Salt Lake City 3
By The Numbers
Something I forgot to mention in last week’s post: When Chad Reed lined up for the main event with his KTM at the Salt Lake City 1 Supercross on May 31, the legend continued to make history. Reed, who started the year on a Honda CRF450R, made the switch to a KTM 450 SX-F and by making the first SLC main event, he became the first rider to start a premier class main event on all six main OEMs.
Our pal Producer Pete over at @sxresearchdept on Instagram highlighted some career stats on Reed brand by brand. Check them out:
Following the Salt Lake City 2 Supercross in which he earned a third-place finish GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin pulled out of the championship in order to keep from pointing out of the 250SX Class. By forgoing the remaining rounds of the supercross championship, Martin (who had 105 points) is able to not only compete in the 250SX class in 2021 but he is able to exercise the second-year of the extension GEICO Honda signed with him in December 2018.
As for the action on the track at the Salt Lake City 3 Supercross, GEICO Honda’s Chase Sexton took his third main event win of the 2020 championship (fourth career 250SX main event win) and by doing so retakes sole possession of the 250SX East Region points by three points over Monster Energy/Star Racing Yamaha’s Shane McElrath.
After battling back and forth with Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb throughout the main event, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac took the 450SX main event win—his seventh of the 2020 championship and 34rd of his career. The win ties Tomac for with Ryan Dungey for sixth all-time in 450SX main event wins. You’ve probably heard it a million times by now but Tomac and Webb lapped everyone from fourth (Zach Osborne) on, including lapping Ken Roczen (who finished tenth) twice.
Last week, Malcolm Stewart earned his first 450SX heat race win. At the SLC 3 Supercross, Stewart earned his first 450SX main event top-five finish.
Logan Karnow made his first 450SX main event—on his Kawasaki KX250. Coty Schock also made his first 250SX main event.
Quotes From Around The Paddock
Zach Osborne | 4th in 450SX
“It was a decent day, I felt really good in the one qualifying session that we got and the heat race was good with the holeshot even though I had a good little spill. I came out with a holeshot in the Main but I rode kind of tight and the track was a little sketchy for me. I didn’t really find the flow right off the bat so it was a tough main but it was a fourth-place, so we’ll take it. I’ve got a little bit of consistency to build with so I’m happy with it.”
Malcolm Stewart | 5th in 450SX
“It’s crazy that we’ve raced three times in completely different conditions. The first race was super dry, the second race was not too bad but still pretty dry, and then we had a mud race. I feel like it’s been three different terrains in the same place, and it’s crazy to me. The main event was good. I got a good start and rode my race, which put me in fifth. That’s my best personal finish in the 450 Class and I’m really happy about that. I almost had a few pretty big crashes but saved them! It’s crazy to say that I finished in the top-five and still got lapped, but in mud races like that, I’ll take it. We’re on a pretty good roll right now, and we just need to keep doing what we’re doing so that we can hopefully end up on the podium.”
Dean Wilson | 6th in 450SX
“It was a little bit different of a day with the weather and having only one qualifier, which went really well with a second. Unfortunately, with the rain I spun really hard on the gate and was pretty much dead last going down the start straight. I knew it was important to stay on two wheels and just try to click people off every lap, so that’s what I did. I don’t think it was my best riding but I managed to get a sixth, which is not too bad considering I came through the pack with a bad start.”
Justin Brayton | 7th in 450SX
“What a crazy day—the weather was just wild! It rained all day yesterday and most of the day today. Then the sun came out right after practice, which kind of dried up the track for the heat race, which was actually pretty good. I got third and then the rain blew in again. It dropped like 10 to 15 degrees and was raining on us before the main event, but all in all it was a good day. I ended up seventh—ran sixth for a long time and then got passed with a few to go. We made some awesome bike changes this week and that really helped me in the muddy conditions. When I got off the track, I told the guys that I can’t wait to ride this setup in the dry.”
Justin Barcia | 9th in 450SX
“It was a tough day. Not a whole lot more to say than that. It didn’t go the way I wanted to. We’re definitely going to keep trying, stay positive and keep moving forward. I’m really looking forward to going racing in two days to try and turn things around.”
Ken Roczen | 10th in 450SX
“These past two races obviously haven’t been the results that we needed to be in the fight. That doesn’t mean that we aren’t still trying. Sometimes you’re dealt a hand of cards that are completely out of your control, but we’re trying to make the smartest and quickest decisions to get through some of the health issues that keep coming up. My heat went well and I led a handful of laps until I got a flat. The boulders started popping up and I think I know right where the rock got me in the whoops. With the weather changing, we tried to make a tire decision that would give me the best chances of not having that same thing happen in the main, but that obviously didn’t work well. I’m not the type of guy that likes to roll around or is satisfied with a fifth- or 10th-place finish, but sometimes if that’s the best you can do for the night, you just have to except it for what it is.”
Said Honda HRC team manager Erik Kehoe:
“I’m not sure about Ken and where we’re at. After he got that flat tire in the heat race, we made a change for the main event, which probably wasn’t the right direction. Ken had a hard time keeping a good pace for the whole race, but we’ll take these next couple days to regroup and get back out there on Wednesday.”
Aaron Plessinger | 11th in 450SX
“It started out pretty muddy and I was doing really well in practice. I went out for the heat race and I struggled pretty hard. The track dried out, got pretty rough but I got a good start and was moving forward before I started to struggle and fell back to fifth. In the main, it was pretty much the same thing. I was moving forward and got up into seventh and was right on [Ken] Roczen for sixth, then I tightened up and couldn’t hold on anymore and fell back to 11th.
Before the next race we’re going to make some changes and hopefully get the bike dialed in for the next round so that we can go out there and show them what we’ve got. I’m better than what I have been finishing, I’ve shown it before. We just need to figure out what the problem is and dive in on it.”
Blake Baggett | 12th in 450SX
“The track was tough today. I just couldn’t get going in the main event and struggled a bit in the mud. We will regroup and come back strong on Wednesday.”
Justin Hill | 15th in 450SX
“It was another tough one. The highlight of the day was a face plant in the mud, so that’s not what I was looking for. But I got out of the day health and without any injuries, so with four more races, I’m looking to put in better finishes. I’m hoping for better track conditions coming up. The track was completely brutal and for the guys up front to do what they did is crazy to me. I’m still plugging away and trying to find my place.”
Vince Friese | 16th in 450SX
“It was a rough day. The track was brutal. Even when you start out normal here, the dirt is by far the worst on the tour. It’s full of rocks and everything, so it’s like you’re riding on gravel out there and add the rain into that is not good. There were a couple of guys that outclassed everyone, and the rest were in survival mode. It is what it is. We have another one in a couple of days and we’ll keep plugging away.”
Said SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda team manager Tony Alessi:
“It was a very demanding program for everyone involved and a lot of work today. Malcolm got another top-five finish, but Vince and Justin struggled with the conditions to finish just outside of the top-10. They are all well and safe to race again in a couple of days, and we’re looking forward to a dry race.”
Broc Tickle | 17th in 450SX
"Today was a tough day all in all. I am happy I made it through all the racing, and I'm looking forward to Wednesday’s race. I'm thankful for the whole JGR crew. We can build off of this.”
Said JGRMX/Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing team manager Jeremy Albrecht:
"The positive from today is that both guys will be able to race on Wednesday. Broc was able to get through the day, but with some pain from his broken hand. He did not further injure it so we're hopeful every race will get better."
Jalek Swoll | 6th in 250SX
“Honestly, results-wise it was one of my best days but it wasn’t up to what I felt like I could do out there. I got a pretty good start in the Main Event, ran up front for a little bit and faded back to sixth. The track was pretty brutal out there but I was all about just staying up on two wheels and I’m happy I was able to do that to take home a career-best finish.”
Pierce Brown | 4th in 250SX
“All-in-all it was a solid day and I couldn’t be happier. I ended up third in my heat race and fourth in the main event. This is my fifth supercross race ever so to have my best finish yet, I’m stoked!”
Garrett Marchbanks | DNF in 250SX
"Today was a rough day. Between the rainy weather and sloppy track conditions, I didn’t help myself with the bad start in the main event. My ribs and back are really sore from my crash so I will get checked out, take these 10-days to recover and go from there. I hope to be back out there a week from Wednesday and make up some points.”
Gif Of The Weekend
Salt Lake City 4
By The Numbers
Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb took his second straight Wednesday supercross by winning the 450SX main event. It was the 10th career 450SX main event for Webb. The win—and a fifth place by Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen—moves Webb into second place in the 450SX standings through 14 rounds:
- Eli Tomac (322 points)
- Cooper Webb (295)
- Ken Roczen (293)
- Jason Anderson (245)
- Justin Barcia (241)
In the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, Webb was the points leader after the 14th round with a total of 309 points and Tomac sat second with 288. Tomac has 34 more points this year than he did last year at this time.
In the last five years, only Ryan Dungey had more points through 14 rounds of a championship than Tomac does here in 2020. In the 2016 450SX championship, Dungey had 328 points through round 14. That year when Dungey won the championship, he finished with 391 points—the second-most of all time (Ricky Carmichael won the 2001 title with 392 points).
With three rounds remaining in the 2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, Tomac mathematically has a chance to earn 400 points if he wins out (26 points per win times three races left plus his current 322 points = 400 points). It’s mathematically possible, but with a field filled with riders such as Webb, Roczen, Osborne, Anderson, and more, is it possible for Tomac?
When the 250SX West Region resumed on Wednesday for the seventh round of their championship, it had been 123 days between races for riders. No big deal!
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner took the 250SX main event, his third win of the 2020 championship. The win was Forkner’s 10th career 250SX main event win. Monster Energy/Star Racing Yamaha’s Dylan Ferrandis finished second and Forkner’s teammate Cameron Mcadoo earned his second career podium by finishing third. Forkner’s win moves him around Justin Cooper and into second place in the 250SX West Region points standings with two more rounds of the West championship to go:
- Dylan Ferrandis (158 points)
- Austin Forkner (148)
- Justin Cooper (147)
- Brandon Hartranft (126)
- Alex Martin (115)
Quotes From Around The Paddock
Ken Roczen | 5th in 450SX
“Coming back after two days of trying to get everything lined up again following a tough race, I had a lot more fight and felt a lot better today. I had a good heat race and was able to put up a fight at least for some of the race. I’m not 100 percent yet obviously, because two days unfortunately is just not enough to get everything lined up, but it was much better than the last race. We’re going to just continue fighting because this stuff is out of our hands and we have the speed and good starts and everything. We have to get my body right and I think we can be on the top step much more consistently.”
Said Honda HRC team manager Erik Kehoe:
“Overall a much better day for Ken. In the main event he had a really good start; he was right there in the corner for the lead and battled for that lead for over half the race. He hung on a lot better than last week. There was big improvement, so I think this is something to build on.”
Jason Anderson | 7th in 450SX
“I felt really good in my heat race, I was riding really good and ready for the Main Event. My start in the main was actually a good start but I just got shuffled back and then I ended up falling. It wasn’t the best finish but I worked my way back up to seventh and I’m just looking ahead to the next round."
Dean Wilson | 8th in 450SX
“Qualifying was pretty good, it has been recently. In the Main, I had a really bad start and I just made slow passes – coming from 17th up to eighth. It’s not a great result but the good thing is we get to try again on Sunday. I just really need to work on my starts and I think we can be in the top five.”
Aaron Plessinger | 9th in 450SX
“The bike started off in a way better place today. I was very happy with what we did to improve the setup. I was going through the whoops a lot better, it wasn’t kicking me around at all.. The track definitely got rough for the Main Event and the sun was shining in our eyes in parts of the track, and some parts were really dark. It also got pretty slick, but I just kept charging. I came across the first lap in 16th and ended up ninth. It was a better day for me. I broke the top 10. All we can do now is keep pushing forward.”
Justin Brayton | 12th in 450SX
“It was my roughest one yet. I’m not really sure what went on, but today was just kind of a struggle most of the day. The best thing about this format is that we race again in a few days, so I’m going to try and forget about that one. Overall, I honestly can’t really pinpoint anything other than kind of a stomach bug for most of the day; I didn’t have the energy I needed for that main event. Definitely a bummer, but it’s all good and we’ll come back fighting in a few days.”
Broc Tickle | 17th in 450SX
"Today was a lot better than Sunday's race for me. I felt better on the bike. I’m looking forward to making progress with my hand over the next couple days before Sunday, and gaining some confidence during these last three rounds. Thanks to the whole JGR crew for all their hard work."
Justin Barcia | 21st in 450SX
“I was having a pretty good day, better than it has been. Qualifying went alright. I was searching around a bit for sure, just trying to find that good flow. Aaron finished right behind me in the Heat race, so it seemed like we were kind of starting to figure it out a little. In the Main Event I was battling pretty hard with a lot of the guys. I got a little sideways in the whoops and then it just kicked out too crazy and the bike went flying. I dinged myself up a little, but I’m alright and will be back on Sunday. Unfortunately my bike was broken after the crash and I wasn’t able to finish the race. So that was unfortunate, but will definitely get them on Sunday.”
Said Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing team manager Jim Perry:
“The track conditions were much better than they have been past few events, the heavy rains last week seemed to help that. Both guys showed better speed in practice and looked more comfortable, which was great. They had a good finish in their Heat, with Justin in fifth and Aaron sixth. They didn’t get the starts that they wanted in the Main Event, but both rode well. Towards the end of the race Justin had a nasty crash. His bike went off the track and was unable to finish, but thankfully he’s okay, just sore. Aaron put in a strong Main Event and finished inside the top 10, which was a plus. We’ll move on to the next race on Sunday and keep working to get back on the podium.”
Michael Mosiman | 5th in 250SX
“It’s good to be back to the races! It’s a stacked class right now with everyone healthy and it was pretty hectic out there today. Fifth on the day, I’m a little bit disappointed in my riding but I’m stoked that we get to race again soon and I’m looking forward to the next round.”
Alex Martin | 6th in 250SX
"It felt awesome being back at the races again. I was frustrated with my riding in practice, but I managed to turn things around in the night show with great starts and stronger riding. I'm excited to build off a great ride in the main and get that JGR Suzuki up front on Sunday.”
Said Albrecht:
"Alex rode solid all day. He made a few mistakes that kept him from a top-five finish. We have positives from today and some things to improve on. Starts were good, we just need to work on consistency and race management."
Luke Clout | 12th in 250SX
“I can’t say I have ever experienced that before. I could not breathe properly. I mean I could not breathe normally. We don’t race in altitude like that in Australia anywhere. I am going to try and recover as quickly as I can so I am better prepared for the weekends race. I am not happy with 12th on the day and I know I can be further up front."