Joey Savatgy Out at Quad Lock Honda as World Supercross Collapse Ends His 2027 Deal

Joey Savatgy is the first rider to lose a ride because World Supercross folded. Quad Lock Honda confirmed on October 16 that it can't carry his contract into 2027, which puts a proven 450 rider on the open market less than three months before Anaheim and blows the 2027 silly season wide open again.

The team didn't dress it up. Its farewell release, which Racer X ran in full, says the end of the series "materially changed the commercial and operational landscape for the team." It calls World Supercross "a fundamental part of the Honda program and its commitments to Savatgy," and says that without it, the team "is unable to proceed with his 2027 contract as originally planned." Both sides say they're parting on good terms.

Why World Supercross mattered to this deal

On October 7, World Supercross announced that its 2026 season would "conclude with immediate effect" while it keeps talking to potential investors. Only one round ever ran, in Calgary on August 8, which NBC Sports reports Cooper Webb won. The British GP had already been called off, and Cycle News notes that the rounds in Argentina, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand went with it.

For Quad Lock Honda, that wasn't just lost race dates. Racer X reports that the series offered financial support to teams that brought in top-level talent, and that money helped pay Savatgy. Team owner Yarrive Konsky put it plainly: "World Supercross was an important part of our international ecosystem. With the championship no longer proceeding, the model we built around those international races is no longer viable in its existing form."

What Quad Lock Honda does now

Konsky says the team is turning toward the US. "Our focus now is on evaluating our structure, strengthening our American program and building a sustainable platform with our attention firmly on the United States for the next phase of our journey," he said in the release. The team has already announced Cameron McAdoo and Dylan Rempel as new signings and is keeping Christian Craig, Charli Cannon and Brodie Connolly, with more announcements promised soon.

Savatgy's Australian plans are gone too. MotoOnline reports he'd been named on Honda Racing's roster for the 2026 Australian Supercross Championship but missed the Townsville opener, and that campaign is now off altogether.

"With World Supercross no longer continuing, it created a difficult situation for both me and the team, and we had to make some decisions about the future," Savatgy said in the team release. In a social media post picked up by MX Vice, he thanked Konsky for the original opportunity, his mechanic Nathan Alexander and the suspension crew at Active Ride. "The last three years have flown by," he wrote.

Three seasons, in results

Savatgy, 32, from Thomasville, Georgia, joined Konsky's Honda program in late 2024, when it raced as Fire Power Honda. MotoOnline credits him with the 2024 Australian SX1 title that season. In World Supercross he was third in 2024 behind Eli Tomac and Ken Roczen, according to the official 2024 standings, and runner-up in 2025, per his WSX rider page. The team's own release says he was runner-up in both years, but the series standings have him third in 2024.

His 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season was the best argument for keeping him. He finished eighth in 450SX with 194 points, per the standings Racer X published. In the rain at Philadelphia he won his heat, the team's first premier-class heat win, then rode to fourth in the main, his best result of the year, according to the team's race report. He added several more top-five finishes along the way.

Then Denver hit. A big crash in the first qualifying session dislocated his right wrist, and Savatgy said at the time that scans showed nothing broken. The team's October 16 release describes it as a broken wrist that required surgery and months of rehab. Either way, it ended his Supercross season early and, as MotoOnline notes, cost him the entire Pro Motocross season.

He came back for the SMX Playoffs and went 8-5 for fifth overall in the Columbus mud. It didn't last. MotoOnline says he withdrew during the motos at both Los Angeles and the Ridgedale final, and in the team's season recap he said the Columbus crash hurt his shoulder and he hit his head at the final.

Where he could land

Nothing is signed, but two outlets point the same way. MotoOnline calls Savatgy the leading candidate to partner R.J. Hampshire at Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati and describes the move as anticipated. It also reports that Konsky had recently indicated Savatgy's contract included a clause letting him leave for a factory deal. Racer X says it believes Savatgy could land on his feet there and would make a good fit.

The seat is open because Dylan Ferrandis retired and Justin Barcia moved to Suzuki. Whoever gets it rides the Desmo450 MX. Until Ducati or Savatgy announce something, it's the paddock's best guess, not a done deal.

What it means for 2027

A lot of the big 450 moves are already done. Cooper Webb went to Team Tedder Husqvarna, Red Bull KTM signed DiFrancesco and Bennick, and Hampshire and Barcia have new homes. A rider who scored 194 points and a heat win on a satellite Honda doesn't usually come free in mid-October, so whichever team grabs him gets a rider who can run near the front from Anaheim on January 9. Our 2027 Supercross schedule has every round.

It also shows how far the damage from WSX's collapse can reach. A series that ran one round this year was still paying part of a 450 rider's salary, and Savatgy probably won't be the last rider or team to feel it.

The takeaway

Savatgy didn't lose his ride on results. He lost it because the money behind it disappeared. He's 32, he just finished eighth in 450SX despite missing the last two rounds, and he's free just as a factory 450 seat is still open. If the Ducati deal happens, it'll be one of the more interesting pairings on the 2027 gate. If it doesn't, someone else gets a bargain.

Related guides & stories

News·Oct 7, 2026

R.J. Hampshire to Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati for 2027

With Rockstar Energy Husqvarna shutting down for 2027, R.J. Hampshire lands a multi-year deal at Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati on the Desmo450 MX - a Factory Connection reunion for the rider who finished fifth in 450 Pro Motocross in both 2025 and 2026.

Oct 7, 2026

News·Oct 6, 2026

Justin Barcia Returns to Suzuki for 2027 SuperMotocross

Justin Barcia joins Pipes Motorsports Group for the 2027 SuperMotocross season on an RM-Z450 under the Twisted Tea Suzuki / HEP Motorsports banner - through 2027 with a mutual 2028 option - after one injury-hit season developing Ducati's Desmo450 MX.

Oct 6, 2026

News·Oct 10, 2026

2027 Ducati Desmo450 MX: U.S.-Specific Suspension, Same $11,495 Price

Year two for Ducati's motocross bike brings a 51-tooth sprocket, Pirelli MX32 tires, reinforced parts, Wi-Fi predictive maintenance and suspension built for American tracks. U.S. MSRP holds at $11,495 with dealer arrivals in late October, but the 2027 Factory version skips North America.

Oct 10, 2026

News·Oct 1, 2026

Cooper Webb Joins Team Tedder Husqvarna for 2027-2028 Supercross

Husqvarna Mobility and Team Tedder confirmed a multi-year deal putting three-time 450SX champion Cooper Webb alongside Justin Hill for 2027-2028 AMA Supercross and SMX - with Webb’s FC 450 Factory Edition debut for Team USA at Motocross of Nations in Ernée, October 2-4, 2026.

Oct 1, 2026

News·3d ago

Red Bull KTM Signs DiFrancesco and Bennick for 2027 SMX

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing expands to a four-rider 250 program for 2027, adding Ryder DiFrancesco and Daxton Bennick alongside Julien Beaumer and Sacha Coenen on KTM 250 SX-F Factory Edition bikes - with Nathan Ramsey managing the 250 side and a debut at Anaheim 1 on January 9.

Oct 15, 2026

Racing·News·5d ago

2027 Supercross Schedule: Every Round, and Which Ones to Buy Tickets For

All 17 rounds from Anaheim to Salt Lake City, with the three Triple Crowns, three East/West Showdowns, the 250 divisions and the themed nights.

Oct 13, 2026