Good, Bad and Ugly | 2023 Ironman 4

"If you look for perfection, you'll never be content." There are a select few inhabitants on this planet who are an exception to that rule and possess the phenomenal skillset to be perfect. Enter Jett Lawrence. The weight of what occurred in Pro Motocross will be felt for some time. Will there be a ripple effect and what could that possibly include? In a refined version of this Vital MX feature, enjoy musings on the subject.

GOOD

Is an undefeated season good for motocross? There are a multitude of ways in which one can unpack this topic. Such a historic campaign can only be positive from a marketing point of view: One would think that the powers that be at Feld Entertainment and MX Sports have placed this storyline in front of every major news publication in the United States. It is essentially the greatest 'hook' known to man and an easy story for the uneducated to grasp. It gives those masterminds, as well as those at Wasserman Media Group, so much to work with.

This scribe was taken aback by the air of excitement that surrounded the Pro Motocross finale. There was no championship on the line in the premier division, yet this almost made the crown seem irrelevant. It is safe to assume that the championship was a foregone conclusion for so long that this sense of uncertainty was much appreciated by the hordes of fans around the world. The "uncertainty" factor is not common in a perfect season and that made this tantalizing for all. It was rather realistic that the unbeaten man would fall at the very last hurdle and that is not a comment on Lawrence, but Sexton's sheer ability.

No one truly felt that James Stewart's streak was endangered in 2008 Pro Motocross, because there was no one who could keep him in sight. Lawrence had been chased to the checkered flag on more than one occasion and remained unfazed. That sentence alone could be sent to those mainstream publications to lure them to the muddy fields! It will be of interest to see where this springboards Lawrence, or the sport in general, because there is no greater 'leg up' than this. Will it prompt a drastic change? No, but one or two additions is realistic.

BAD

There is no doubt that the perfect season is an easy storyline for the casual fan to latch onto, but how do the educated fans feel about such a feat? Witnessing history is brilliant, of course, but craving some sort of spanner in the works is common. It is safe to assume that most are appreciative of the excellence that was on show yet are ready for a real challenge to be mounted soon. There is another part of this that is bad, not that it really has an impact on anyone.

Chase Sexton has been brilliant. Note that he was more than a minute clear of third place in moto two at Ironman for proof of that. The lack of gold means that Sexton is overshadowed and underappreciated. If Lawrence was not present, then Sexton would seem invincible. Odd how that works, no? The sport is still underdeveloped in that sense. There is not enough 'love' to go around and ensure that multiple stars can be appreciated at once. Not that Sexton deserves the same credit as Lawrence, of course.

It will be so intriguing to see what the impact of this is moving forward. Lawrence will bear the weight of unrealistic expectation when Monster Energy Supercross beckons, as everyone will expect something just as special as what was seen in Pro Motocross. Sexton, in contrast, will lurk in the shadows and charge on with a point to prove. It is going to create a riveting dynamic and one that will be brilliant fodder for the cold winter months that are approaching at quite a speed.

UGLY

A subheading that carries such negative connotations, but why must there be something that's 'ugly' each week? The Jett Lawrence versus Chase Sexton rivalry will be gripping in the coming seasons, there is so much more action on the horizon and athletes like Colt Nichols will benefit from the sport being desirable to new manufacturers. Is it acceptable to exclaim that motocross is in a pleasant state or is that a leap too far for the fans?

That is without mentioning that the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations is rapidly approaching, an event that brings out the best of all. Jett Lawrence and Jorge Prado will enter with points to prove, despite their inordinate success in recent months, as will Romain Febvre, who will be desperate to prove that he could have been world champion for a second time. There is still a chance that Jeffrey Herlings and Chase Sexton will make it too. Now that would be something, right?