Paul Malin made some interesting comments a couple of weeks ago after Sacha Coenen’s dominant win at Southwick when he said on the air that the top 5 in MX2 could potentially win races in US Motocross at Southwick.
Malin said: “For all of the noise and the hype about Sacha Coenen going there and, you know, going 1-1, I think you could have sent any one of the top five in the championship from over here, and they would have done the same. You know, Ferrea could have gone 1-1 there, Camden McLellan could have, Simon Längenfelder, maybe even Janis Reisulis could have come away. Certainly on the podium, maybe even with a race win.”
“I don’t think the AMA 250 class is that strong this year. It’s not the strongest it has been. I think if you compare the two championship series, I think this one is stronger than that one in that kind of thing. I don’t know. Now all the bench racers are going to jump on board and go, you hear what that douchebag said?!”
💀💀💀 pic.twitter.com/11Apj1A2Lr
— Isaac Gonzalez (@Bones_338) July 19, 2026
The top five in MX2 are Guillem Farres, Sacha Coenen, defending World Champion Simon Längenfelder, Liam Everts and Camden McLellan. Farres is on another level recently and the rest of the top five are all good in sand, so it probably is an accurate comment, especially in the sand.
That of course doesn’t mean they would all find it easy to win on the rest of the tracks Stateside against Davies, Kitchen and the rest. Generally a top guy in America could win anywhere and so can a top GP rider. But in the sand, GP riders generally have an advantage to an extent.
Interestingly, Jason Weigandt and Steve Matthes agreed with Paul in their race review podcast but in the AC JB podcast Brayton said in reaction to the comments: “My initial reactionwas to laugh, but also some frustration because I don’t like these takes. I’m so over comparing MXGP to AMA Motocross.
It’s not comparable. We race supercoss nine months out of the year, you cannot compare. Guillem Farres is doing awesome, he just went 1-1 this weekend as well. He was here. I know he’s has learned. He’s gotten better, maybe he could come back over here and and win, but I don’t know and then look I respect Paul. Paul’s a good dude but I don’t agree. Even though we are Supercross guys, I’ve never liked the comparison of Herlings to guys over here, I want to respect them for who they are.
You never hear us say whoever wins A1 and talk against the Europeans because that’s what we do over here. I didn’t like the comment, I think it’s trying to stir the pot and also he’s got their back, there’s no shot the top five guys from over there could come over here and go 1-1.”
Cianciarulo said: “He’s trippin’ man, that’s a crazy thing to say. There are way too many variables to say that would be the case. I don’t buy it at all.
“This happens every once in a while with the absence of Haiden Deegan we expect guys with the talent such as Levi kitchen Jo Shimoda, Chance Hymas, Cole Davies to step up and be that guy and by that guy I mean like Haiden in the 250 class essentially had no weaknesses. Consistent, fast, good starts, great fitness stays healthy – all of that. And this just so happens to be a year in our 250 class here in America where you don’t have to have all the tools. You don’t have to be you don’t have to be perfect to win this championship, you just got to be you got to make less mistakes than the other guy.
“But Paul, you’re one of my heroes, you are so unbelievably good at what you do, but you’re truppin, straight up, trippin!”
