The Hunter Strikes First
Hunter Lawrence’s win in the 250SX East Region opener was his sixth career main event win. The win was Lawrence’s 14th AMA Supercross main event podium finish, which came in his 22nd career main event start.
Anstie’s First Supercross Podium
In his 17th 250SX main event start, Max Anstie finished second in the 250SX main event to claim his first ever AMA Supercross podium finish. Anstie raced in the 250cc division about a decade ago and made his return to the 250SX class at the Houston SX opener.
Max Anstie's first career 250SX podium tonight at the Houston Supercross came in his 17th career 250SX main event start. #SXHistory #Supercross #SX2023 #2023HoustonSX #SupercrossLIVE #DropTheGate
— Mitch Kendra (@mitch_kendra) February 5, 2023
Smith’s First Podium Since 2019
Jordon Smith, who claimed third place, earned his 14th 250SX main event podium, his first since the 2019 Detroit Supercross on February 23, 2019. Smith’s last podium finish came 1442 days—or 3 years, 11 months, 12 days—before his podium at the 2023 250SX East Region opener. Smith’s 14th career podium came in his 50th career start.
Smith's podium tonight was only his 18th 250SX main event start since his last podium, as injuries had sidelined him for a majority of the last few seasons. #SXHistory #Supercross #SX2023 #2023HoustonSX #SupercrossLIVE #DropTheGate https://t.co/FIPakD4PIv
— Mitch Kendra (@mitch_kendra) February 5, 2023
Rookie Debuts
The following 250SX riders made their professional supercross debuts:
4th Haiden Deegan | Yamaha
7th Tom Vialle | KTM
8th Chance Hymas | Honda
11th Talon Hawkins | Husqvarna
Tomac’s 47th Win
Tomac claimed his 47th career 450SX main event win. Tomac is now one main event win shy of tying Ricky Carmichael for third on the all-time AMA Supercross wins list. Tomac won at the 2020 Tampa Supercross—the last time the series visited Raymond James Stadium. Will Tomac tie RC’s record in Tampa?
Here is the all-time premier class AMA Supercross wins list following tonight's Houston Supercross, where Eli Tomac picked up his 47th 450SX win. #SXHistory #Supercross #SX2023 #2023HoustonSX #SupercrossLIVE #DropTheGate pic.twitter.com/81g0Z53KSP
— Mitch Kendra (@mitch_kendra) February 5, 2023
Sexton’s fast lap
Chase Sexton showed he was the fastest rider throughout the entire day. His 52.014 was the fastest lap of the 450SX main event, although he ended up finishing second to Tomac. Tomac event admitted after the race he did not think he would be able to pull off the win because of the #23’s speed. On James Stewart’s Rewind race recap video, JS7 breaks down where Sexton was making up speed—he was scrubbing harder than Tomac (carrying momentum forward by carving off the jumps vs getting vertical airtime) and he was also entering the whoops faster (by barley touching the first whoop with his front wheel). Sexton also had the best segment in three of the five segments in the main event. Sexton’s average time in the whoops (segment three on the track) was 3.861 seconds, compared to Tomac’s average of 3.917 seconds.
#32’s 2023 Debut
Justin Cooper made his 2023 debut, which was also his pro 450cc debut. Cooper claimed the 2021 250SX West Region title but suffered a foot injury that sidelined him for all of 2022, losing his final season of eligibility in the 250cc division. In his first AMA Supercross gate drop since the Salt Lake City 2 SX Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Showdown on May 1, 2021—644 days prior—Cooper finished seventh in his heat then seventh in the 450SX main event. The #32 is currently only slated to compete in select 450SX rounds—which could change if Dylan Ferrandis misses more time—but he is confirmed in for the Tampa Supercross this weekend as well.
Main Event Moranz
Kevin Moranz has now competed in three of the first four 450SX main events of the season. The Kansas native picked up a career-best 14th in the main event in NGR Stadium. Check out his vlog in the vlog section later on.
Other Random Stuff
Ferrandis Okay Following Scary Crash
Luckily, Dylan Ferrandis only suffered a concussion in his scary crash early in the 450SX main event. Head injuries are no joke, but initially the crash looks too be way worse. Ferrandis is out for this weekend’s Tampa Supercross as he is now in the series’ concussion protocol.
Preston Kilroy Update
The Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha fill-in rider suffered a crash in qualifying in the turn before the whoops and broke both arms/wrists. Kilroy was filling in for Garrett Marchbanks, who is sidelined with a wrist injury.
Schock Absorber
Coty Schock took a nasty hit in his heat race after accidentally making contact in the air with his teammate Cullin Park. Somehow, he lined up for the LCQ, then finished fourth, making it to the main event. He then proceeded to line up for the main event and finish 12th. Shout-out to CS285, who we heard had quite a rough off-season. The guys recapped some of his misfortunes in the Houston Supercross Racer X Review Podcast.
AC’s Red Flag
Ahead of the restart in the 450SX main event, Adam Cianciarulo apparently was in a rush and did not use the porta-potty, according to a tweet on Sunday.
I got fined $1000 for peeing behind the porta potty in a rush before our restart this weekend. Just figured I’d get out ahead of this one.
— Adam Cianciarulo (@AdamCianciarulo) February 6, 2023
Believe it or not, this was an issue in the past, despite a rule in the rulebook. Check out section 4.19 of the 2023 AMA Supercross rulebook below:
4.19 450SX Supercross Staging (Standard Format)
- Riders or crewmembers observed to be relieving themselves anywhere other than in a fixed or portable restroom will be fined a minimum of $1,000.
AMA’s Post-Race Penalty Report
Check out the rest of the AMA post-race penalty report.
The AMA has released the post-race penalty report for the Houston #Supercross. Four penalties noted on the report. AC got out ahead of his penalty for, um, failing to use the porta potty, with a tweet the other day. #SX2023 #2023HoustonSX #SupercrossLIVE #DropTheGate pic.twitter.com/kb1DPf7XQX
— Mitch Kendra (@mitch_kendra) February 7, 2023
Vlogs
Weege Show: Houston Supercross Review
James Stewart’s Rewind podcast
Quotes From Around the Paddock
450SX
Eli Tomac | 1st
“It was a great rebound race for us. This was a huge deal to come back from last weekend’s crash and to take the win here. You really had to focus on the timing and line selection tonight. This was the highest-speed track that we’ve had all year, so I’m just really pumped to see this motorcycle work in all these different conditions. Tonight was pretty hard packed, really high speed, and the other rounds we had were basically the opposite, so we are off and running strong.”
Said Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 team manager Jeremy Coker:
“It was the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The high was a phenomenal race for Eli. It was incredible. He had a lot of pressure in the beginning, and he did what he had to do to beat the competition. It was an awesome ride and a good way to come back from last weekend. It was also the lowest of lows. Unfortunately, it’s part of the sport, but to see one of your guys crash the way Dylan did and to see him lying there was pretty tough. Fortunately, when I got to him, he was able to open his eyes and looked at me and said my name, and it was a huge relief to see him stand up and walk away.”
Chase Sexton | 2nd
“I was confident in my riding all day. I felt comfortable on the bike during qualifying and the heat race. Eli just had me covered in the main, especially in the sand section; there were a couple spots he made adjustments at and he came away with the win. We’ll keep evolving and getting better. I definitely feel like I’m in a better spot than I was last year.”
Jason Anderson | 3rd
“I’m happy with our performance this weekend. As a team we’ve been focused on getting back into the battle for wins and this is the second weekend in-a-row that we’ve done exactly that. I’m hungry for more and definitely want to stand at the top of the podium but, we’re making small gains to get there, and this weekend was another step in the right direction. We’ll continue the progress this week and look forward to battling again in Tampa.”
Aaron Plessinger | 4th
“I came into this weekend feeling confident in my starts I had a lot of fun out there. In the Heat race, I got a good start and had a great battle with Cooper and another rider, where I ended up second. I rode really well in that race. I got another unreal start in the Main and I was duking it out for the lead when the race was unfortunately red-flagged. Off the staggered start, I slid out a little in the first turn and lost a position, then another rider got around me soon afterward. I got my bearings back and started charging, then despite a couple of little mistakes, I finished the race at a good pace in a P4 position.”
Cooper Webb | 5th
“I ended up fifth tonight and it was a bit of a struggle, to be honest. I felt off all day, from practice and through the heats, but we made the most of it and came away with a top five in the Main Event. We’re still in a good points situation and we’ll keep the ball rolling, regroup this week in Florida and come back swinging at Tampa!”
Justin Barcia | 6th
“I had a decent practice, and a good charge through the pack in the heat race had me feeling super-good. The main event was quite wild. I was running about sixth and we had a staggered restart. I moved up a couple of positions, and then I had a little crash in the whoops and ended up sixth. I'm really happy with the motorcycle. It's feeling really good and I'm comfortable. The competition is so close, and everyone's so fast…we're right there and the podium is inches away. There's no need to reinvent the wheel. We just need to get after it.”
Justin Cooper | 7th
“Yeah, it was good. We got better and better throughout the day. There is a lot of learning going on right now, so it’s great to get the first one out of the way. The goal was to be around the top 10, and we achieved that. I finished seventh and even made a last-lap pass and felt good toward the end of the race. I just felt like I had a good flow and wasn't pushing over my head, but I wasn't riding too slow, either. Everything came a lot easier for me in the main event, even though the track so was messed up. For my first 450 race, I’m just glad to click my laps off like that and be that consistent, and work my way through the pack. I’m looking forward to Tampa next weekend.”
Said Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 team manager Jensen Hendler:
“It was also great to see Justin (Cooper) have his first-ever race on a 450. He hasn’t raced supercross in well over a year. So, it was really good to get him out there and get his feet wet in the 450 class. There are so many things to learn in that 450 class and he’s still just a rookie, but he went into the main and just rode smart and kept picking dudes off. He was strong at the end and was catching people, and ended up seventh, which was amazing. We’ll continue to grow with Justin and keep fighting, and hopefully get him on the podium before we switch gears to the 250MX Championship.”
Ken Roczen | 8th
"I wasn't really feeling that comfortable on the track. All day we were trying a lot of different things on the bike. It's tough going out there with something new all the time. Nonetheless, the team has been giving it an amazing effort and everyone is on board and trying very hard. So tonight was not really our night, but I don't want to bury my head in the sand. We're going to go back to Florida this week, the whole team's coming out and I'm looking forward to some more work and to get back to it next week in Tampa."
Joey Savatgy | 9th
Savatgy posted on Instagram:
“No pics from H town BUT. I felt better this weekend, speed in qualifying was better. Main was going well just couldn’t get through the whoops to save my life. Tried skimming, jumping 🙈 p9 though, broke the 10th streak finally! 😂”
Adam Cianciarulo | 10th
“There were a lot of positives to take from today; I qualified closer to the front, found a good rhythm in the heat race and feel good about where we are with my KX450SR. Overall, I ended up with another top-10 finish and we’ve added another building block to the season. I’m still gaining and improving so I’ll continue to do the work during the week with the team and we’ll keep striving for more.”
Christian Craig | 11th
"I was spunky in practice and I felt super-confident in my bike from the changes we made during the week. In my heat race I just rode super-cautious early and kind of rode around. In the main event I crashed in the second turn and it got red-flagged so we had a staggered restart. I did what I could from last place and just put my head down. It wasn't a good result but we're healthy and just need to figure this out."
Craig posted on Instagram:
“Houston ☑️. Felt good in qualifying just need to bring that intensity to the main.”
Dean Wilson | 12th
Wilson posted on Instagram:
“Houston was awesome! Getting better each weekend! Qualifying in the top 10 & 1 spot better in the main with a 12th… Small improvements. Stoked for my team mate @maxanstie well done laddie. Catch the Choob on Wednesday. We locked in some new DW15 Security recruits🤝 Cheers all🍻”
Colt Nichols | 13th
“Overall, it was a bit better for me today; I know the result in the main event was worse, but I felt good all day. Track position was key tonight, and I didn’t really have that. I was working my way up to the guys in front of me until I buried it in the sand. By the time I got up, it was pretty spread out. I’m a little bit frustrated with the end result, but I feel like my riding and the bike were in a better place. There are a lot of positives to take away from this weekend.”
Kevin Moranz | 14th
Moranz posted on Instagram:
“CAREER BEST, LFGGGGG!!!! P-14
Steady improvement, much better aggression in that LCQ working my way forward and man we dug deep in that main to keep fighting and grabbing more points. We have more in us, I’m excited to keep pushing forward:) Thanks to the fans for the continued support and everyone in my corner making this possible🙏”
Shane McElrath | 15th
"We made some good changes this week on the bike," reported McElrath. "The track here was a lot different than anything else we've been racing on in California; it was pretty tacky tonight. I'm not super pumped about the result, but I'm excited for the direction we're going, and we'll stay at it."
John Short | 18th
“Houston was a wild one! It was good to get out of California and back to familiar territory and have all my family at the race. I was a little off the pace that night, but I rode with max effort in the heat and LCQ. I got a little lucky with that wild LCQ last corner chaos. I raced hard though and tried to put myself in a good position to qualify for the main. I rode consistent in the main and had a season best finish which is something for me to continue building from.”
Josh Cartwright | 19th
Cartwright posted on Instagram:
“LCQ WIN!! Wow, that felt so good to run up front and get a win! I am having SO MUCH FUN this year getting to do what I love! Thank you to @dbranum221 for killing it on the wrench 🔧 and thank you so much to all my sponsors who make this possible!”
Kyle Chisholm | 20th in LCQ, DNQ for main event
"We changed the setup, mainly suspension settings, quite a bit each time out on the track but I think we ended with a pretty good setting," said Chisholm. "I just didn't ride like myself and didn't execute the way I needed to. But I am happy with the positives. Tampa is a home race for me so I'm excited and will try to have a good race next weekend."
Said Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki team manager Larry Brooks:
"We had some good moments, but we sort of struggled all day long with bike set-up. We improved a few things, but then other things popped up. The best Ken Roczen could do was an eighth place tonight. In racing, sometimes you just take what you can get and move on. Shane McElrath rode better this weekend, but I know he's capable of a lot more, so I'm expecting more next weekend in Tampa. Kyle Chisholm was just out of a qualifying position in the LCQ and made a bit of a desperate pass that didn't work out. Marshal Weltin's been off the motorcycle for several months with a knee injury, this was his first race back. I know he'll improve, but it was a little bit of a rough night. It'll get better and we'll be back at it next week in Tampa."
Freddie Noren | 11th in the LCQ, DNQ for Main Event
“Very bummed about my race in Houston. I was a tick off my riding all day and made the best of it. I had good starts which I'm happy about though. Unfortunately, in the last corner of the LCQ I got taken out while in a transfer position. I'm pretty bummed about that but next weekend is a new race so I will regroup and get ready for Tampa.”
Bubba Pauli |13th in the LCQ, DNQ for Main Event
“Not an ideal night but another small step in the right direction. I'm building more confidence and getting more laps in. I'm excited for the next few weeks as we continue to build on a new foundation.”
Said Madd Parts/Big Buildings Direct/Ronnie Prado Company Kawasaki team manager Ryan Koontz:
“Mixed emotions for us in Houston. We need to make sure to not put ourselves that close to a transfer spot in the LCQ. The goal is to transfer through these heats so we can avoid the mayhem. Both Freddie and John are getting good starts and are capable of that direct transfer. I'm glad John fought all the way to the checkered as that allowed him to capitalize on the opportunity in the last corner and get himself in the main. So far, we've had a rider in every 450 main which is a good reminder of success.”
250SX
Hunter Lawrence | 1st
“Qualifying was a little rough; I just could never get all my best segments on one lap. I’m happy to execute with two great starts and check all the boxes so far. I’m confident on the bike and I really worked hard to get here; I’m excited for the rest of the season.”
Max Anstie | 2nd
Anstie posted on Instagram:
“P2 in Houston for rd1 of @supercrosslive with my crew that make it happen and work non stop to give me a competitive package to perform on… just go and ask the @mtfmx boys how the late night dyno runs have affected their sleep 😆🔥
Cheers for all the work”
Jordon Smith | 3rd
“It was a good day. I felt really comfortable today on the dirt bike, and on the track. It’s really the most comfortable I’ve ever felt in a supercross, so I’m really excited and stoked about that. I got some killer starts – the practice start and in the heat race – and then kind of botched it in the main event. Hunter (Lawrence) is really good. It’s going to take a good start to be able to get up there and battle with him, and obviously, you can’t have a little fall in the sand. So, we’re going to go back, keep working, and come back to Tampa ready to go.”
Haiden Deegan | 4th
“It was a good day. We started off with some solid times and we were first in Group B practice and qualifying. Then for the heat race, I was fourth, so I was happy with that. I got into a good pace and was able to lay down some good laps, and see the track well. Then in the main event, I was pretty nervous on the line, but I got a decent start and then just fought and never gave up. I kept pushing through the pack. I had a lot of people to prove wrong and I ended up fourth in my first pro supercross race. It was a crazy night! I am so happy with how it went.”
Jeremy Martin | 5th
Martin posted on Instagram:
“First race is in the books with @clubmx P 5 was the end result. Made a mistake the last lap in the whoops trying to push for 3rd.”
Michael Mosiman | 6th
“For the first round of the east coast, I had an all-right day. My pace and fitness are good. I thought I had a lot of strengths, but I just need to clean up the starts and I can do that. It's unfortunate. P6 is not where we want to be starting out, but I warm up quick. I'm looking forward to Tampa.”
Tom Vialle | 7th
“I was a little nervous in the first practice, but I felt more comfortable as the day went on. In my Heat I was again a bit nervous as it was my first-ever Supercross in a stadium at night, but I had a good start and finished P3, so I was happy with that. In the Main Event, I had a great start again and got to lead for two laps. Then with five laps to go, while in third, I had a small crash when I missed the rear brake and went over the corner. I’m disappointed as we could’ve finished on the podium, but I learned a lot and it was a good day overall.”
Chance Hymas | 8th
“That was quite the experience. Me and Hunter were 1-2 off the start, and for the first four laps, I was like, ‘I need to go!’ Then around the fifth or sixth lap, I ran out of breath. I got to about halfway and kind of regrouped, and then salvaged what I could. I qualified eighth, finished eighth, third in the heat race—I want to be better, but it could’ve been a lot worst. I’ll take it.”
Said Honda HRC team manager Lars Lindstrom:
“It was a pretty hectic day with four riders on the team, but it also made the truck full of good vibes. It was pretty exciting in the 250 races, with Chance getting really good starts and getting good experience up front. I’m sure he didn’t breathe those first couple of laps, so he’ll be a little stronger next weekend! Hunter was just in total control up front. Obviously, Chase was unbelievable with how fast he was today in qualifying and hunting down Eli during the heat race. It was frustrating watching Eli rise to the occasion and hold off Chase in the main, but at the same time, we still got a strong second place. Colt made some improvements with his intensity and definitely made strides all day.”
Cullin Park | 9th
Park posted on Instagram:
“Houston, TX📍
P9 in the main. I had A LOT of fun, I’m healthy and I made progress throughout the day. My team was on it as always, thanks boys! #CPSix7”
Chris Blose | 10th
“I think with the limited amount of time I had on the bike and coming up against others who’ve been training all year, we had a decent day,” said Blose. “My goal is to be fighting at the front and I just didn’t get the start dialed in the main event, which is something we can work on this week. I’m looking forward to making improvements next weekend in Tampa.”
Talon Hawkins | 11th
“There's not much downtime, so it's very different from anything I've ever done before. At all the amateur races you have so much time in between each race. So it was definitely a change of pace to be out there. It's crazy, the intensity is just so high, right off the gate. So now I know what to work on, I'm ready to get back out there next weekend.”
Hawkins posted on Instagram:
“Mid-moto swagger courtesy of the camera angles😎 super stoked to grab a P11 for my pro debut. Ready to get back on the gate this weekend to keep learning🔨”
Coty Schock | 12th
Schock posted on Instagram:
“Smile says it all! Feels good to be back racing a year later🙏🏻 Crazy night but ending with P12 in the main, I’m proud of myself! Time for Tampa 🤝 Thank you @phxracinghonda for all that you do, beyond grateful for you and the opportunity. We have a solid team♥️”
Nate Thrasher | 15th
“The day started out well. I was feeling pretty good on the bike all day, but unfortunately had a bad start in the main, and then went down a couple of times in the sand. I’m pretty disappointed, but we’re going to put it behind us and keep putting in the work and get back on the podium where we know we belong.”
Said Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 team manager Jensen Hendler:
“Overall, it was a really good day and a really good start to the 250 East Championship. Jordon had a solid night. He won his heat race and fought his way back in the main. He was actually about to pass for second and made a mistake in the sand and dropped a couple of spots, but he came back to third. To leave here on the podium is awesome. He hasn’t been on the podium since 2019, so it was really good for Jordon. We’ll just continue to grow with him. He can be at the top step of the podium, and he knows that, so we’ll continue to fight for that.
“Haiden rode super smart and just let the race come to him. He ended up fourth, which was amazing. I think he proved a lot of people wrong tonight, which is awesome. We’re very pleased with his progress. I think he’s learning more and more every time he rides. For him, this season is part of the learning process, and he showed that tonight.
“Nate had a good qualifying and was riding well, but unfortunately made a mistake in the sand section and found himself off the track. He got back on the track, was actually moving forward, and then ended up having another mistake in the sand which put him pretty far back and he ended up 15th. He’s not happy with the result, but we know as a team that he’s capable of way more than that. So, we’ll just continue to work with him and keep fighting. We’re excited about the East Coast season.”
Marshal Weltin | 6th in LCQ, DNQ for main event
"I don't feel like I rode like myself all day," reported. "I was tense and just felt like I lacked prep, but I did what I could. There was no lack of effort from the team and the bike's great. We just need to get to work this week and come back swinging for round two."