Welcome to Racer X Race Day Feed, coming to you from the press box of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Today is the midpoint of the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season and right here is where you can follow the action. From practice reports to the blow-by-blow from tonight’s program, you’ll find it all right here. Updates are posted in chronological order, so be sure to scroll down for the latest info. For even more updates be sure to follow us on Twitter, @Racerxonline.

Morning Report

It's round nine of 17 in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship as we crest into the second half of the season tonight. Indianapolis is notorious for usually having softer dirt and press day yesterday lived right up to the billing as several deep ruts were carved out from just four short press riding sessions. It will likely be a little better today with the dirt hardening up some more over night, but expect it to be rutted by the end of racing this evening.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Eli Tomac enters five points up on Red Bull KTM's Cooper Webb and 10 points up on Honda HRC's Chase Sexton on the heels of Tomac's seventh Daytona Supercross victory last week. His fifth win of 2023 has the ball rolling for the defending champion and it's up to Webb or Sexton to stop the bleeding right now before he starts to get away.

The 250SX East class is in action again tonight for their fifth round of their 10 round series. Hunter Lawrence is 14 points up on Max Anstie and has won three of the first four races. It's looking like Hunter's title to lose already but he did poke the bear a little bit last weekend when he took down Nate Thrasher in the fourth corner of the main event at Daytona. Thrasher is the only other rider to win this year and his awful Daytona result has left him all but out of the title fight with nothing to lose. There might be a little payback coming Lawrence's way if they end up on the same stretch of racetrack.

Practice begins at noon local time but be sure to watch Race Day Live starting soon after that with the broadcast coming tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific. Let's get going in Indy!

Free Practice

The Free Practice sessions kicked off the day as the track was perfectly groomed and very fast from the green flag. British rider Max Anstie was feeling right at home in the rutted conditions as the faces of several jumps were already getting rutted out and Anstie went fastest early on at a 48.163.

Jordon Smith then nabbed the top spot as a few guys dropped down to the 47s, but Smith did them all one better as he ran a 46.596. Tom Vialle went down in the whoops at one point and Haiden Deegan had a tip over, but it was a mostly uneventful session in the end. Smith’s 46.5 stayed fastest.

A little bit of track work was done between the 250A and 450A sessions to clean up the jump faces on both the finish line jump and supercross triple. The ruts in some of the jump faces were already catching guys out as the 450A guys hit the track next.

It was a unique session to watch them figure out the track as the first rhythm section was remaining a table over single-triple line for almost everyone. Christian Craig and Justin Hill, however, were using the three rollers into the section to go double-step on-step off-triple instead. The line was good enough to put Craig in fifth in the session while Hill was 12^th. Benny Bloss also had a big crash on that same exact table top in the first rhythm as he went over the bars, but he would get up and ride back to the mechanics area.

Chase Sexton was the man who eventually set the pace with a 46.320 just edging Justin Barcia by a tenth of a second.

First Qualifying Sessions

More track work was done before qualifying started but it was still pretty chewed up by the time the A groups hit the track for their first round of qualifying. The whoops had big ruts in them all the way across which made them jumpers for several of the top guys.

Jordon Smith picked up right where he left off from practice to go fastest early with a 47.995. Just like on press day, guys were starting to struggle with some of the three-in options around the track as the ruts got deeper which was actually keeping times from dropping down lower as Smith went down to a 47.678.

The second rhythm section with the seven singles in a row did bite both Marshal Weltin and then Jordon Smith as Weltin crashed at the end of the section and then Smith went over the bars right behind him. They both got up and were okay as Smith remained on top in the end with a 47.563.

The 450A session hit the track next after once again three jump faces were cleaned up between sessions. Ken Roczen was fastest early on in the session as everyone in the 450SX class was starting to figure out the step on-step off line in the first rhythm section.

No surprise to see Chase Sexton work his was to the top of the board again though as the Honda HRC man first put down a 46.6, then a 46.5 to sit up on top. He continued to find a few tenths of a second all around the track and eventually put down a 46.032 to go fastest in Q1. His time was about four tenths faster than Jason Anderson who would end up in second with a 46.407.

Second Qualifying Sessions

The final set of qualifying sessions saw a bit better of a track with a lot of areas cleaned up again between Q1 and Q2. The whoops were left completely as is though and there started to be a V-rut right down the middle of them as the 250A group hit the track again.

Hardy Munoz went down early in the second rhythm lane as he laid in between some Tuff Blocks but he was able to get back up and keep going. Marshal Weltin went down in the whoops moments later and took a while to collect himself before he finally remounted his Suzuki. Tom Vialle also slid out right before the whoops but was quick to get going again.

Hunter Lawrence was the man setting the pace as he put down a 46.060 within the first few laps of the session and he held the top time for much of the session. Nobody could eclipse that time in the end as Hunter Lawrence would hold on to qualify P1 in the 250SX class.

The final qualifying session of the day fired off and right away Chase Sexton found his way into the top spot with a low 45-second lap time. The track was cleaned up one more time before 450A started which meant the times were the best they had been all day with several guys going down into the 45s.

RJ Hampshire crashed a few times during the session and eventually just pulled off and rolled back to the pits with his mechanic. Dean Wilson also crashed twice at the end of the whoops and eventually walked his bike off as well.

Chase Sexton was pretty much perfect again in qualifying though as his 45.215 was fast enough to hold on to the top spot in qualifying for the day.

250SX Heat 1

The first gate drop of the night saw Chris Blose grab the holeshot from Jordon Smith right behind him. Haiden Deegan was up in the front group off the start, but he almost went down in the whoops and slipped back to about eighth spot.

Blose and Smith opened up a big gap out front right away as Jeremy Hans settled into third right in front of Caden Braswell. Braswell fell from a transfer spot on the next lap as he messed up the rhythm section before the whoops.

Smith passed Blose for the lead just before the end of the third lap as they both still were way out front of Hand. Hand held onto the third spot for a little while but Deegan made it around him into the third spot with about two minutes left on the clock.

Talon Hawkins and Hardy Munoz were in a heated battle for the final transfer spot in ninth place as Munoz made the pass stick around Hawkins with a few laps left. Hawkins fought right back and passed him in the first rhythm section and then Munoz clipped Hawkins’ rear tire as he tried to square off the corner and went down.

Up front, Jordon Smith would cruise to the win by a healthy margin in the end with about seven seconds in hand over Chris Blose. Haiden Deegan finished third ahead of Cullin Park, Jace Owen, Jeremy Hand, Michael Hicks, Talon Hawkins, and AJ Catanzaro.

250SX Heat 2

Off the start of the second heat race, it was Coty Schock grabbing the holeshot ahead of Max Anstie. Anstie quickly took over the lead and brought Tom Vialle with him. Hunter Lawrence moved into third place with Nate Thrasher then right behind Shock in fifth place.

Lawrence passed Vialle in the whoops on the second lap and then Thrasher did the same thing on the next lap. Anstie, Lawrence, and Thrasher then started to open it up out front a little bit, but it was Anstie versus Lawrence who were really battling it out for the race lead. Lawrence made the move on the fourth lap into the lead.

Larry Reyes went down hard at the end of the first rhythm section at around the halfway mark prompting the red flag to come out and halt the race. Reyes would be placed onto a backboard after some time before being lifted onto the medical cart. Hopefully we hear good news.

The race then restarted in a staggered restart formation moments later with Hunter Lawrence going off as the leader. Nate Thrasher quickly passed into second place as Anstie slipped back to third but the three of them opened up out front.

Hunter Lawrence would go on to take the victory in the heat race ahead of Thrasher in the end. Max Anstie, Tom Vialle, Jeremy Martin, Henry Miller, Coty Schock, Brock Papi, and Marshal Weltin all headed to the main event as well.

450SX Heat 1

Cooper Webb grabbed the holeshot in the opening 450SX heat race of the night with Adam Cianciarulo right there with him. John Short and Benny Bloss went down in the second corner and were way back.

Ken Roczen made the pass stick on Adam Cianciarulo on the second lap and then AC messed up the whoops a few turns later to allow Justin Barcia by as well. Roczen then went to the lead in the whoops on the next lap and Barcia followed through around Webb the very next lap.

The battle for the lead between Roczen and Barcia was a good one as Roczen held off the charge from Barcia for a couple of laps before finally making the pass stick in the first rhythm section with about two minutes left to go.

Cooper Webb went over the bars on the last lap right before the supercross triple but he was able to remount behind Cianciarulo and finish up on fourth. Justin Barcia held on for the win out front by 2.6 seconds over Ken Roczen. Justin Hill was fifth ahead of Shane McElrath, Kyle Chisholm, Kevin Moranz, and Grant Harlan going to the main event.

450SX Heat 2

The final heat race of the night saw Eli Tomac grab the holeshot from Jason Anderson and Aaron Plessinger. Chase Sexton was able to pass both Anderson and Plessinger in the whoops on the first lap and get into second place behind Tomac.

Sexton spent about a lap and a half right behind Tomac before making the pass into the lead around Tomac in the whoops on the third lap. Aaron Plessinger was remaining close behind Tomac with Anderson and Christian Craig rounding out the top five.

Tomac started to make a few big mistakes in the whoops that kept happening lap after lap which first allowed Plessinger through and then Anderson also made the pass as well.

Chase Sexton would cruise to the win in the end ahead of Plessinger, Anderson, Tomac, Craig, Josh Hill, Dean Wilson, Justin Starling, and Joshua Cartwright.

250SX Last Chance Qualifier

Caden Braswell grabbed the holeshot in the 250SX LCQ and basically took off at the front of the field while chaos ensued behind. Several riders fell in the first corner which allowed Hardy Munoz into second with Luke Neese right behind him. Jack Chambers went off the track while in transfer spot and then crashed in the whoops which ended his night early. That left Lane Allison in the final transfer spot and eventually a pretty big gap opened up after some more crashed and passes. Braswell would cruise to the win ahead of Neese who passed Munoz and Lane Allison held on to make his first ever main event.

450SX Last Chance Qualifier

The 450SX LCQ saw Logan Karnow grab the holeshot and lead the way for a while before Cade Clason was able to work his way up and pass into the lead. Clason had worked his way around Joan Cros to initially get into second before catching Karnow for the lead. Cros slipped back into the clutches of Fredrik Noren late, allowing the Swede by for third, but Cros would hold the final transfer spot. Clason won, taking Karnow, Noren, and Cros to the main event with him.

250SX Main Event

Hunter Lawrence grabbed the holeshot in the main event just ahead of Chris Blose and all three Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing riders rounding out the top five behind them. Thrasher was able to weave through his teammates quick and pass Blose for second, bringing his teammate Smith with him in the process.

The front four riders all were slowly distancing themselves from each other with Lawrence opening up a three second gap over Thrasher who was three seconds ahead of Smith and then the big gap was opened up back to Deegan in fourth who was six seconds back of Smith in third.

Jeremy Martin started to find his groove in the mid-part of the main event as he caught and passed Haiden Deegan for fourth. Deegan seemingly was falling out of the groove a bit as Max Anstie and Tom Vialle were both catching him a bit as well but then Vialle went down at the halfway mark and slipped back behind Cullen Park and Chris Blose again.

The toughest part of the race aside from the track seemed to be navigating lapped traffic for the race leaders. Hunter Lawrence got caught out a couple times where he needed to slow up, but then it seemed to affect Thrasher and Smith all the same.

Talon Hawkins went down in the whoops while running 11^th and slipped back to 14^th as several riders were just trying to put in their laps late in the main event. Haiden Deegan then crashed in the whoops a few laps later which pushed him from fifth to seventh behind Chris Blose.

Hunter Lawrence would cruise it on home out front in the end to win his fourth race of 2023 and extend his points lead even more over Max Anstie who finished up in fifth place. Nate Thrasher and Jordon Smith would round out the podium.

450SX Main Event

The holeshot in the 450SX main event went to Ken Roczen with Adam Cianciarulo in second place early. Cooper Webb moved around AC with Chase Sexton moving into third as AC made a small mistake in the whoops on the first lap.

Eli Tomac had a horrible start in the main event as he came through on the first lap in 11^th. The front four were starting to pull away from everyone else with Jason Anderson and Justin Barcia moving into fifth and sixth.

Sexton moved to second around Webb while Barcia and then Aaron Plessinger who got around Anderson were moving up on Cianciarulo for fourth. Chase Sexton then suddenly went down when he got kicked sideway onto the tabletop after the whoops and went over the bars. That dropped him all the way back to 12^th moving everyone behind him forward a spot.

Justin Barcia was absolutely flying as he made the move on Cooper Webb to get into second place with 12 minutes still left to go in the main event. Cianciarulo started to fall back a little as he lost touch with Plessinger and then Anderson caught and passed him as well.

The race remained status quo through the midpoint as the battle for second was the one to watch with Barcia and Webb battling for it. They were working through lapped traffic and there were times that Webb had a shot or two to pass Barcia but the #51 machine would hold on.

Barcia was finally able to break Webb and start to reel in Roczen for the lead with a few laps to go. The gap closed down to nothing and the battle was on. Roczen kept making a few mistakes, but Barcia wasn’t quite close enough to capitalize. They both got sideways on the last lap but Roczen just did enough to hold on.

Ken Roczen would win the Indianapolis Supercross in the end for his 21^st career win just edging out Justin Barcia with Cooper Webb bringing it home in third.