(Mount Morris, Pennsylvania. April 30, 2022) – Established in 1976, the hills of High Point Raceway have witnessed some of the richest history in all of American motocross. High Point has played host to the world’s fastest motocross racers for generations. The High Point ATV National has been a tradition in the region for decades dating back to the legendary days of Shane Hitt, Tim Farr, and Kory Ellis tasting victory at the iconic track. It’s not just a reputation that makes High Point so notable however, in fact, in recent years this event has featured some of the best and most incredible ATV racing action in recent memory. And with both Ford Brother Racing riders entering Round 4 riding hot streaks, it just added to the intrigue heading into the final weekend of April.
At the start of every season, there’s a feeling-out period amongst racers. As classes feature fresh talent, riders switching machines/teams, or simply improving racers, it usually takes a couple races for competitors to determine where they fit in the hierarchy – whether they want to admit it or not. Well for the two Ford Brothers Racing riders of Cody and Bryce Ford, they are both in the category of “improved” and may rival each other for “most-improved” at this early stage of the 2022 season. Heading into Rd. 4, both boys have taken steps forward and know that they belong near the front of the pack amongst the best that the ATV Motocross National Championship has to offer.
Bryce Ford, the youngest of the two Ford brothers, is a third-year pro who has been dubbed as one of the sport’s “next big things” for years now. Along with such lofty expectations comes pressure, but Bryce has managed growing into a well-respected professional with more grace than ever could’ve been expected of him. He’s always possessed crazy speed and oodles of talent, but where we’ve seen the most improvement in Bryce is balancing the ups and downs in an effort to become a Pro Class podium finisher each and every weekend – and as he sit’s third in the series point standings, it’s a reminder how insanely well he’s performing as a teenage competing against the world’s best ATV racers.
Some days maturity comes in the form of not pushing the limits too far, and we saw that from Bryce Ford in the Saturday morning timed qualifiers that determine riders’ gate picks heading into the day’s motos. Qualifying is a portion of the day where Bryce usually showcases that blistering speed that he possesses, but on this day, he put himself safely in the top five and knew that was plenty good enough heading into the motos ahead. His relatively “quiet” day continued as Bryce showed a quiet day can double as a podium day as well! In Pro Moto 1, Bryce grabbed an impressive second place start and stayed in the runner-up spot for first few race laps of the day unfolded. When the dust settled, Bryce Ford finished third behind the two all-time greats that are still competing in the ATV Motocross National Championship series. In Moto 2, he showcased a deeper level of poise, patience, and veteran-like savvy than ever before as he ran fourth throughout. Bryce knew he was in position for the overall podium, so he gladly settled in and clinched another overall podium with 3-4 moto finishes for 3rd overall at High Point. After four rounds of racing, Bryce has positioned himself comfortably inside the top three in the series points standings with a 13-point gap over the rest of the field. Congrats on your seventh career podium as a professional, Bryce!
Cody Ford, the eldest of the two brothers, is the epitome of a pro’s pro. After experiencing great success as a Pro Class rookie, the rider known as “The Foreman” has been grinding nonstop to get back to dicing it up at the front of the pack amongst the world’s best. During the past three seasons, Cody has experienced some hurdles, but that hasn’t deterred him and has only made him a better racer. After a strong 2021 campaign, Cody has grabbed another gear this season, which was very apparent in his recent 7th and 8th overall finishes at 3 Palms and Aonia Pass respectfully. It was a 12/12/12 day for Cody at High Point – 12th in qualifying, 12th in each moto, for 12th overall. For a rider that admittedly doesn’t love the hard-packed conditions of High Point, Cody got out of Pennsylvania safe while maintaining his top ten position in the series points standings. Cody Ford will be ready for battle and a return to the top ten as the series heads to Ironman!
As we remarkably near the halfway point of this 2022 season, the Ford Brother Racing team has positioned themselves well to achieve their goals as the series starts to make its way back to the Midwest. Next stop: Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana on the weekend of May 14/15. See you in the Hoosier state!