Cody Janssen Defends Title, Wins in Texas to Clinch Back to Back National Championships
The 2019 season was an unforgettable one for Cody Janssen and his team. Cody was dominant early but, through the middle portion of the year, endured a few tough breaks. This rollercoaster ride was unfamiliar territory for the always-consistent Janssen and, if he wanted to be crowned champion, he would be forced to run the table and win the last few races of the season to do so. With his back against the wall, Cody did exactly what was required of him; he won those final races and accomplished the ultimate goal – Cody Janssen was crowned 2019 25+ ATV Motocross National Champion by a single point!
The feeling of victory is euphoria to a competitor like Cody Janssen, and the taste of victory is made that much sweeter whenforced into a must-win situation. Riding that wave of emotion, Cody knew he would be back in 2020 to defend his title before he had even arrived home from that season finale last season. He treasured the idea of defending the championship that he fought so hard to earn in the first place, he’d fight to defend what was rightfully his. Cody spent the months that followed the clinching of his title by completing his college degree and growing hiswildly popular podcast that has taken the ATV racing world by storm, the Digging Deep ATVMX Podcast. But just as the season was fast approaching, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The entire world, and life as we know it, paused abruptly. Sponsorship agreements fell by the wayside, funding was slashed, and the ATV Motocross National Championship series was in doubt – but against all odds and after a nearly two-month hiatus, ATV motocross was back!
The kickoff of the 2020 ATV Motocross National Championship season was exciting, but it came with plenty of unknowns as well. It was accepted that all involved would have to be flexible and an understanding that everything could be shut down at a moment’s notice was required. To get the season started, the series was obliged to travel to areas and venues that would allow for the events to safely take place. The season kicked off in Georgia at Aonia Pass, where the reigning champ made a mistake late in the opener when he jumped off the racetrack while leading, costing himself an opening round win. He followed that performance up with another runner-up finish at the second round in Tennessee, where the win ever so slightly eluded him. However, after two events, Cody found himself just one point out of the series points lead and it was now time to hit his stride!
Over the course of the next 4 events, Cody would go on a tear and distance himself from the rest of the prestigious 25+ class. He started off the run with a hard-fought victory at his “home” race at Sunset Ridge, in what was probably the race of the year! The series then headed to a different venue than originally scheduled, Pennsylvania’s Pleasure Valley Raceway, a place where Janssen earned his first full-sized 450cc national win twelve years prior. He won in dominant fashion in PA, stringing back to back wins together for the first time since late 2018. RedBud is a favorite of so many, Cody Janssen included, but a tangle early in Moto 2 cost him any chance at three consecutive overall wins. He remounted far behind the pack, and by race’s end only needed one more pass for the overall but just couldn’t get another rider in his sights. The next round would take Janssen and his team to the mountains of southern Virginia, where Janssen would dominate with another 1-1 performance and put himself in the driver’s seat to defend his 2019 National Title.
This gets us caught up to the most recent round of the ATV Motocross National Championship. The series typically makes an annual early season stop in the Lone Star State at Underground Mx, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world’s most prestigious ATV racing series would have to come up with a new plan. For some time, it seemed like an event in Texas was in doubt, but eventually it was announced that 3 Palms Action Sports Park in Conroe, Texas, would play host to best four wheeled racers on the planet. If things went according to plan, Cody Janssen could clinch his second consecutive National Championship at the beautiful Houston-area facility.
If I told you to imagine a racetrack that was purpose-built to highlight Cody Janssen’s strengths as an ATV motocross racer, what you would envision is a track very much like this 3 Palms Mx venue. The track was built on sandy soil, so you knew it would get rough and allow Janssen to showcase his fitness and strength – but it was also very jumpy and technical, a favorite of Janssen’s but a combination that you very rarely find on the same racetrack. The reigning champion was jibing with the facility from the moment he stepped out of the truck, and it showed. In Moto 1, Cody came out of the gate in second placebefore tripling into the lead just two corners into the race. He then set sail, winning the first moto by nearly 40 seconds over the rest of the competition.
To that point everything had went exactly according to plan, but the weekend wouldn’t be without at least a little drama. Cody Janssen ripped the Moto 2 holeshot with hopes of a good strong performance to put a cap on another title, but just a few sections into the race (and already stretching his lead), Cody came dismounted and found himself laying in the Texas dirt. He got up instantly, dodged the ATV’s of other riders as they passed by, and began to try and re-fire the engine of his quad. After a handful of kicks, Janssen was back up and running and now in full send mode! He later admitted that he couldn’t believe that he had crashed, but said that he was doing the math in his head and figured he should have enough time to catch the field if he could rekindle his speed from the previous day. But there was a catch, due to an incoming tropical storm, the races were being shortened and Janssen would have less laps to make it all happen. He crossed the finish line over 20 seconds behind the field on the opening lap, and then uncorked next-level speed that he hadn’t been required to show in a while. By the conclusion of lap two he had already climbed up to second place and had cut the gap to just 8 seconds behind the leader. By lap 3 the gap was almost nonexistent and in the following corner, Janssen would make a strong pass for the lead around the outside. The #25would cruise to an over 15 second victory and, with that, the mission had been accomplished – another title had been clinched!
CODY JANSSEN IS YOUR 2-TIME DEFENDING 25+ ATV MOTOCROSS NATIONAL CHAMPION!
“WE DID IT, AGAIN!” Cody said with a smile, surrounded by his loved ones while holding a pit board that read “Back to Back National Champ”. “We didn’t need to win in Texas to wrap up the title, but we managed to do so anyway for safe measure! 1-1 for 1st overall at 3 Palms, but most importantly, after a long crazy year, we successfully defended our championship! I will cherish the memories we made together this summer forever, grateful doesn’t even begin to describe this feeling. BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPION!"
Cody Janssen’s 2020 season, which ended in a successful title defense, truly made for an unforgettable year. The season was in doubt, but credit to everyone involved for making it happen. Janssen’s 2020 25+ National Championship is his 4th National Championship in total, he elevated his number of national event wins to 42 in total this season, and most of all he got to spend another summer doing what he loves most with his favorite people on earth. However, such an amazing season would not be possible without so many incredible supporters. Cody must thank all the loyal listeners and sponsors of his Digging Deep ATVMX Podcast, the #1 podcast in ATV racing! He must also thank the riders and families who continue to support the Cody Janssen Riding School. Huge thank you for the continued support to SSI Decals, CST Tires, Valvoline, ElkaSuspension, FMF Racing, and Pivot Works – without the continued support of these long-time believers none of this would be possible. Thank you to his family, girlfriend Brooke, mechanic Dan Binder, and the rest of the crew at Janssen Motorsports. Extreme gratitude continues to GoldspeedProducts, Ameriprise and the Hemauer Financial Group, the Kindrick Family and Kindrick Racing, E-Z Up Brand, Klink Equipment and Klink Hydraulics, Jay Gobel and Casey Greek of Impact Solutions, Hinson Clutch Components, Thor MX, The Program Training, D.I.D Chain, Atlas Brace, Bell Helmets, the Stanfield family and Napa (of Peru, Indiana), Cliff Cox and Oshkosh Tattoo & Good Girl Piercing, Precision Powder LLC, Ride 100% Brand, Trimble’s Cycle Center, All Balls Racing, Hot Cams, Hot Rods, Cylinder Works, Vertex, DT1 Filters, Larry Mills and DP Brakes, Rath Racing, Walsh RaceCraft, Fourwerx Carbon, Sunstar Sprockets, Works Connection, Renthal, Corey Garrison and Parts Unlimited, the Reynolds Family and Reynolds Body Shop, the Dean and Pauline Janssen family, Pat McGuire, Energy Release, Pro-Tec Racing, Evans Waterless Powersports Coolant, Blenders Eyewear, First Endurance, Pro Moto Billet/Fastway, Nova Racing Transmissions, Rocket Machining and Design, Mountaineer Brand, Dallas Janssen, and many others. Without such amazing support, continuing the pursuit of dreams and goals would never be possible. Photos curtesy of Tremellen Media House and PH3 Photos.
The ATVMX community will reunite to celebrate Cody Janssen’s latest championship (along with the rest of its champions) on Saturday, November 14, in Bowling Green, KY. After another special season, we surely cannot wait. See you there!
