Now that Ryan Hunter-Reay and Andretti Autosport brought it back for IndyCar in 2013 – albeit with mixed success – the decision as to whether to use the No. 1 in 2014 falls to 2013 champion Scott Dixon and Target Chip Ganassi Racing.
The team has put the option out on its Facebook page as to whether Dixon should run the 1 or stay with his traditional No. 9. Thus far, the number of “likes” for the 1 far exceeds the number of “shares” to keep the 9.
If tradition’s your bend, the series champion should wear the 1, because of the honor and ambassadorial role you play for the series. If maintaining the same number for marketing and branding purposes takes precedence, then Dixon should keep the 9.
Dixon’s one previous season with the 1 was one of his most challenging. In 2004, he went winless, and his second-place finish at Phoenix was one of only two top-five finishes that year. He finished 10th in the championship.
Benny Bloss will race for the factory Beta Motorcycles team in 2024 as that manufacturer joins SuperMotocross as the ninth brand to compete in the series. Beta Motorcycles will make their debut in the Monster Energy Supercross opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California in January.Benny Bloss finished among the top 10 twice in Pro Motocross, in 2016 and 2018. – Beta Motorcycles
“The wait is over and we can finally share everything we have been working towards,” said Carlen Gardner, Race Team Manager in a press release. “It has been a great experience being a part of this development and seeing the progression. The only missing part was finding a rider that would mesh well with our Beta Family.
“After a one phone call with Benny, we knew it would be a good fit for him, and for us. We are happy to have him on board for the next two years and can’t wait to see everyone at Anaheim in January.”
Bloss has a pair of top-10 rankings in the division with a sixth-place finish in the Pro Motocross Championship in 2016 and a seventh in 2018. His best Supercross season ended 15th in the standings in 2018.
“I’m extremely excited to join the Beta Factory Racing team,” Bloss said. “It’s cool to see a brand with such a rich history in off-road racing to come into the US Supercross and Motocross space. I know this team will be capable of great things as we build and go racing in 2024.”
Bloss is currently 22nd in the SuperMotocross rankings and has not raced in the first two rounds of the Motocross season.
Testing for Beta Motorcycles is scheduled to begin in August and the team expects to announce a second rider at that time.
The family-owned brand adds to the international flare of the sport. The company was founded in Florence, Italy in 1905 as Società Giuseppe Bianchi as they built handmade bicycles, The transition to motorcycle production in the late 1940s.
Beta Motorcycles competed and won in motocross competition in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Jim Pomeroy and other riders.
