who would have guessed? I wonder if that is why there isn’t any shortage of small 4- and 2-stroke enduros?
The fact is that 450s make tremendous _mx_ bikes (and decent over-all dirt bikes), nothing else comes close to them for the majority of buying public.