Check out rider post-race quotes from the Atlanta Supercross. The Atlanta Supercross was the 13th round (of 17) for the 450SX Class, and the seventh round (of ten) for the 250SX East Region round. Here is what riders had to say about their respective days.
Note: Some quotes are from team press releases, some are from rider social media posts, and some are from the post-race media scrum/post-race interviews. We compiled as many quotes as we could find.
450SX
Chase Sexton | 1st
“It felt like an outdoor race when I woke up this morning. I felt really tired today and kept waking up a little bit more for every session. I only did long motos this week, so I really feel like that work paid off. Around the 10-minute mark, I’m sure the TV broadcasters were waiting for something to happen. [laughs] I got through a huge mental barrier to get through that whole race on two wheels and ride solid. It was much needed.”
Justin Barcia | 2nd
"Atlanta was a really good day. I'm stoked on the team and myself and my riding. I had the family here and it was awesome. I qualified P5 and had a good heat race. I was riding really well, battling with Jason, and he went off the track. So, I took the heat race win by I believe you say, default. In the main event, I got off to a pretty good start, charged hard, and made some passes, Chase and Kenny were riding really well. I was able to get around Kenny. He pushed me hard the whole race. It was great. I wasn't able to catch Chase, but I had a really good ride for second. I'm really looking forward to New York next week. It's my hometown race.”
Read our full interview with Barcia.
Ken Roczen | 3rd
"Today in Atlanta we had a really good day. I had fun on the track all day. We were solid. We had a strong heat race and great starts today. It was hot so we had to put out a big effort, and I got another podium for the team, which is awesome. We have four races to go; we're going to carry that momentum into those races and get a couple more podiums."
Cooper Webb | 4th
“Atlanta Motor Speedway was an up-and-down day. Qualifying went really well for me, which was fourth, and then I won my heat race with a good start – I felt great! In the Main Event, I just didn't get a start, had to make some passes, and was a bit far from the lead group, so I didn't ride my best. I was a bit disappointed with that performance. At the of the day, we'll go back this week, get better, aim to get back on the podium, and try to win in these coming races."
Eli Tomac | 5th
“We had a tough battle from behind this weekend and struggled on the starts. Overall, it was decent, and we salvaged some points. I'm looking forward to a better ride in New Jersey.”
Said Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 team manager Jeremy Coker:
“Today started off very well. Eli was fastest in the first two practices, but the track developed differently for the final qualifying practice than we thought it would, and that caught us a bit off guard. We made adjustments for the heat race, and we were much better. The track did not race well, so it was very important to get a start. Unfortunately, we did not have the best start in the main, but Eli did what he needed to do and kept Cooper (Webb) in his sights to only lose one point. We will rebound next week and try and get back on the top step.”
Aaron Plessinger | 6th
"Atlanta started out pretty good. We got the bike dialed in practice, but there was something off with the feeling of my clutch in the heat – I ended up crashing and not making it directly into the Main Event. I went to the LCQ, won that and had some fun with the extra laps, but that led to me having the outside gate for the start. I had a decent start anyway, charged forward, and pushed hard, so it was a good end to a not-so-great day!"
Adam Cianciarulo | 7th
“This was another week with strong qualifying pace and solid starts, which are helping me to run with the front guys more and more each time. After my heat race crash, I gathered myself quickly and salvaged as much as I could. I’m still focused on giving my 100% every time I hit the track, so I carried that mentality into the Main. Even though I was a bit scrapped up, I focused on hitting my marks while I battled with those guys and took what the track had to offer. The end result was another seventh place, and we’ll continue to focus on progressing through the end of this season.”
Dean Wilson | 8th
Wilson posted on Instagram:
“P-8 in Hotlanta & it was a scorcher of a day🥵 Felt good on the bike all day qualifying 8th & felt solid in the whoops, But it’s a shame the whoops get so tore up & chewed out that advantage goes away but that’s just the way she goes🤷🏻♂️ Thank you Team👊🏼”
Colt Nichols | 9th
“I’m not sure if I was battling an illness or what, but I just didn’t have any energy to give in the main event. I just felt terrible all day, and I’m a little disappointed by that. I’m just happy to get out of here healthy and live to fight another weekend.”
Said Honda HRC team manager Lars Lindstrom:
“Today was an incredible day for the team; it was the double-win we’d been looking for for a long time—this time with no asterisk. The way the 450 main event ended gave us a little more hope and confidence to get back into title contention; I think it showed it’s definitely possible, because in one race we gained a lot of points, and that can happen again with how well some of the other guys are riding. Hunter continued his dominance in the 250 class; he absolutely crushed those guys. Colt wasn’t feeling well, and it was really up in the air whether he was even going to race the main event. He was able to gather himself and gut out a ninth-place finish, so we’re really proud of him. Overall, I’m super happy for the team. It’s outstanding to get this done here in Atlanta, where our Honda Powersports is based, in front of upper management.”
Justin Hill | 10th
Justin Hill posted on Instagram:
“Fun times in ATL racing with big bro.
I went down in the main but was able to get back rolling and salvage 10th!
Josh rode awesome all day, he held down 3rd in his heat race and had me on the edge of my seat! Overall a successful weekend for @teamtedderacing and our local people here in atl @mountainmotorsports_ !”
Shane McElrath | 12th
"I felt like I had some intensity from the beginning of the main today, and it really set me up later in the race. I was pushing a good pace. I had a good group of riders right in front of me - that next group that I need to start beating, they're right in front of me. There's a lot to be thankful for after this weekend. We've still got some work to do, and we will get back to it this week."
Benny Bloss | 13th
Bloss posted on Instagram:
“First turn crash made it tough but ended P13. Feeling good on the bike, just need to clean some things up.”
Kyle Chisholm | 14th
"In the main, I got pushed wide and didn't come out of the first turn in a good position. I made some good passes then made a mistake in the whoops, hooked a left, and went off the track. All the guys I worked my way through went back past me, so I had to pass all of them again. Overall, the riding was good, the bike was good, but I need to fight more through that first turn and put myself in a better position to get in the top ten."
Said Twisted Tea/HEP Motorsports Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance team principal Dustin Pipes:
"It was a good day overall for the team. Ken was solid all day; we were in the mix the whole time. He had a strong heat and showed he had the pace in the main. That was genuinely nice to see. Those top three guys [including Ken] checked out [from the pack]. We made minimal changes to the bike. We had a fork change after practice but other than it was a steady day. Shane rode good, as well. We fought some issues in practice and the heat, but Shane rebounded nicely in the main event. I think it's very realistic for him to break into the top ten. Chiz had a pretty tough night. Had a fall, but he has the pace to be up a couple more spots, too. Marshal matched his career best and it was nice to see him almost get tenth. I think he was less than a second away, and that's a good thing for him going into the East/West shootout next weekend."
Fredrik Noren | 15th
“Atlanta was another good race for me, I’m consistently improving and riding well, I’m happy with a 15th place finish though I think it should have been a better weekend, but I was dealing with some sickness and just didn’t have any energy. Gained a couple spots overall in the championship as well so that’s a bonus.”
Kevin Moranz | 16th
Moranz posted on Instagram:
“Atlanta was solid💪Personal best heat race with p7 and another direct transfer. Good start in the main, couple bad line choices early but locked back in to bring home P16 and another 7 championship points. We have better in us, more to come🤝”
Grant Harlan | 17th
Harlan posted on Instagram:
“Not much to say about the weekend besides a hard fought 17th 😂 Looking forward to the next one 🤙”
Josh Cartwright | 18th
Cartwright posted on Instagram:
“That was a tough one. Happy to be in the main this weekend, very tough track. It was a fun weekend with my family being there. Check out that @momentum_tally custom painted helmet! @blugroovemedia with the awesome media this weekend! And always, @milesshugg is killing it on the wrench this year! I am happy to be headed back in a stadium!”
Justin Starling | 19th
Starling posted on Instagram:
“It’s no secret, I’ve been off my game this year. After my crash in Houston and then the following weekend in Tampa, my comfort has been off a bit and still lingering with the knee injury that is getting better, but still not at all where it needs to be.
On a plus side, I was credited with the Heat race holeshot which was my first time ever crossing the line in the 450 class, first! Immediately passed but still cool!
And the added bonus of 91 career main events! Proud of that, that’s a big accomplishment in my book!
Regardless, I am happy to be at the races. I love it, it’s been an absolute blast with my people each week and being 30 years old now, it’s awesome to still be in the main events, even if they’re not going well in my opinion.
Thank you to everyone who supports this ride, not many years left but all of you make me feel like a kid in a candy store by keeping me at the racetrack ❤️”
Jared Lesher | 20th
Lesher posted on Instagram:
“The date was April 1st, 2006, and Mike Brown was in the main event in Houston, Texas, on a Suzuki RM250 2-stroke. That was the last time a 2-stroke was in a 450 main event, until this past weekend. April 15th, 2023 will be the new date for when the last time that feat was done. 6,224 Days, but I’m so stoked to say, WE DID IT!
The day started off early, really early, and with the weather the day before, the track was going to be a little slick to start the day, but the sun came out, so I knew it was going to shape up great for the rest of the day. We had freshly serviced @enzoracingkyb suspension leading into the week, so we were breaking that in, so suspension adjustments were happening all day, until Yoshi came and got us dialed in for the rest of the day. The bike was night and day, and after that, I felt super comfortable with the bike and track.
The heat race I got a terrible start, dead last into the first turn. I worked my way up thru the pack, got into 11th, and was going for 10th, and went for a ride in the first set of whoops. Got up quick and only lost 1 position, finished P12.
The LCQ, I got a slightly better start, but still buried in the pack, around 14th coming across the line. I got in a groove and put my head down and started putting in some quick laps. Was working thru the pack, made a pass for 5th and the crowd started to notice and cheering. Made the pass for 4th in the whoops, and had 1 lap to go, just had to bring it home. Rode a clean, safe lap, and I could hear the crowd going nuts when I took the last turn, so I had to put a little extra on the finish celebration, so I had to pull the heel clicker out. That was for the fans.
The feeling was unreal. In front of my home crowd, on a 2-stroke, doing what hasn't been done in 17+ years. Hearing the cheers and congrats all the way back to our pit, fellow riders congratulating me, it was surreal.
I was smoked after that, so the main was just another 20 minutes of track time, and it was about survival. Finished the main in P20, but that's not the focus, WE MADE A MAIN ON A 2-STROKE!”
Jason Anderson | 21st
“I had a pretty crazy week coming into this one as my wife and I welcomed our little girl to the world on Friday morning. I was definitely running low on sleep and not feeling 100% myself coming into the day and, overall, it all just got the best of me. I’ll work to regroup this week with the team, and we aim to come back swinging at MetLife Stadium next weekend.”
Cade Clason | 22nd
Clason posted on Instagram:
“2 weeks ago I spent 4 days in the hospital. So to be out there riding was a nice refresher. Honestly had No expectations or goals besides be smart and do what we can. Saw an opportunity in the LCQ and was able to get the job done. My body wasn’t able to go the distance in the main, and I didn’t want to risk doing damage to my progress for next week. Thanks to the squad for bearing with me yesterday as my usual angry race day mood was magnified. Just love riding my dirt bike and being away for just a week was hard enough. Continue the healing process this week, and hope to be back to normal soon.”
John Short | 9th in LCQ, DNQ for main event
“A lot of positives this weekend. I felt like I had some confidence and intensity I haven’t had all season. I hit my best qualifying result in practice and felt like I rode really well in the night program. Unfortunately I made a couple of questionable, impatient racing decisions that hindered my potential on the weekend.
I definitely learned from my mistakes on the weekend, but no regrets though, More racing this weekend and it will be full steam ahead!”
Joan Cros | 10th in LCQ, DNQ for main event
“Atlanta is in the books. It was a pretty positive weekend as this has been a track layout that I have struggled with in the past. I finished 11th in the heat and another holeshot in the LCQ which was positive. I was in a transfer spot in the LCQ but unfortunately was on the receiving end of a mistake from my teammate that took us both out. Ready for more supercross next week!’’
250SX
Hunter Lawrence | 1st
“Day races are kind of weird; I’m not a big fan of them. It was hot today, but the track was so high-speed and open that we could get some airflow going. It was so one-lined that you really had to be on the guy in front of you and confident in any move you were going to make. It feels really good to be where we’re at right now; this sport is so tough and full of peaks and valleys. It’s good to enjoy these moments because we work so hard for them. Now on to East Rutherford. Hopefully Jett and I can get out of there with a good battle and a 1-2 finish.”
Lawrence told us in the media scrum:
“It was good. Had a good morning and stuff. …Qualifying was good. Feeling really well on the bike. Good heat race. Interesting first lap in the main event. Dude like, my [clicks tongue and gestures towards crotch] are very, very sore. Like really painful. But no, happy, happy.”
Read our full interview with Lawrence.
Jordon Smith | 2nd
“Yeah, it was a good day and a really good bounce back from a rough weekend in Detroit, so I’m really happy to come away with second. I’m really excited about my riding today. I felt like it was some of my best of the year, and I felt really solid. The team did a good job. We made some changes to the bike, and they worked really well. The track was gnarly. It could get you in an instant, so you had to be very precise.”
Haiden Deegan | 3rd
“It was a good day. I had a good qualifying and was third in the first one and ended up sixth. In my heat race, I was leading until halfway, when I hit neutral off the on-off. So I threw that one away, but I was able to finish fourth. I had the eighth gate pick for the main event, and from there, I pulled the holeshot on the outside like I did in the heat race. My starts have been dialed, which I’m happy about because I’ve been working hard on those. The whoops were also dialed the whole race. It wasn’t crazy speed, but I was consistent every lap, which is what I’ve been looking for because I feel like you can lose time quickly if you're not consistent. We’re just slowly getting better and better. It feels great to get another podium and surreal to be second in the points during my rookie season.”
Said Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 team manager Jensen Hendler:
“The day started out great in qualifying with Nate first, Jordon third, and Haiden sixth. Haiden got a great start in the first heat and led some laps before making a small mistake and going down. He regrouped and was able to finish fourth. Jordon and Nate were in the second heat, where they started out front and were able to finish 1-2, which was great.
“With great gate picks going into the main, they all three started out in the lead group with Haiden out front with the holeshot. Unfortunately, Nate made a small mistake in the whoops and ended up going down and was unable to continue. He will undergo further evaluation, and we will have an update to follow.
“Jordon and Haiden ended up finishing the race on the podium in second and third. So overall, leaving a tough Atlanta track with two guys on the podium is great. We will continue to fight for the top spot!”
Jo Shimoda | 4th
“It felt so good to be back. I had some moments here and there, but it was overall a great day. I haven’t been behind a gate drop in a long time and I’m just happy to get that first one out of the way. It’s all about getting better each week and I know I’ll have a challenge to come during next week’s east/west shootout.”
Shimoda told us in the media scrum:
“High on the nerve, today. Yeah, I haven’t raced for half a year, so it was pretty stressful in the beginning. But I’m just pretty happy with not making super dumb decisions and yeah, get through the day. You have to build this confidence, you know. It doesn’t come in one second, so you have to go race by race. Main goal is for outdoors. My goal is to be stronger mindset for outdoors. Hopefully we do that.”
Max Anstie | 5th
Anstie told us in the media scrum:
“Ended up P5, I’ll take it. I didn’t feel that comfortable all day, to be honest. It was a lot faster and bumpier than I expected. …It was just a really fast, aggressive track. I spent the last month riding supercross, I didn’t even bother riding outdoors cause I’m like, ‘Ah, I don’t have to do outdoors.’ And now I look back on it and think, ‘Man, I should have maybe at least done a few days of outdoors.’ But you live and you learn. …A fifth on a day when I didn’t feel too great, I’ll take it 100 percent.”
“Ended up still back in third in the championship, which is kinda cool, cause guys were all over the place. But it is what it is. I know it’s anyone’s game. We’ll keep pushing and see where we end up next week.”
Henry Miller | 6th (new career best)
Miller told us after the race:
“Today was a great day, went well from lap one of practice and just knew I put in the extra work with the [Alex Martin’s] Troll Training squad during are off time and just felt great all day! It’s awesome [getting these two results back-to-back]. It feels like everything is finally coming together after a long few years of injuries.”
Chris Blose | 7th
“It was good to be back after the month break. It was definitely a different feel to race during the day and totally different dirt than what we’ve faced recently. With all the changes to the day, I’m happy with the effort, but I’m still pushing to break inside the top five before the end of the season.”
Talon Hawkins | 8th
“Atlanta treated me well. I had my best finishes in both the heat and the main. I had a P3 for the heat, and I just came in with a positive attitude and ready to get on that gate again. I ended up getting a good start in the main and ended up with my best finish of the season with a P8. I'm super-stoked. Hopefully, this is the first of many top tens. This is a good building point for me, and I'm excited to get back to training on Monday.”
Hawkins told us in the media scrum:
“It was a sick day. That was my best finish of the year, so I’m really pumped to do it at this [venue]. It was pretty cool. It was definitely different. Felt a little like Daytona, a little bit not like it. It was interesting. It was a fun day.”
Cullin Park | 9th
Park posted on Instagram:
“P9 in HOTLANTA
Tough day for us. It wasn’t from a lack of effort; I was just off all day. Live to fight another day. Thanks team🤙🏼 #CPSix7”
Caden Braswell | 10th
Braswell posted on Instagram:
“So thankful that my family and friends were able to come out and watch me race Atlanta Motor Speedway.
First top 10
Excited to keep working on my craft! #Godisgood
Thank you @phxracinghonda”
Marshal Weltin | 11th
"It was a rough start to the day, I'm not proud of how my qualifying or my free practice went," admitted Weltin, then told, "But I turned it around in my heat and in the main, where I worked my way from 20th to 11th. The track was super tricky with the soft dirt, so I'm happy we're out of here healthy and we're going to continue to work toward improving next weekend."
Gage Linville | 13th
Linville posted on Instagram:
“Hometown race was a good one p.13 keep building from here! Thanks team”
AJ Catanzaro | 16th
Catanzaro posted on Instagram:
“Maintaining body position isn’t always easy when the whoops start getting nasty 💀 Finger on the clutch, hips in anterior pelvic rotation, balls of feet and some race fuel getting flung into my face for good measure 😂😂 ATL was a blast! Thank you @themotoacademy @royalpowersports team for always working so hard and keeping it fun for me! Next stop, MetLife Stadium 😁😁”
TJ Albright | 17th
Albright posted on Instagram:
“Long road back to the main event! Solid weekend in ATL! P-9 in my heat race then p-17 in the main! Home race coming up this weekend! Thank you to everyone that makes it happen!”
Nate Thrasher | 19th
Tom Vialle | 22nd
"Today started well for me in finishing second in the Heat, which was a good result, but unfortunately I fell on the first lap of the Main Event, and I wasn't able to continue. It was disappointing to have the afternoon end like that, so we will regroup and look forward to the Showdown next weekend.”