The news that Ty Masterpool will team with Garrett Marchbanks this Saturday night when the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki race team lines up to compete in the 250SX West Region round set for Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego is lighting up websites and social media platforms around the bike racing world.
Texan Masterpool was initially penciled into Mitch Payton’s 250SX East Region starting line-up, but due to Levi Kitchen’s exodus from the 250SX West due to pre-race illness last Masterpool comes off a productive back half of the 2024 racing season where he charged to fifth overall in the 250cc AMA 250cc Nationals and also competed in the three-round SuperMotocross World Championship, where he placed ninth overall. Although Masterpool did not participate in the 2025 Angel Stadium 250SX West Region opening round, he’s both enthused and determined to line up behind the starting gate on a Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki KX250F this Saturday night.
“I flew out here early yesterday morning and then went straight to the test track and then I was breaking in the race bike yesterday and today,” said Masterpool. “Right now I’m going to the Fox Racing headquarters to go work out. Yeah, a lot going on but I’m all good with it. A little last minute — I mean, being prepared and ready for the East Region was going to be a bit early for me, too. I’m aways ready to go racing. I’m a little underprepared, but it’s all good. Ready to go.
“Everyone knows I’m kind of a little behind supercross and stuff. So the biggest thing is that I’ll need time and I need experience, but the focus this year in supercross is just getting experience and gate drops and just getting the most experience that I can. The priority is outdoors this year. I want to gain the most experience I can so I can be a title contender next year in supercross.”
With a significant amount of his current supercross experience gleaned from riding and racing a 450F in various main events in 2024, Masterpool is looking forward to being upon the 250 full-time come the launch of the 250SX West Region title fight.
“Yeah, I’m liking the 250 a lot,” he said. “I’m really loving the bike. The biggest thing is just getting used to how good the bike handles in the whoops and all of that. I kind of had PTSD almost from the years before being on a privateer 250 and stuff like that. Getting rid of the old thoughts and the old bike has been good. I’m trying to take my time and let the speed come.”
Masterpool’s most recent supercross competition experience came in the form of the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship where he placed 12th, 11th and seventh at Charlotte, Texas and Las Vegas respectively.
“I felt pretty good,” he said. “At Vegas, unfortunately, we made the wrong decision. I ran the outdoor suspension and that kind of hindered me a little bit. I showed glimpses of speed and all that, but I was kind of dealing with some sickness. The stamina wasn’t there.”
Now back to full health, he’s eager to take advantage of the opportunity presented him.
“I’m excited for the competition,” he said. “The more stacked the field, the better. I’m excited for it all.
” There aren’t really any expectations. It’s more like me versus me and let the results come naturally and let the speed come naturally. I just want to hit my marks and focus on the big picture at hand. Next year in supercross I want to come in as a title contender. I want to come in hot.”
First, though, it’s all about his new West Region challenge, which he’s ready to grab with both hands.
“Yeah, I got thrown into the deep end a little bit, but I’m a racer and I’m always ready to go racing,” he said. “I’m just going to race myself into shape. The biggest thing will just kind of be getting experience and the gate drops and all that. It’s going to be fun.”
