Straight Rhythm Racing

Nearly 14,000 fans braved the heat at Auto Club Raceway at Fairplex in Pomona to witness the first Red Bull Straight Rhythm, an evolution of supercross that featured 32 riders racing head-to-head on a one-of-a-kind 1/2 mile-long straight track with no turns. The course isolated more than 80 jumps, challenging riders to focus on maintaining top speed while also reading the difficult terrain directly in front of them while racing against another rider just a few feet away. In the end, it was James Stewart taking the Open Class victory while Marvin Musquin held strong in the 250cc Class for the top spot.

One of the most anticipated matchups – by both the fans and the two riders themselves – was between the Stewart brothers – Malcolm and James. They met in the semi finals, where James beat his younger brother in two close races to move to the finals. There he met Justin Brayton, who he also defeated in two straight races to win the Open Class title. Brayton took second, with Malcolm Stewart taking the final step on the podium.

“What Red Bull did with this event was great,” said James Stewart. “They thought outside the box and I hope this event is here to stay. It was a lot harder than I thought it’d be,” said James Stewart. “On every run today, the guys rode faster and faster. There were places where I didn’t think I could make up time, but somehow, I made it up where I needed to. I can’t wait to watch it on TV.”

Crowd favorite and action sports superstar Travis Pastrana, who made his return to motocross after a five-year hiatus on a custom 500cc two stoke bike, lost to Josh Hansen in the first round, but did win the second race (out of three), and celebrated in typical Pastrana style – hitting a backflip over the last jump.

“I don’t have all the timing, endurance or speed I used to have, but for me to go out there and be fairly competitive, it was so much fun. Red Bull Straight Rhythm was exactly what I wished was around 12 years ago,” said Pastrana. “It was a great experience for me to get back on the bike, keep it a two-stroke and ride a 500cc for the first time in my life, was just awesome.”