At the Glendale Supercross, we saw our third and final Triple Crown event of the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. Kyle Chisholm (11th overall) earned a season-best finish aboard his RM-Z450. And Chisholm’s teammate Shane McElrath tied his season-best with a 13th overall. Yamaha-mounted Grant Harlan finished 17th overall in his first AMA Supercross visit to Arizona’s State Farm Stadium, making his sixth consecutive 450SX main event start as he sits 20th in 450SX points. Here is what the trio had to say following the completion of the night.
Kyle Chisolm | 11th overall
Racer X: All right Kyle Chisolm, I feel like Chiz chizzed today. It was a pretty good day, right?
Kyle Chisolm: Finally. It was a good day. The week off did me good. To be honest, not to make excuses, but back before Daytona I had a big get off and didn’t get to race Daytona. I had to bail on a triple. I am not sure if I have already told you guys this or not but I had to jump off the bike on a triple, cleared the landing on my feet. So, for me to even be okay, it's crazy. But I hit my head so that is the main reason that I didn’t race Daytona. And to be honest the next few races I just kind of felt like I kind of lost my edge a little bit. And struggled with bike set up a little bit still. We had a week off, I rode some outdoors a little bit with Kenny [Roczen], we did some testing. It was just nice, we have been riding supercross for like seven months, back to world supercross. So, nice to change it up and go fast on an outdoor track. Then getting back on the supercross track this week I think it just helped. Then Matt our suspension guy, I have been struggling with my fork set up, just some rigidity, stiff up top but then still good down low, but just on little bumps just too stiff and kind of harsh. So, he came up with a completely different setting and just a different direction and man it was awesome. So, it was good this race, but you know how it goes when you come to the races. So, we did press yesterday, and I am like, “Man it is pretty dang good.” We didn’t touch it all weekend. And I think, what did I qualify? Tenth, eleventh? Which I suck at qualifying usually. So, for me that was good and then I went like 14, 12, 10 and that was for 11th overall. Bad starts in the first two but then finally got a good start in the last one got a top ten, and 11th overall. So yeah, I am pumped I finally feel like myself. I feel like I can race I didn’t just make it around the track I was able to actually race. And be little more like myself. I chizzed a little bit, yeah.
That new setting in your forks, was press day literally the first time that you tried it or did you try it before that?
No, like I said we rode outdoors the week after Seattle and then that weekend Matt came up with it. I didn’t know he did but I went to the track Tuesday of this week, we rode supercross Tuesday, Wednesday, and I was like, “Hey let’s mess with my forks, try to make them a little softer.” And he was like, “I made a whole new fork, I want you to try it.” I was kind of like, “Ugh, I don’t really want to try something all new” but I was like, “Whatever let’s try it.” And honestly, we made a bunch of changes with it, we probably had my forks off ten times over the two days. Just with a bunch of little changes in settings just trying to find what would work, and yeah just got a good balance. Got it soft enough, but stiff enough. It just worked really good. It’s something that I think maybe Shane [McElrath] and Kenny will kind of go that direction eventually. So, it was nice to get some time on it, it worked really good for me here. And yeah, I just felt like I could race, I am happy about that. The result is what it is. If I got 15th or 11th, I am pumped with 11th obviously, but I am just happy I was actually able to race out there and not just ride around the track.
You seem rejuvenated, so I am guessing these last five rounds you are like, “Yeah let’s get back to it!”
Yeah, for sure like I said it is the best I have felt on the bike. It's fun for me, regardless of results, to be able to race like I want to race. And I had a lot of fun tonight, all weekend. So, looking forward to Atlanta, I really like that one, I like the speedway tracks so yeah, looking forward to the last five. Try to finish strong.
Shane McElrath | 13th overall
Racer X: Okay Shane McElrath you ended up 13th overall tonight, just take me through what it was like out there?
Shane McElrath: Yeah, honestly, I survived. Today was a big day at the track. I feel like at some of the earlier rounds we kind of knocked out qualifying and then today it was like sit around for a little bit and then do qualifying then sit around. Then do a big break before the night show. And dude just waking up super early because of the time change. The three main events, on a track that’s this intense, I am telling you, it's tough. I am on the starting line for the second one like, “God, give me strength. I am so tired right now.” So, honestly for me today was a good day, from qualifying, all three of my practices I had good intensity, I was pretty similar in times. I kept getting better each practice. And my starts are really the biggest downfall for me. I am trying to figure it out and change stuff on the bike, change stuff on my technique. But dude my starts are terrible, for my normal starts. So, I rode super hard to get to 15th in the first one, that was not very good. I ended up 11th in the second one which was a lot better. And it felt like half of the effort riding up there than it was trying to pass like one guy every two laps in the back. Everybody was so close. The last one I was in a good position, probably like twelfth and had a pretty big mistake and went through the Tuff Blox, I don’t know how I didn’t crash but I was gassed at that point. I’m like, “Dude, I am just trying to stay up right now.” So, a lot of positives for me. Results don’t tell the story but I am working on having that happen, so I am excited to get back to work and just get some rest. Today was a big day.
This was obviously the polar opposite of Seattle as far as dirt. So how did the bike feel compared to what you felt in Seattle and today?
Honestly, it was pretty good today. Where we ride in Florida at the Sand Box, it's been hot in Florida the last two weeks, so it's been similar to this. We try to keep water on it but with the heat and the wind it just dries out super bad. So, it's honestly pretty similar and that’s what we practice on all the time. So, it wasn’t super uncomfortable today at all, we made a couple changes throughout the day to the bike that we have kind of needed but really kind of looking for confirmation. So, it's like, “Okay it's definitely time to make some changes” and we made some small changes. And they were good. I raced all three mains on the same set up. I felt pretty good for what it was, I just really need to figure out my starts because that’s where I lose the race pretty much.
Going into these last five rounds, what kinds of goals are you setting for yourself?
Honestly, just keep getting better in qualifying. Today I was 13th overall so if I can get 12th or if I can get 11 or ten. It's like we are all so close, it's getting there earlier in the day. That’s really what helps me build. With good qualifying and starts I can be around the top ten, that’s the ultimate goal. That’s almost an easy goal at this point but I really want to finish the season on a good note. I want to keep racing and those guys who are ahead of me are right in front of me, I just need a little bit more. And a start is going to help out with that a lot. So, I am going to get back to work.
Grant Harlan | 17th overall
Racer X: Okay Grant Harlan, 17th overall, first of all take me through, I think in the second main you ended up in the net, what happened there?
Grant Harlan: Yeah, I don’t want to talk about it. [Laughs] I got a decent start was kind of middle of the rhythm after the over under, went three, went to go three again and for whatever reason I got sent into a straight endo. Front wheel cased the landing of the second three. Blew my hands off the bars and sent me straight over the bars into the net. So I am pretty stoked to not be hurt more than a few scrapes and bruises, but that kind of knocked the wind out of the sails for the night. I had a really good first moto, was in twelfth and moved up to eleventh and then Benny [Bloss] got me late. I rode really good in that race and was looking for a really good night, maybe another best. But I am healthy and ready for Atlanta.
I feel like when I saw you, you were riding good, especially in that first moto, so do you take that as a positive for the night or do you look at that result and think “dang.”
Yeah, obviously I have been riding a lot better, I feel like I improve every week. I got into qualifying by the skin of my teeth, so I was stoked I didn’t have to go to the LCQ. And then moto one went really good like I said, and then crashed in the main two and that kind of took the wind out of my sails for the last one.
What did this track end up racing like, it was obviously pretty slick and hard to gain time, but what did you think of it as a racer?
From what I have read and seen I don’t think it was great. The layout, I don’t know if that played a part, but the dirt was challenging. I’ve only raced here once, 2019 Futures on Sunday, so I knew kind of what the conditions were going to be. But a little bit different on amateur day compared to pro day. But the track was gnarly. It was kind of hard to make up time, like if you started up front you finished up front, if you started in the back you couldn’t make up any time. I got up after my main two crash, I was trying to put in some good laps and I couldn’t catch anyone. But the first race I started up front and no one could get around me. I made one pass maybe.
Lastly, obviously the riding has been better like you said, is there anything you would like to improve on for these last five rounds?
I think just keep doing what I am doing. I struggled a little bit with the motorcycle in the second main. I mean I know I crashed but it got hot, it was high in the rear. It was strange, the motorcycle got really hot tonight. The tires heated up a bit. So I struggled a little bit in that aspect, I may see if we can make some changes this week or discuss that. But other than that I am happy with my riding and I have been happy with the bike so far. Just finish out strong and see where we end up.