By Race Chapman

The last professional motocross race of the year, the Monster Energy Cup, will be held Saturday, October 14 in Las Vegas, Nevada. After this event, professional racers will begin what is their only true break during the year, until January when the Supercross season begins anew.

As most fans know, the Monster Energy Cup is a unique event. It is a one-off Supercross race with a three-moto format. The classes include only a Pro class on 450cc bikes, an Amateur All Star class on 250cc bikes, and the Supermini class on 110cc minibikes. The winner of the Pro class is guaranteed to take home $100,000, but if he can win all three motos they will be the happy recipient of a huge $1,000,000 check.

Only one man has won that bonus in the six years of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: Ryan Villopoto. Part of this is because of the addition of the "Joker Lane," an extra section that every racer is required to do for one lap out of every moto. If they neglect to take the lane, they are penalized by losing positions. This has come into play almost every year of the event, costing riders a win and the million dollar prize.

As there is only one professional class, as opposed to the traditional MX and MX Lites, the competition is slightly more stacked for the event. In addition, the race often attracts riders that would not normally participate in Supercross. In addition, every pro racer has just spent the entire summer racing outdoor nationals, and therefore had only a few weeks to practice the tighter, more technical Supercross layout.

This year, one of the most exciting European racers, Tim Gajser, has confirmed he will be participating in the Monster Cup. The Team HRC Honda racer took the motocross world by storm when he won the prestigious MXGP series in his rookie year on a 450. His wild, out-of-control riding style has made him a crowd favorite in Europe and abroad.

But that same out-of-control style that has led him to success has also cost him in the form of injuries. During the last two opportunities to race the Monster Cup, he has been unable to attend due to injury. He is a racer who never holds back and is not afraid to bump anybody out of the way if he has the chance. This could work to his advantage, as it did in 2015 and 2016 in Europe during his championship rides, or it could have the opposite effect and have him on the ground yet again. Rest assured; either way Gajser will be an exciting man to watch on Saturday.

In more predictable attendance, Marvin Musquin will be representing corporate rival Red Bull KTM. Last year, Musquin was able to secure a comfortable podium finish, but was just two points away from the winner, and one point away from runner-up Ryan Dungey. Musquin had some serious momentum building up towards the end of the outdoor season, beating series rival Eli Tomac in multiple motos. It will be interesting to see if he will be able to parlay that momentum into the stadium.

For his part, Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac will be doing his best to make sure a Red Bull racer does not finish ahead of a Monster Energy machine. Tomac was able to win his first Monster Energy Cup in 2016, by just barely edging out Dungey.

Many believed Ken Roczen would have won the event if not for an unusual crash during the second moto, as Roczen won the other two motos handily. This will be Tomac's opportunity to prove he plays second fiddle to no man and gain some serious confidence heading into next year's Supercross season.

Unfortunately, Roczen is still recovering from his horrific crash during a Supercross race earlier this year, so he will not be able to compete. Team Honda and Roczen have made statements assuring fans that he will be capable of racing again during the Supercross opener in January. The likeable German is sorely missed on the track, and fans and racers alike will be excited to see him back on the starting line.

Jason Anderson and Dean Wilson will both be representing another competing energy drink: Rockstar Energy Husqvarna. Anderson will be an unknown variable for the race, as he has the speed to win, but has had recent surgery as well.

Wilson just celebrated a thrilling result for his home country at the Motocross of Nations, as he helped lead the UK to a podium finish at Matterley Basin. This result should be a big confidence booster for Wilson, and he could be a real contender for the win. He has been adapting well to the Husqvarna, after moving to the team halfway through the Supercross season earlier this year. Any racer knows how difficult it can be to change bikes, so after this extra practice time Wilson might have something up his sleeve for the competition.

Another big name on the list for this weekend is Justin Barcia, who has recently moved off of his old JGR Suzuki team. With such limited practice time on the privateer Honda bike, he isn't necessarily a favorite to win. But Barcia started out his career on Honda and had incredible success. Only a fool would count a healthy Barcia out for a chance to win a million dollars.

The Monster Energy Cup is also an exciting time for the top amateurs, as the top guys have often already moved up to the pro class during the outdoor season. Former Monster Cup racers Joey Crown and Justin Cooper, for example, raced the last few rounds of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, and are therefore ineligible to race the All Star class this year.

This gives the other amateurs a chance to showcase their talent, and try their hand at racing a full-fledged Supercross track. This year, some of the top All Star racers include Lance Kobusch, Enzo Lopes, Brock Papi, Garrett Marchbanks, and Tanner Stack.

Kobusch has actually won at the Monster Energy Cup before, in the 2015 Supermini class. He will look to use this experience to his advantage, and win the All Star class as well. The only other rider to win both the Supermini class and the All Star class was Austin Forkner, in 2015 and 2013, respectively. It would be a huge accomplishment to achieve for Monster Energy-backed Kobusch.

There will be a long list of fast Superminis, including some returning racers like Josh Varize and Carson Mumford. Those who followed the action at Mammoth Motocross this year will also recognize Jett Reynolds, Tayler Allred, Jordan Jarvis, and Max Vohland.

The Monster Energy Cup never fails to provide some thrilling racing, and always includes an unexpected twist somehow. It's always a gamble for the racers, and there's no better city than Vegas for them to throw the dice!

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