Well, that was a wrap for Atlanta 3! Loved the speedway races and hope to see them in the future. Give me one of these tracks instead of a 42-second thing where everyone has everything down two laps into the first practice. I thought the Atlanta races were pretty interesting and cool to watch.
Let’s take a look at the results, shall we?
250SX Results
1st | #91 Nate Thrasher | Livingston, TN | Yamaha YZ250F
Ummm, he did it again! LCQ-to-main-event-winner for Thrasher for the second time in three races. We had Nate on the PulpMX Show and he said he didn’t think the layout of Atlanta helped his turnaround so much as the start and some bike settings that got him a bit more comfortable out there. I can’t think of any rider in my time who’s turned a season around like Thrasher has. Incredible!
2nd | #32 Justin Cooper | Menifee, CA | Yamaha YZ250F
I really didn’t have Justin Cooper getting passed by Thrasher and getting second in the main event on my SX bingo card but hey, in the long run he put points on his main rivals and just needs five points to win his first SX title. All in all, a successful night for sure. Also, two for two in main event holeshots!
3rd | #150 Seth Hammaker | Temecula, CA | Kawasaki KX250
I think Hammaker has to be ecstatic with getting a podium here. He had a big crash in practice, he had some moments in the main event, and all in all, he ended up on the box! Okay, who’s had the better rookie 250SX season, Thrasher with two wins but Hammaker with one win and two more podiums? (shrugs)
4th | #41 Hunter Lawrence | Wesley Chapel, FL | Honda CRF250R
Hunter wins for most passing points at the three Atlanta’s and this one might’ve been the best. He set the fastest time during the day, won his heat and was set up to take the win. And then crap happened. Hunter still rode great to just miss a podium.
5th | #56 Kyle Peters | Greensboro, NC | Honda CRF250R
KP charged hard and moved up to this spot, very good ride for the veteran as he got the kid, Swoll, late in the race with a sweet pass.
6th | #47 Jalek Swoll | Clermont, FL | Husqvarna FC 250
Swoll had that great, late-race battle with Peters that was cool to see. Jalek’s definitely improved from last year in his SX skills but also still needs work in the whoops. He’s fifth in the points with one podium, which is a good showing for him.
7th | #50 Enzo Lopes | Huntersville, NC | Honda CRF250R
Lopes came back from injury probably too early and hasn’t been as good as he was last time he raced SX. It hasn’t gone well until now, but this is a good finish, and it really came out of nowhere. Great job for Enzo, he’s a good dude.
8th | #35 Mitchell Harrison | Murrieta, CA | Honda CRF250R
Harrison’s rut in front of his gate for the main looked hellacious but he still pulled a decent start somehow, despite falling into this rut that seemed four feet deep.
9th | #90 Dilan Schwartz | Alpine, CA | Suzuki RM-Z250
Oh hey, look here! Schwartz got his career best finish in SX this week. It’s been up and down for him indoors but let’s not forget how impressive he was outdoors last year. RM-ARMY IS STILL KICKING!!!
10th | #72 Coty Schock | Dover, DE | Honda CRF250R
Schock had another good race and looked to be charging hard still at the end of the race. He’s ninth in points in case you didn’t notice and is crushing it out there weekly. Also, I think he’s a better outdoor guy also so buckle up. He’s racing 450s this summer.
11th | #73 Derek Kelley | Riverside, CA | GASGAS MC 250F
Kelley had a rough start to the 250SX west series, but he’s been better the last couple of races and qualified well at ATL 3. In the main event he was a bit higher but dropped a few spots at the end. Still, on the first start he had gone down with McAdoo and was dead last, so he greatly benefitted from the restart.
12th | #201 Cedric Soubeyras | Venasque, France | GASGAS MC 250F
Soubs is part of the AJE GasGas team, and the squad got all four guys into the main event with him, Kelley, Chris Blose, and Jerry Robin making it in. That’s got to be pretty cool right? The less said about the team owner’s Facebook post in regard to McAdoo, the better.
13th | #31 Cameron McAdoo | Sioux City, IA | Kawasaki KX250
I mean, where to start? Seven crashes in the three Atlanta’s—I’m sure there’s some general body soreness for RAM IT also. Maybe just a little bit? His practice crash at ATL 3 was bad, as well as Marchbanks torpedoing him. McAdoo’s title hopes with just the showdown to go are pretty slim. Cam has always ridden with a lot of heart and we saw it on display at every race down south. I don’t know if there’s ever been a rider in history that went through as much shit as Cam did and came out the other side.
14th | #45 Pierce Brown | Sandy, UT | GASGAS MC 250F
Brown’s been quiet at all the races since he came back from injury and this time, he took a trip to endo-nesia in the whoops when Hammaker made a mistake and McAdoo was forced to checkup. Bummer for him for sure.
15th | #59 Jarrett Frye | Mechanicsville, MD | Yamaha YZ250F
If you’re Frye and you see Thrasher, who wasn’t doing much better than you early on, go and win two races, does that help you because you know that you can also turn it around like Nate? Or does it hurt you because now you’re the only one not meeting expectations and all eyes are on you? Things that make you go hmmmm.
16th | #220 Ramyller Alves | Coconut Creek, FL | Husqvarna FC 250
Oh man, Alves rode into the main thru the LCQ and he was charging. His pass for the last spot into the main was gnarly, I saw both sides of his side panels right there.
17th | #137 Sean Cantrell | Murrieta, CA | Suzuki RM-Z250
Cantrell, just back from injury, has shown some qualifying speed but hadn’t been able to get into the main until ATL 3.
18th | #48 Garrett Marchbanks | Coalville, UT | Yamaha YZ250F
The less said about Marchbanks “pass” on McAdoo, the better. That was definitely not a racing move, that was personal for sure. And not smart.
19th | #77 Jerry Robin | Hamel, MN | Husqvarna FC 250
Jerry has made three mains in a row and even though he went around the outside of the track at one point (I thought he was gonna do a lap on the speedway) and also pulled into the mechanics area, he got it finished. You’re still gonna get some Jerry out of Jerry.
20th | #68 Jace Owen | Mattoon, IL | Yamaha YZ250F
I don’t know what happened to Owen, he just went missing. My scores for him in PulpMX Fantasy went missing with him.
21st | #67 Stilez Robertson | Bakersfield, CA | Husqvarna FC 250
Stilez hurt his knee and couldn’t race even a lap in the second re-start. Man, this kid has had some tough stuff to deal with. Remember when he charged up and got second at Daytona? That was a long time ago now.
22nd | #60 Chris Blose | Phoenix, AZ | GASGAS MC 250
Oh man, Zombie got tangled up with McAdoo and went down hard, immediately KO’ing himself and getting a helicopter flight out of the race. I saw his wife posted that he’s fine but after this crash and the one last year, that might be it for a real SX warrior over the years. Scary moment, glad he’s okay!
450SX Results
1st | #2 Cooper Webb | Newport, NC | KTM 450 SX-F
What more can you say about Webb at this point? Roczen was gone and I’m sure Coop had no issues with bringing it home in second and living to fight another day. Then Roczen crashed but even then, 94 had five seconds on Webb. Slowly but surely however, Webb did what he does, and this thing was over. Now it’s 16 points with two races to go for the KTM rider.
2nd | #94 Ken Roczen | Clermont, FL | Honda CRF450R
Things I don’t know: I don’t know if there are aliens out there, I don’t know why the 250SX class got to be so broken, I don’t know why Kenny stopped blitzing the whoops, and I also don’t know why Kenny went ten feet wide when Webb passed him late in the main. I understand he said he wanted to check up and cut back to the inside of the #2, but did he have to kind of give it to him? Roczen’s ride was amazing for 90 percent of the race and then he crashed, and things fell apart from there.
3rd | #1 Eli Tomac | Cortez, CO | Kawasaki KX450
Good ride for ET as he ate away at Plessinger and Barcia to get into the last podium spot. ET’s a bit of a different dude to read after the races, as far as whether he’s pissed or happy. I think he’s accepted his defeats much easier this year because he finally got that SX title last year. I’m not saying he’s stoked to lose, but I think he’s mellowed a little from a couple of years ago.
4th | #7 Aaron Plessinger | Hamilton, OH | Yamaha YZ450F
AP led a lap! He looked really good out there, the elite of the elite ate him up a bit, but he hung in there right behind them and if they made any mistakes, he would’ve gotten on the box. Anyone who can hang with the Webb/Roczen/Tomac trio (who have won almost all the supercross races over the past two years) is doing something right, and AP was in the fight the whole race. Aaron’s been crazy good lately and it shows out there as he’s got confidence and rides very aggressively. It’s really good to see the rise of the AP this year.
5th | #51 Justin Barcia | Greenville, FL | GASGAS MC 450F
Bam had a quiet night at ATL 3, but only because he fell when just behind the lead pack. He could have been right there with Plessinger and Tomac. Man, he’s aggressive out there and it’s fun to watch. Justin’s a rider who looks like he’s going VERY fast all the time when he’s on. It’s a pleasure to watch the 51 when he’s on his game. We all know he’s done some dumb stuff on the track from time to time, but generally speaking, I like the way he takes no prisoners out on the track. I’m sure he doesn’t have a lot of friends off the track but hey, he’s unapologetically himself all the time.
6th | #27 Malcolm Stewart | Haines City, FL | Yamaha YZ450F
Mookie was good. The whoops were big. This is not a coincidence folks. I was watching him to see if we would get the mid-race breather/slowdown that we’ve seen from Malcolm, but I didn’t notice it—he was right there lurking behind the top guys for the entire main event. This result also stops a slide he was on.
7th | #14 Dylan Ferrandis | Lake Elsinore, CA | Yamaha YZ450F
Ferrandis and Anderson tangled on the first lap and he spent the rest of the time trying to catch back up to the pack. So much speed, yet so much stuff that prevents any chance of showing it.
8th | #15 Dean Wilson | Murrieta, CA | Husqvarna FC 450
Wilson was a DNQ at ATL 1 and since then he’s gotten his two best finishes and rides of the year. I don’t think this is a coincidence folks. Solid job at ATL 3 in coming from the back to this finish.
9th | #25 Marvin Musquin | Corona, CA | KTM 450 SX-F
This won’t come as a shock to anyone, but Marv didn’t look very comfy all day in ATL mostly because of the whoops. He had a quiet main event as well.
10th | #23 Chase Sexton | Clermont, FL | Honda CRF450R
Sexton, like Jason Anderson, is showing some serious speed and skill out there right now but can’t get a win. At least he got a pair of runner-up rides before this crash-induced tenth. We had Chase on the show Monday, and he was telling us about how he thinks he can do way more quads out there than he does. We all see STEW rubbing off on him, right?
11th | #17 Joey Savatgy | Clermont, FL | KTM 450 SX-F FE
Savatgy’s starts seem to be a bit hit and miss and when they’re there, he can run the pace of the pack he’s around. When they’re not, he’s not good enough to make up time on guys to get them. Yeah, welcome to startcross, right?
12th | #36 Martin Davalos | Tallahassee, FL | KTM 450 SX-F
Marty Party was good in ATL 3, he was his usual strong self in the whoops and looked like he had it all together out there. Marty has not overall had a good second-year season in 450SX, but lately, he’s been better than when he started.
13th | #20 Broc Tickle | Holly, MI | Honda CRF450R
There’s a bit of chaos in the 450’s and injuries, etc. to help out Broc, but either way, he’s ridden better lately although he still hasn’t had that breakthrough ride to make you notice him, you know?
14th | #21 Jason Anderson | Rio Rancho, NM | Husqvarna FC 450
I picked Anderson for the win in the afternoon. He was very good at all three ATL’s and qualified fastest as well. When he won the heat, everything was looking great for the 21. Then he got into a collision with Ferrandis on the opening lap and that was it for him. He did get docked three spots for cutting the track after he went down and that’s not a surprise—Jason’s generally DGAF about that stuff. One of these times though, he’s gonna hit a flagger or dig-dug.
15th | #44 Tyler Bowers | Lake Elsinore, CA | Kawasaki KX450
The whoops were big and nasty and that means The Bear would be good. And he was! He was pretty rusty when he jumped into the series back in Orlando, but he’s been getting better the last few races.
16th | #34 Max Anstie | Murrieta, CA | Suzuki RM-Z450
HEP Suzuki’s crew chief is Clark Jones who used to own Noleen Yamaha back in the day, so I spent a good part of the day drilling Clark for Larry Ward, Kyle Lewis, and Sizzler restaurant stories.
17th | #84 Josh Hill | Huntersville, NC | Yamaha YZ450F
Hill is back and at the last two races he rode rather easily into the main event. Why he picked Atlanta to come back to, I’m not sure but his skills are still there and even his endurance looked okay seeing as how he hadn’t raced at all.
18th | #83 Alex Ray | Milan, TN | Kawasaki KX450
A Ray ate crap in the whoops in his heat and DNF’d. He also looked to be in serious pain. He lined up with last gate pick in the LCQ and somehow came from seventh or so to win the thing. Like, it might’ve been his best ride of the year. Maybe the crash knocked him out a bit where he thought he was Adam Cianciarulo? Great job there.
19th | #28 Brandon Hartranft | Brick, NJ | Suzuki RM-Z450
Hartranft missed the first two ATL’s because he was sick and even told me not to pick him in PulpMX Fantasy before the night show this week! He said he hadn’t blitzed the whoops once and still wasn’t feeling very strong. But hey, he got into the main event!
20th | #280 Cade Clason | Tucson, AZ | Kawasaki KX450
I had a source in the pits that told me Cade was very psyched out by the whoops. Now my source may or may not have an axe to grind with Cade and may or may not have also passed Cade in the LCQ to go on to win. So, I’m not sure I trust my source fully. But I will say that Hartranft, Clason and Ray were all sort of having their own slow race in the whoops late in the main. They were tough!
21st | #722 Adam Enticknap | Lompoc, CA | Suzuki RM-Z450
Big whoops definitely help Adam, who made his first main since he came back from injury. HEP Suzuki got three guys in then main. Good job.
22nd | #37 Benny Bloss | Oak Grove, MO | Honda CRF450R
Benny told me he’s only practiced like four times since the start of the season because of various injuries and now he’s dealing with an ankle that stopped him from racing the first two ATLs. Sure, enough he was way back early in the main event and I saw him riding back to the pits with his feet up on his bike, most likely because his ankles probably hurt. Benny Bloss and the MCR Honda guys are not having a good 2021.
Chiz got hurt at ATL 2 and this saddens me, he hasn’t been able to Chiz and this sucks for all of us.
Thanks for reading this week. Just two more to go in the series this year! Wow, where did it go? Email me matthes@racerxonline.com if you want to chat about this race or anything else.