Update at 10 a.m.! JT just told us it's raining so hard that he can't possibly describe it without using language we can't use here on this website. So that's bad, but, Florida weather usually changes quickly. We shall see.

As for the series, Ken Roczen is on the greatest supercross run of his career with three-straight victories. You might not know this, but the city in the middle of Indiana is now called Kennianapolis. Can he keep that mojo going in O-Town? He already has a 16-point lead over Cooper Webb and 24 points on defending Monster Energy Supercross Champion Eli Tomac. Tomac and Webb need to change the narrative tonight. 

In the 250s, last week Colt Nichols almost turned the NFL home to the Indianapolis Colts into "Colt's Stadium" but the three-peat slipped from his grasp. He crashed while leading last Saturday's main event and had to charge back to finish third. This breathed some new life into Christian Craig's season, as he took his second win of the year. Just six points sit between teammates right now.

Weather Update

Yeah so it rained for a long time but it finally stopped and the tarps came off the track to start prepping for the first practices at about 2 p.m.

There's a nice window now without rain, but we don't know how long it will last, and also we don't know how wet the track is underneath. There was some serious pumping and track work to try to dry things. As expected, there's standing water in the low areas between jumps, but that might only mean it's going to be rutted, or it could be full-on treacherous. Hard to tell how much water has soaked into the track until the riders are out there, but there are two addition factors: the track crew can continue to fix and clean things, but, it could also rain again, and if it does, the track is not going to be covered. We'll see.

First Practices

So practice began and the track was sloppy but not horrible, and the unseeded 250 riders were able to do some of the jumps pretty quickly as they figured out the lines. Maxwell Sanford was fast early in this session ahead of Chad Saultz. Lane Shaw moved to the top spot late.

Jo Shimoda led them out in the 250 seeded session but Christian Craig blew by using his trademark whoop speed to move to the top spot when the laps first came in. Then Shimoda answered to take the top time! Craig took it back, and then his teammate and series’ leader Colt Nichols moved to second-fastest.

“Everyone expected it to be really muddy but it was totally the opposite,” said Craig. “It’s hard pack. Yeah there are a few slippery sections, but it’s so hard pack that honestly I think it’s going to just wash right off.”

Vince Friese was the first rider on track in the seeded 450 session, and riders took a few laps to get the track dialed in. Cooper Webb was the first to log a fast lap, then Justin Bogle went to the top, then Adam Cianciarulo and then Eli Tomac. Times kept dropping and then Roczen took the fastest spot ahead of Malcolm Stewart. Then the Kawasaki guys of Tomac and Cianciarulo went to the top two spots until right on the next-to-last lap Jason Anderson jumped to the top. That’s the first session Anderson has topped this year.

“I guess I hit a couple different rhythms these guys didn’t hit, I tripled out and stuff like that,” said Anderson. “These guys are good they’ll figure it out. I guess a week in Florida is what I needed right now.”

Anderson commented that the finger he injured two races ago still hurts and he wasn’t even able to use the front brake for awhile. Clearly he’s feeling a little better right now.

The 450 B group got an insertion of some talent via Shane McElrath, making his full-time 450 debut in his return from a shoulder injury. Also Tyler Bowers, who was struggling to find funding for the season, is making  his season debut. Austin Politelli missed two races with a head injury but is back as well. McElrath was on another level compared to this group by clocking a 54.4, ahead of Bowers who was second-fastest with a 56.0. The 450 field was slightly larger to day so they added a 450 C group

Forget the mud talk. Unless the skies open big time this track is 99% fine--there's a small chance it will be a little more one-lined than usual because it's still sticky outside of the main race line, and if you go completely off the track you could be in trouble because a lot of mud and water was pushed into those lanes. In the main line, though, it's dry.

When the final practice began, Lane Shaw hopped to the top of the 250 B group ahead of Scott Meshey and Devin Harriman. Then Bobby Piazza jumped to the top spot before the end of the session.

Craig jumped out ahead like usual in the 250 A session, but he fell down, and Mitchell Oldenburg moved into the top spot. Oldenburg looked really fast early. Also, riders were really experimenting with the 3-3 combo before the finish. It was fast, but it leads the riders to the outside in the last turn before the finish so it might not be the preferred line. Jett Lawrence jumped into the top spot for a bit but in the end Craig put it all together to take the top time for the second session today.

“I think once they prep it and we race the heat race it’s not going to change much,” said Craig. “You have to be patient here and really flow the corners and I feel like that’s something I do well.”

Aaron Plessinger was the first rider on the track in the 450 A group, and the surface now looks dry and hard. Roczen quickly jumped to the top spot over Webb and Barcia. Tomac started laying down heaters and on the fourth lap he moved to the top spot. Then Webb took it back two laps later. Webb has definitely been pushing harder in qualifying lately, as he was fastets in qualifying last week. Cianciarulo then moved to the top spot, but incredibly he and Webb tied down to the hundredth of a second, and Cianciarulo was given the top time by eight thousandths of a second! Webb logged one last flyer but couldn’t match it, and Cianciarulo’s time held out for tops in the 450 division. Malcolm Stewart, Tomac and Roczen were the top five, ahead of Anderson, Wilson, Barcia, Bloss and Plessinger.

The 3-3 rhythm in the section before the finish might not work out. It's too far outside, and it's easier to go 3-2-1 and slice inside in the final corner. 

In the 450 B group, McElrath dominated again and Bowers was once again second. Welcome back, boys.

250 Heats

Camporese got the best start in  this heat—nice job by the Italian—but Colt Nichols and Jo Shimoda quickly got around him. Grant Harlan and Kevin Moranz quickly moved to third and fourth ahead of Camporese. At one point Hunter Sayles was in a transfer spot, crashed, lost his number plate, but mounted a charge to get back into the transfer spots. Camporese was able to hold on to ninth, the last spot to the main, just edging Devin Simonson.

Nichols was asked if this track might favor he or his teammate Craig more. He wasn't really concerned.

“We line up every time to win and that’s’ what we want to do," Nichols said. "I’m going for it, I always feel like I can win and tonight is no different.”

In heat two, whatever curse has hovered over 250SX East has come to Florida. Maxwell Sanford did the deed in heat two with a great start, but Mitch Oldenburg got inside in the first turn to take the lead. Christian Craig then got around Oldenburg to take the top spot, with Jett Lawrence getting right up behind him. Then Craig cased a triple, bounced and went absolutely flying. He landed in a heap on the inside of the track, but luckily landed in some mud and tough blocks. It was bad, but it could have been worse. He will be back with a wrapped and taped hand for the LCQ.

From there, Jett Lawrence simply jetted off with the win.

450 Heats

In 450 heat 1….It was Shane McElrath grabbing the holeshot! That’s quite a debut in the series for a man who missed the first six races of the year. McElrath rode really well on his SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas MotoConcept Honda, until Eli Tomac rolled up on him. It’s hard to hold off the defending series champion, and Tomac eventually got inside in the longest rhythm lane and took the lead and the win. McElrath’s run to second was still impressive. Behind them Marvin Musquin rode to a steady third—Marvin was 15^th in qualifying, so this was a nice improvement. On the other side, Marvin’s teammate Cooper Webb did not get the start he needed and could only climb through to sixth. Webb was a dynamo on starts in 2019, it has not been the same as of late. Just ahead of Webb came Joey Savatgy in fourth and Martin Davalos in fifth. Webb’s sixth led Justin BraytonBenny Bloss and Justin Bogle home. Dean Wilson took tenth and will go to the LCQ.

"That was really good for us there, good start," said Tomac. "Shane ended up sweeping around us there. I really focused on getting all the rhythms, and that’s where I got him there. Really happy with my ride and looking forward to the main."

Ken Roczen’s starts have been incredible in nearly every race this year, and this was no exception as he quickly grabbed the lead in this heat over Adam Cianciarulo. Ken put it down and pulled away. Cianciarulo came under pressure from Jason Anderson, who looked rejuvenated big-time as he got inside of AC and made the move for second. Anderson kept the hammer down and took second, 2.5 seconds behind Roczen. Anderson also topped a practice session earlier today. That’s much more like it for him. Vince Friese got a good start and then that led to the standard practice of Vince holding his line and fighting for position, and a train of 450 factory riders trying to figure out how to pass him. Barcia finally got around in the whoops (the world braced for Barcia to get rough with Friese but he thought better of it) then Malcolm Stewart got by. That was it—Zach Osborne tried to pass Friese but couldn’t get through, so Friese took sixth, Osborne seventh, then Aaron Plessinger and Dylan Ferrandis ended up having a big battle, but only for eighth. Ferrandis won it. Broc Tickle ended up tenth to head to the LCQ.

“The track couldn’t have been more opposite of what we expected,” said Roczen of what they expected to be a mud race. “They really turned the track around. I’m pumped on the heat race win simply because it’s important to get a start and a good gate pick.”

LCQs

Craig, batted and bruised after his mega crash in the heat, was back for the 250 LCQ. Devin Simonson got the holeshot in this LCQ but Craig started third and quickly moved into the lead. Simonson was second ahead of Scott Meshey and Alexander Nagy, a long-time privateer journeyman, found himself in the final spot, with Davin Harriman coming after him. Nagy actually made the move on Meshey for third and Meshey got the final spot.

 In the 450 LCQ—you know what happened. Kyle Chisholm grabbed the holeshot and got the lead. Chiz is gonna Chiz. Dean Wilson was second early and got around Chisholm, then Fredirk Noren was in in third hoping to make his first main of the season. Justin Starling then got around Noren for third. Broc Tickle started about third from last and had to put on a hard charge to try to get to Noren and Starling. He got to them on the last lap, and then Noren went after Starling for third. Starling only doubled-singled out of a section Noren was tripling, and then went side-by-side for the third place spot, leaving Tickle no room. Wilson, Chisholm, Starling and Noren make the main, Tickle is just short. That’s a huge disappointment for Tickle, and the first main of the year for Noren.

250 Main Event

Jett Lawrence jetted off with the holeshot in the 250 main with Nichols right behind him. Nichols applied pressure for the first two laps but then Lawrence began to find his rhythm and began to pull away. Craig, hurting, managed to pull into third early. Jo Shimoda and Mitchell Oldenburg then moved to fourth and fifth, effectively rounding out the “four guys on factory teams one guy with some support” group.

So who was the best of the full privateers? That’s Kevin Moranz in sixth, then Josh Varize, Josh Osby, Hunter Schlosser and Logan Karnow.

After Lawrence pulled away a bit, Nichols closed, then Nichols couldn’t jump a triple, which handed Lawrence a bigger gap. Nichols closed here and there as they exchanged time in heavy lapped traffic. Even on the last lap, Lawrence made some mistakes and Nichols closed back up, but the young Aussie had enough of a gap to hang on and score his second career victory.

“That ride, I finally got my starts sorted," said Lawrence. "I had no idea where Colt was, then halfway through I saw a Star helmet, then I didn’t see anything and I was like “Did he go down?” Then all of a sudden at the end I started hearing the Star bike right behind again! It was a really good ride, I’ve gotta thank the crowd. I love this crowd. You guys need to give yourselves a pat on the back!”

"No real decisions, I was just trying to go," said Colt of his strategy of trying to catch Lawrence. "I had a pretty big moment on a triple. I was trying to do everything I could to catch Jett, he had some sections where he was better than me. Hats off to him, he rode good and he got off in front of me on the gate. I was trying but I couldn’t get him tonight. Pretty frustrating race to be that close, but I can’t take anything away from the kid.”

Craig, after the big heat race crash and injury, took third.

“I’m in a title chase and there’s no giving up,” he said. “When I got out there in the main event, my adrenaline kicked in, the pain went away and I salvaged points. Only lost a couple, so I can heal up, we’ll see you in Salt Lake.”

 450 Main Event

Zach Osborne’s starts have been terrible this year, but he nailed this one and led the field into turn one, with Justin Brayton second and Ken Roczen third. Osborne rode well for two laps and then bobbled in the whoops, putting Brayton into the lead, and allowing Roczen and Cooper Webb to also shoot forward. Webb was all over Roczen while Roczen tried to figure out how to get around Brayton, and then when Kenny tried to make the move, Webb shot by both of them! Brayton went high in the next corner to make sure the two title combatants had room. Then somehow Justin Barcia came shooting right through all this traffic to emerge right behind them in third!

From there, those three traded fast laps, as the track began to change and riders were forced to adjust lines. Everyone had close calls in the whoops, and they exchanged saves to try to stay on top. At one point it was Roczen swapping sideways, then Webb nearly lost it, and Barcia then had a huge save, going completely side-saddle to hold onto the bike. That Barcia mistake allowed Osborne, who rebounded and got back toward the front, to move past for third. It also allowed Webb and Roczen to pull away for good.

Barcia didn’t give up and stalked Osborne all the way to the end, but Osborne hung on for his first podium of the season. Barcia was fourth and Tomac, after another poor start, was fifth.

“Yeah these last two have been great, last week we were close, and this was a great race,” said Webb. “I got a good start and had good speed at the beginning of the race, made some good passes right away. It was it’s tough man I haven’t led like that in while, it’s definitely different when you’re leading a majority of the main event like that. I had to get used to that, I made a lot of mistakes toward the end of the race and Kenny caught up. I  was able to get it done. Man it feels good, I think we needed to stop that momentum that Kenny has, and it was tooth-and-nail, 1 and 2.”

“Yeah about mid race I lost touch a little bit, after that we kind of yo-yoed," said Roczen. "I reeled back up again, but I had some close calls in the whoops. Just got kicked a little weird and almost went down. I simply wasn’t fast enough to get back on him and make the pass. I got held up a little by Justin [Brayton], but that’s okay, he was riding awesome, so we were all battling, and Cooper got us both in this turn. Overall you can’t win ‘em all, we had a good solid night and minimized the damage."

“It was one of the toughest days and weeks of my career, I was not feeling the flow after Indy," said Osborne. "I had a bike issue that cost us the second practice. We were just kind of fighting the momentum going the wrong direction lately. Felt good to get a start, that’s where I’ve been really struggling, my starts. I changed a couple of things for the start, it was a complete roll of the dice and it worked out. After such a strong outdoor season to struggle in the beginning of the year has been really tough for me.”