We spent an hour talking with Bruce Stjernstrom about the changes made by Monster Energy Kawasaki ahead of the 2022 season and the current state of the sport. A lifelong race fan who's held his executive positions in the industry, including four terms with Kawasaki, Stjernstrom's explanations and outlook leave little to misinterpret.

Although Eli Tomac's departure from the green team was one of the most significant developments of the last year, the group's decision to put Jason Anderson alongside Adam Cianciarulo has yielded immediate success. To date, Anderson has claimed three Main Event wins, has outdueled the sport's best on multiple occasions, and is ranked second overall in the 450 Class championship standings.

Is Stjernstrom surprised? Less by the results and more by Anderson's personality. Part of Bruce's role as Director of all racing operations at Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A is finding the right people for the job and seeing how they work together as a group, something he says Anderson has been excellent at.

Another topic discussed at length was the perception that Monster Energy Kawasaki is very strict regarding bike setup. Over the last few years, we've heard repeated comments by former racers that the group prefers the KX450SR to be tuned and ridden a certain way, and this was said to be a factor in Tomac's decision. Stjernstrom says this is not exactly the case; yes, the team has lots of data to show what the motorcycle does on the track and what it's capable of, but they're still more than willing to try parts or settings if a rider is interested.

Because our call came hours after announcements for the FIM World Supercross Championship, I asked Stjernstrom if the series is something Kawasaki is interested in following. In recent years, the Monster Energy Kawasaki team has turned away from international events to instead focus on the American-based series, and Stjernstrom outlined some of the reasons for their absence at things like the Motocross of Nations. Simply put, racing in America is where Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A wants its efforts to be directed, thanks to the largest off-road bike-buying market in the world and the two established series that travel the country.

Kawasaki Racing Director Bruce Stjernstrom On The Midweek Podcast