The win also gives McAdoo the 250SSX West Region points lead over Justin Cooper. Other results to note were Stilez Robertson, who led eight laps in only his second AMA Supercross main event before earning his first career podium finish with a second place finish. Behind him was Pierce Brown, who earned his first career podium in his season debut after a torn ACL kept him off the bike for four and a half months.

FXR/Chaparral Honda Racing’s Coty Schock rode in third place for the first nine laps of the main event before eventually fading back to ninth. Oh, and prior to his impressive ride in the main event, Schock did this in his heat race!

Hardy Munoz and Ty Masterpool made their first career main events, finishing 13th and 17th, respectively. After getting slammed into on the first lap of his heat race, Ryan Sipes had a tough night. He finished 21st in the main event while riding with a banged-up hand.

In the 450SX Class, for the third straight week, Ken Roczen has taken one of the 450SX heat races and a new rider has taken the other one. Eli Tomac, Jason Anderson, and Cooper Webb all earned their first heat race wins of 2021 in the last three weeks. Roczen has taken seven heat race wins so far this season (which leads the class) while there are only two riders who have earned two or more. Here are the nine 450SX Class heat race winners through the first nine rounds:

Ken Roczen | 7 heat race wins
Justin Barcia | 3
Adam Cianciarulo | 2
Zach Osborne | 1
Chase Sexton | 1
Marvin Musquin | 1
Eli Tomac | 1
Jason Anderson | 1
Cooper Webb | 1

There’s good news for Dean Wilson: he’s won three straight races. But the bad news is that the three races Wilson have won have been the last three LCQ races. Wilson went on to finish a season-best tenth in the main event. In the 700th career 450SX main event in history, Eli Tomac took his second main event win of the season (the 36th of his 450SX career). His win ties him with Ricky Carmichael for the most premier class wins of all time as they each have five apiece. Since 2010, Kawasaki has taken nine premier class main event wins at Daytona International Speedway (Ryan Villopoto: 4, and Eli Tomac: 5). Webb finished second after a last-lap pass on Aaron Plessinger. The podium was Webb’s sixth of the season (the 34th of his 450SX career) and Plessinger finished third to claim his first 450SX podium.

Quotes From Around the Paddock

Ken Roczen | 4th in 450SX

“Daytona was a fun race! Obviously that track is always technical. The dirt was super black, and the lighting just made it more difficult than if we were racing in a normal stadium. In the main event, I got a good start but was pushed wide and dropped back a few spots. I really had to be aggressive early on and make some moves happen to move forward. I made a little mistake toward the end of the race and Malcolm Stewart got by me. I had to pass him again and I tried to charge forward, but unfortunately we couldn't get on the podium. I feel like I rode really well, and we're in a good spot. We still have the red plate and most importantly, we’re safe and had fun. I already can't wait to go to Arlington and put in the same effort, just sharpen up a little bit and see where we are.”

Said Honda HRC team manager Erik Kehoe:

“Ken showed that he was prepared for the track as he qualified first and won his heat race. He was in good position on the main-event start, but unfortunately another rider pushed him wide, causing him to exit the corner mid-pack. He rode hard to close the gap to the leaders, posting the fastest lap time of any rider. His hard-earned fourth-place finish was just shy of his goal of being on the podium.”

Malcolm Stewart | 5th in 450SX

“Tonight is proof that all of my guys’ hard work over the last two weeks has paid off. My riders have been training hard, and we’ve all worked together to get somewhere. I think tonight really shows that we’ve done it. Aaron was incredible all day, really, and then he rode great in both races to show that he could do it. The most important part, like I’ve been saying every week, is that our starts have got to be better, and finally our starts were better. If you start up front, it’s a lot easier to finish up there. All three of my guys were riding really well. We are going to keep working hard and keep working to stay where we belong, fighting for podiums.”

Said Monster Energy/Star Yamaha Racing 450 team manager Jeremy Coker:

“Tonight is proof that all of my guys’ hard work over the last two weeks has paid off. My riders have been training hard, and we’ve all worked together to get somewhere. I think tonight really shows that we’ve done it. Aaron was incredible all day, really, and then he rode great in both races to show that he could do it. The most important part, like I’ve been saying every week, is that our starts have got to be better, and finally our starts were better. If you start up front, it’s a lot easier to finish up there. All three of my guys were riding really well. We are going to keep working hard and keep working to stay where we belong, fighting for podiums.”

Justin Barcia | 6th in 450SX

“Daytona was a tough day. I kind of struggled with the track a bit and trying to find the comfort, which unfortunately didn’t happen. I’m going back to California this week to do some work, get more comfortable so we can head into Texas and crush it. I’m definitely not pleased with the results today so I’m trying to put this one in the past, move forward and regroup next week to come out swinging in the next three races, I’m looking forward to it.”

Jason Anderson | 7th in 450SX

“My night was pretty mediocre all around. I was P7 in qualifying today and in the heat race, I fell in the first turn and got up to eighth. That gate position didn’t put me in a good spot for the main but I made it up to seventh and that’s where I ended up.”

Chase Sexton | 8th in 450SX

“My first race back here in Daytona was a rough day overall. I fell in the first practice, and in second practice I tried a wall jump but landed hard in the next jump face; I put a hole through my lip and chipped my tooth really bad, which was frustrating. The heat race was okay; I got a good start but got caught up in the second corner and then came back to fourth. I got a good start in the main event but then went backwards. I got freight-trained and just didn't feel like I was racing out there. I’m pretty frustrated with the ride, but it's a start and we’ll go only up from here. I’m looking forward to Dallas.”

Said Kehoe:

“It was great to see Chase back in action. He showed good speed in practice but over-jumped a double and had to take a trip to the medical rig. Fourth place in his heat and a solid eighth place in the main on the tough Daytona track conditions was a solid return.”

Justin Bogle | 9th in 450SX

“I felt good and had the flow tonight.  This was my type of track, hitting my marks and riding like I know I should. We’ll continue to progress and be ready to fight for another top ten in Arlington next week.”

Dean Wilson | 10th in 450SX

“My night was a bit eventful. I was in qualifying position in the heat race and I tried to make a pass in the last corner and crashed in the rhythm section before the finish, so I had to go to the LCQ. I was far outside gate in the main and didn’t get a good start at all but I just plugged away and ended up with a top-10. It’s not great but it’s a starting point and we’ll just try to build and get better from there.”

Joey Savatgy | 12th in 450SX

“I was riding well tonight, though my start did not do me any favors. The main thing is I leave here healthy and keep progressing forward. I am feeling good on the bike and we will work on a few things before the next three rounds in Arlington.”

Vince Friese | 13th in 450SX

"My body is starting to feel close to 100-percent from the injuries I had earlier in the year, and the team has made some more improvements with the bike. It's starting to head in the right direction, but it's still not the result I'm looking for. We have another full week at home, and I feel good heading into Arlington."

Max Anstie | 14th in 450SX

"It's always been a dream to race the Daytona Supercross with the best guys in the world. The team made progress all day and we learned a lot. I rode my laps in the main event and came away with a 14th. I'm looking forward to heading to Texas next week."

Said Twisted Tea/HEP Motorsports Suzuki team manager Dustin Pipes:

"I think we made some good steps. Max had a good day and we're building each week. We know that he's not at his peak yet, but there's a lot of plusses to take away.

Mitchell Oldenburg | 15th in 450SX

“I certainly made it hard on myself, but I enjoyed racing in the 450 nonetheless. Although the LCQ gave me more bike time, I will admit all of that riding on the 450 took it out of me. My goal was to make the main and once I had achieved that, I wanted to be inside the top 15 so I just made it happen which was great.”

Benny Bloss | 18th in 450SX

"It was another frustrating weekend. I felt really good in practice and qualified in 12th place, and that carried had a solid heat race. I felt like I had a good start in the main event until I got pushed wide in the second corner. I worked all the way up to 12th place and then had a big crash in one of the rhythm sections. I ended up getting lapped, and when that happens, it's hard not to lose time on the guys ahead of you. I feel like I made progress, and the bike is great, so I'm going to rest this week and be ready for Arlington."

Brandon Hartranft | 19th in 450SX

"I had more of a flow here all day. My heat race start was dialed. I came around in second. My main event started from the outside. I went in well, but I got pushed off the track. During the main I was pretty solid until about the halfway point, then I got a bit of arm pump. I just need to work on preventing that, train hard during the week, and show up to Arlington ready to go."

Marvin Musquin | 21st in 450SX

“I was glad to be back at Daytona after only being able to watch last year. The riding was good today. I made a mistake and got passed by two guys but I fought my way back up to Ken [Roczen] and Cooper and unfortunately, I started hearing noise in the engine. I didn’t know what was wrong and I couldn’t keep going and take risk with that without knowing what was going on, so unfortunately, I had to DNF. It’s heartbreaking, I can’t believe it. Those situations are tough to accept but we’re moving onto Dallas for a week of racing and it should be good.”

Broc Tickle | 22nd in 450SX

"The 450 main event was brutal. It's never good to go down early, but I got going as quickly as possible and even made some passes. The second wreck took a lot out of me, and I had to call it. Luckily nothing is hurt, so I will be back for Arlington."

Shane McElrath | DNQ for main event

"The weekend was a bit disappointing. I struggled all day with the track and was uncomfortable. I started slow, and it snowballed into the night's racing. My starts were subpar, and I didn't put myself in good positions to get the results. It was a tough weekend to go through, and I'm disappointed, but I'll grow. This class is tough, and I'm trying to find my place, get better, learn the bike, and race these guys. I feel like I am a little behind, but I'm getting better and will put the work in to make progress. I look forward to getting on a normal Supercross track because the speeds at Daytona were high, and I wasn't ready for that, either."

Justin Cooper | 4th in 250SX

“The day started off really well. I was fastest in both practices. I spun off the gate in my heat race, and that didn’t go too well. I just kept pushing to get the transfer and brought it home in fourth. In the Main Event, I got a top-five start, and then in the third turn, a hay bale got kicked out in front of me, and got stuck under my bike and put me on the ground. So I started around 21st. I did what I could. It was really hard to pass out there. I only made it up to fourth, but I charged the whole way, and my lap times were pretty consistent. It’s not what I was hoping for, but that’s all we had tonight. We definitely got challenged here in Daytona. We’ll learn from it and come into these Texas rounds ready to win again.”

Said Monster Energy/Star Yamaha Racing 250 team manager Wil Hahn:

“We had a tough night in Daytona. Our starts weren’t very good and to be honest, our riding wasn’t the best either. We’ve got some homework to do. We’ll go to work and come back stronger in Texas.”

Garrett Marchbanks | 5th in 250SX

“I felt good on press day and in practice and took that in to qualifying with a P3 finish. With all the sand we decided to stick with the paddle tire. It gave up a bit on rthe start but was better in other parts of the track. I ran the same set up last year with success but the track just didn’t develop the way I hoped. I wasn’t thrilled with a fifth place finish I know I do better. I’m looking forward to the three rounds in Texas so I can put it all together.”

Hunter Lawrence | 6th in 250SX

“This weekend was pretty good. We had a solid heat race and got my first ever heat-race win, which was really cool. My body is starting to come around and I’m feeling better and better. I made one mistake in the main event that really let me down in the sand section. I was in a good position to fight for a podium spot, so I’m bummed about that. All things considered, my body is feeling healthy, my shoulder is coming around and I feel great on the bike. This is a good, calm way to head into Arlington for three rounds back to back, which I am really looking forward to.”

Said Kehoe:

“Hunter continues to get stronger each week. He holeshot his heat race then had to restart, but he responded with another perfect start and led every lap to win. His start in the main wasn’t quite as good but finished just shy of the top-five goal.”

Jordon Smith | 10th in 250SX

“Tonight was definitely a rough one. After crashing in qualifying and really being unsure if I would even be able to race the rest of the day, I would say we pulled off a good result. I did my best to fight through the pain and ride as smoothly as possible. I’m thankful for all of the team’s efforts and support I’ve received even throughout my injuries, so I put it all out there for them tonight. I’m hoping to get some rest and then back to work.”

Seth Hammaker | 11th in 250SX

“I felt great all day and thought I was riding well, especially in my heat race. I definitely had some confidence built up after the results of the last race, so I was looking forward to racing today. Unfortunately, I made an error in the sand section in the main event which cost me big time, but something I never do is give up and I just kept trying to make up positions as fast as I could. I want to thank Mitch and the entire Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team for all their support this far and I’m already looking forward to lining up next weekend in Arlington.”

Jarrett Frye | 12th in 250SX

“I struggled all day in practice. I couldn’t really find a flow and put the track together. In the heat race, I finished ninth to transfer into the main, but I still had a hard time finding my flow and ended up 12th. It's not where we want to be. We’re going to go back to work and try and be better next weekend in Arlington.”

Nate Thrasher | 20th in 250SX

“It was an okay weekend in Daytona. We struggled a bit in qualifying, but in the heat race, we rode well. I felt like we had good speed. I came from way back and ended up sixth, so I was happy with that. In the main, we got a decent start and started moving through the field, but then we started to have an issue. I was trying to baby it, but we didn’t finish. We’ll do better next weekend.”

Ryan Sipes | 21st in 250SX

“The day was cool! We had some rain and it made the track perfect. My hand was pretty sore but adrenaline kicked in and I was able to mix it up with those guys for a little while in the heat race, so that felt cool. The adrenaline wasn’t quite there in the main, and I had a lot more swelling, so I was having a hard time hanging on. I went and got X-rayed and no broken bones, just some bruising, so we’ll go back and recoup to be back for Atlanta.”

Mitchell Harrison | DNS in main event

“It’s racing and things happen, but this is tough on everyone. We worked out the problem in the end, but we missed the main event. We can’t let it drag us down and have turned our attention to the next round."

Joey Crown | DNQ for main event

“I really felt good going into the race. My speed was good and my starts were even better. A small tip over in qualifying pushed me back to tenth place and onto the LCQ. Two more good starts after the red flags incidents but ended up hitting a kicker and landing on the ground. It sucks for sure because I felt like I was riding good. I’ll take a little break and keep everyone posted on my return.”

Dominique Thury | DNQ for main event

“I am right on the edge. My speed and starts were good and I had myself into the transfer position but the red flags didn’t help. Had a tip over in the second corner of the third restart and ended up last on the first lap. I feel more confident that I can make the main, I just have to avoid the little mistakes.”

Dilan Schwartz | DNQ for main event

"I was feeling great throughout the whole day at Daytona, but unfortunately in the heat race I cross rutted in a rhythm section and ended up going down, which ended my night.”

Nate Augustin | DNQ for night show

“Daytona was definitely exciting. I got pretty close to making the night show but came up short. It’s way different when you’re actually in the race. It was a great experience but now I just have to focus and do better in Texas. Good to get that first race behind me.”

Racer/Team Vlogs

JMC Motorsports Racing

Alex Martin

AJ Catanzaro

SGB Racing/Maxxis/Babbitt’s Kawasaki

Cameron Bushey (working with the SGB Racing/Maxxis/Babbitt’s Kawasaki team)

Max Anstie

Clip of the Week

Clip of the Week, PART 2