Thankfully, we have the tightest championship fight in history to keep us all engaged. So often, the championships are either clinched or all but decided. It’s a big ask to keep two riders at the top of their game this close for this long. They have gone toe to toe for months on end, neither willing to give an inch. They have traded moto wins and overalls, back and forth the momentum pendulum has swung. Two heavyweights in the prime of their career (even if at different stages). My favorite part of this battle has been the respect shared between the two. There seems to be no ill-will. They have raced each other incredibly cleanly, neither taking a cheap shot along the way. They both realize the stakes, but they also both realize that they are arguably the fastest riders in the world, both eyeing the same prize. Only one can claim this title. Pala is a small town and there’s only room for one of them this time around.

I’ve been asked who will be crowned champion no less than 100 times this week. I can honestly say that I don’t have a strong opinion on it. Normally, I could give you a dozen reasons as to why I believe a certain side will win out. I actually love building a case for why a certain rider should be favored or faded into a weekend. With these two, it’s tougher. They don’t have glaring weaknesses. In cases like these, we do have trends, though. Sexton has been absolutely lights out at Fox Raceway, winning twice out of four total appearances (one in 250 Class, three on a CRF450R). Tomac, on the other hand, hasn’t fared as well with an average overall finish of 4.3. Those data points would lead us to think Sexton has a distinct advantage this weekend, but I think the intangibles are hard to also ignore. Tomac has been here and done this. He has three titles in this class to his credit and is the reigning Monster Energy Supercross Champ. He went on an eight-moto win streak earlier this season and can lean on the experience of prior title fights both entered and conquered. So, it comes down to which side you prefer. There is plenty of evidence to build a case for both sides. Pick a side, grab some popcorn, and lean into it.

Who’s Hot

Chase Sexton took the overall win at the penultimate round and enters the finale down one solitary point to Eli Tomac.

Eli Tomac is the red plate holder after holding serve with Sexton at Ironman. He has the tie breaker (more moto wins) on his side, too.

Aaron Plessinger set the home crowd ablaze with his podium finish. No one, and I mean no one, celebrates with the fans on Plessinger’s level.

Jett Lawrence got back to his winning ways last weekend after three full rounds without leading a lap.

Hunter Lawrence stopped the slide, putting in two solid rides at Ironman. He still trails Jo Shimoda for second in the series, though.

Speaking of Shimoda, he won the second moto at Ironman and continues to impress.