Monster Energy AMA Supercross returned to the Atlanta Motor Speedway over the weekend and provided the type of racing only a speedway can provide. Chase Sexton was able to make up a lot of points in the 450 class and in the 250 class riders were crashing out, coming back from injury and having career best rides. Long time pro Jason Thomas weighed in on these topics and more from Atlanta.
The track at the Atlanta Motor Speedway was much longer than any track you’d find inside a stadium. With fewer laps being circulated, does the track hold up better? And what effect does that have on the way the guys are able to race?
I think the track typically would hold up better but the rains on Thursday and Friday changed that dynamic. It was really soft throughout the morning qualifying sessions and really didn’t dry too much by main event time. The ruts, bumps, and whoop degradation was evident even on television. Many of the crashes were due to the rain and ever-changing track conditions. If you got a little sendy, you paid a price for it. AC9’s crash in the heat race was a perfect example of the track having limits that you couldn’t broach.
Speaking of the track, the larger space allowed for a different type of build. Was there anything unique you liked about it? And were there any elements you would have liked to have seen done differently?
I felt the track was very challenging. The sheer number of rhythm sections forced riders to stay focused. Losing concentration for a moment almost guaranteed a mistake or missed rhythm section. Several riders mentioned how difficult but important it was to stay locked in.
The only change that could have been made was the whoops. When the very best riders in the world are doubling and tripling, maybe they could have been touched up. I’m usually on the “make it as hard as possible” tangent but I think it took away from the racing a tiny bit in this case.
Nate Thrasher had a big crash on Saturday. We know he’s been riding with a torn ACL, which is something you experienced during your career. Does riding with those types of injuries make it more difficult to ride on the edge?
I hadn’t really seen the knee injury hindering him as of late. He had been very aggressive, and his sprint speed was right at the top of the 250 field. It’s impossible to know if the knee injury or lack of strength associated had anything to do with the crash. That is a real possibility, though, as I was in a constant state of compromise when I raced with this injury (2004 and 2011). With a weaker knee on one side, your other leg needed to pick up the slack and overall, gripping the bike as well wasn’t possible.
Henry Miller was good on Saturday. Like, best finish of his career, good. Miller is a good rider, but to jump up multiple positions is an eye opener for anyone. Where do rides like this come from? And more importantly, did you have him on your fantasy team?
I think the fast, speedway type track helped him. This track raced differently than a tight, stadium track would. The speeds were much higher, the dirt was soft and tacky, and aggression ruled the day. Where indoor supercross can be an exercise of finesse and precision, this race was much more about intensity. We have seen really strong results from him in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship before which makes me think he was able to apply those skills to a track that allowed for it.
Jo Shimoda was finally back in action after breaking his collarbone. What’d you see out of him that you liked? What’d you see that you didn’t like?
I think Jo is going to be just fine. He was rusty and showed that with early race mistakes. Remember, he hasn’t raced a supercross since May of 2022. He was probably nervous and unsure of himself. Once he got rolling, though, the speed and form was all there. He’s going to be a contender for the title on either coast in 2024.
The biggest hurdle for Jo will be staying healthy. He had an injury last year (although it came in the final 250SX West Region before a break, so he really only missed one main event after crashing out in his heat race) and has been sidelined for the majority of this season. That’s not sustainable long term and teams will be weighing that until he can correct it (like Hunter Lawrence has).
Read: Jo Shimoda Recaps First Race Back at 2023 Atlanta Supercross
The battle between Eli Tomac and Cooper Webb was strange in so many ways. We don’t usually see them scrapping over fourth place, for one. Is it possible they’re in a spot where they’re focusing more on each other than they should?
I think everyone was nearly the same speed (outside of Sexton) which made track positioning critical. With both Webb and Tomac getting poor starts, they simply didn’t have the pace to track down the top three. I’m sure they were more focused on each other than say Barcia or Roczen, but they still know they are there to be on the podium. Neither of them were happy with the results and I would expect them to come out swinging this Saturday. One fifth place finish when your rival wins is enough to cost you a title. They were both a little lucky that they didn’t cost themselves more points.
It seemed like maybe Tomac was intentionally shadowing Webb for much of the race, content to ride on his tail. But at the end Webb suddenly squirted ahead and established a gap, and Tomac was unable to respond. Does that mean Tomac was at his limit behind Webb the whole race? And if Webb was able to suddenly summon that level of speed, why didn’t he do it sooner and try to pick up valuable points?
I don’t think Tomac was waiting. If he could have put in a Tomac-esque charge to the front, I believe he would have. There is no upside to sitting in fifth place or tailing Webb. If he could have passed him and checked out towards a podium, I feel very confident that he would have. With both of them sitting in non-podium positions, I doubt there was any waiting or pacing. They were likely both flat out for 21 minutes.
Sexton was superb in Atlanta. You’ve made mention of how much trust he puts on his front tire, which sometimes leads to the crashes we’ve seen from him at inopportune times. Did it seem like he was doing a little less of that in Atlanta? Was there anything else different that you noticed about his riding?
I believe the tacky dirt helped to alleviate some of that risk. When front end traction is at an all time high, the chance of it “pushing” is simply less. He does over trust the front end but when the track will allow it, the penalty is typically not there. Sexton can go faster than anyone in the class. He has proven that over and over whether in timed qualifying or early in main events. Moving forward, it’s likely that the only person able to beat Chase Sexton will be Chase Sexton. When and if he removes that crash tendency is anyone’s guess.
