Four different Supercross Futures races were held across the country in 2023, but it’s the Salt Lake City Finale that crowns a champion. The format for the championship comes from qualifying for the championship race at the previous events and thus Saturday’s main event in Rice-Eccles Stadium was the winner-take-all finale. KTM Orange Brigade’s Julien Beaumer and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Daxton Bennick had each won two of the four races on the season meaning they were the favorites coming in. But both riders were collected in a crash on the first lap of the main event, which proved disastrous for their chances at winning the title. They both ended up way back and wouldn’t even land on the podium.
Instead, it was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Casey Cochran who then assumed the race lead and would keep a steady gap to GasGas rider Mark Fineis. Cochran would take his first career Supercross Futures main event win and with it, the AMA National Supercross Futures Championship. Parker Ross would round out the podium behind Cochran and Fineis and we were able to catch up with each of them after the race.
Casey Cochran | 1st Place
Racer X: Supercross Futures champion! Just take me through the main event, what you saw from those two guys ahead of you and then what happened after that trying to settle down and win the race?
Casey Cochran: The start was pretty good. Got into a top three early. I knew the track was going to be super slick, so I was kind of just sitting back there watching those guys. I saw them go at it for three turns in a row and I was like, “Oh! Might want to sit back a little bit.” So, I thought they took each other out or something, but looking back at it, I guess Dax just washed the front and Julien had nowhere to go. Fortunate to be able to just be at the right time at the right place and side right into that first-place position. Then just put down some constant laps over and over. The nerves start coming in with just a few laps to go, but been there, done that.
Based on your expectations coming in to doing these events, where does it rank coming out of this as the champion now and seeing how you built throughout the year? How much did your expectations change throughout the year versus what you thought coming into it?
Coming into A2 originally, I only got on the bike in November or October-ish, so I didn’t have much time on the 250 at all. Then coming into Anaheim, I was kind of just looking for maybe a top five. I would be stoked with that. Then to come away with a second there, I was just over the moon. Then another second at Arlington, and two rounds with fourths. Struggled there. But to come and win the finale, the one that really mattered, we struggled a little bit all day but to put it together in the end is surreal.
![The 250SX Futures main event start.]()
The 250SX Futures main event start. Align Media ![Cochran behind Beaumer (left, #29) and Bennick (right, #241).]()
Cochran behind Beaumer (left, #29) and Bennick (right, #241). Align Media ![Cochran taking the checkered flag.]()
Cochran taking the checkered flag. Align Media ![Casey Cochran]()
Casey Cochran Align Media
It seems as you were coming to the line, going over the line, this meant a lot to you. It was pretty emotional.
There’s nothing like it. No other feeling can compare to that. You just feel like you’re on top of the world and no one can take you down.
What’s your plan for the next month or two? Getting ready for Loretta’s now, I guess?
Yeah, we’ve got regionals and then Loretta’s and then hopefully some combines. So, we’ll be at those. Get some longer motos on outdoors, and then see what the future holds. I don’t really know. We don’t really know the plan for next year. So, just playing it by ear and we’ll see.
Who would you like to thank for this year?
The whole Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team. We’ve been putting in the work, putting in the hours, getting the bike dialed. Everyone back at the Baker Factory. Mike Brown, Aldon Baker. They’ve been putting in the work with me. I couldn’t be more thankful for all the people behind me. They all enjoyed this with me, so I’m stoked.
| Rider | Time | Interval | Best Lap | Hometown | Bike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Casey Cochran | 8 Laps | 50.686 | Portsmouth, VA  | Husqvarna FC 250 | |
| 2 |  Mark Fineis | +3.745 | 50.922 | Indianapolis, IN | GasGas MC 250F | |
| 3 |  Parker Ross | +10.820 | 51.915 | Herald, CA | Honda CRF250R | |
| 4 |  Vincent Varola | +14.966 | 52.020 | Simi Valley, CA | Kawasaki KX250 | |
| 5 |  Bryce Shelly | +16.959 | 52.437 | Telford, PA | Yamaha YZ250F |
Mark Fineis | 2nd Place
Racer X: Second on the evening here at Supercross Futures. Just kind of take me through your day and then through what happened in the main event for you.
Mark Fineis: We’ve been chasing the bike with suspension, gearing, all that stuff with the elevation. I haven’t really rode up here much, so it was kind of a big, unexpected obstacle that we had to get over. But the main, I got off to, I think I was fifth place and I about slid out before the mechanics area. I think they had three or four seconds on me, but I made it all up in the whoops because I was getting yelled at by my dad and a few other people, because I wasn’t going very fast in the whoops. I was about a second and a half off of the fastest guy. So, I just clicked into third and was to the lock [wide open}. I made up all the time. Then I saw Bennick and Juju just wash their front end at the same time in that corner, and I was sitting in second. I was like, “Alright!” I tried to make a run for Casey, but I made two big mistakes. It just was a three-second gap and I started to close in a little bit on the last few laps, but it was just too late.
Getting the track time that you guys do, Friday practice, qualifying today and then the racing, what are some of the things that you learn or you can take from this experience?
Practice, free practice doesn’t really matter, but the qualifying, I definitely need to work on qualifying, but it definitely gets you ready and experience for the schedule that the pros go through. It’s definitely a big help with that, to get you on the same program.
Track conditions, obviously they changed a lot. Like you said, they redid the track before your main event. How much did you have to mess around with your own settings maybe to deal with the slick conditions?
We actually put more weight on the front end, just to have that more front-end grip and bite and turn. A couple of the corners it was pretty muddy, but the whoops were actually dusty. They just kind of gritted over them. There was still the potholes and stuff. So, the third and fourth lap, they were back all rough and gnarly. But for the first three laps, I was having a ball.
Run me through your sponsors and who you’d like to thank for this year.
My mom and dad, Daniel Blair, GasGas, everyone at ClubMX. They helped me out a lot. Fly Racing, Alpinestars, Dunlop, and everyone else that backs me up.
![Mark Fineis]()
Mark Fineis Align Media ![Mark Fineis]()
Mark Fineis Align Media
Parker Ross | 3rd Place
Racer X: Supercross Futures finale. Just kind of take me through the whole day first of all for you and what you thought of it out there in the main event.
Parker Ross: It was super awesome coming out here and riding the track. It was just super sweet being here and everything with the whole team. Qualified pretty good, P4. We were feeling the track. It was pretty easy. Nothing really too technical out there, besides the whoops and we love the whoops. So, everything was pretty good. I was pretty nervous sitting on the line for the moto, but we got off to a pretty good start, I think about third. Then me and Casey went at it a little bit the first lap and I ended up fourth. I saw those two guys go down and I was like, oh boy. Mark squeezed around me with that little incident, and I just ended up riding super tight in the beginning. I wish we could have battled with those guys up front but ended up P3. Pumped on it. Can’t thank the whole team enough. They’ve been amazing supporting me through this whole thing. It’s awesome.
Doing the Supercross Futures this year, what are some of the things that you picked up in it or learned from going through this experience?
Probably the biggest thing I’ve learned is just being consistent and smooth out there, not going crazy and just trying to get laps and experience. We’re just coming out here to get experience and everything. That’s the biggest thing is doing all the laps and everything, and not going too big and getting hurt. That’s probably the best thing.
![Parker Ross]()
Parker Ross Align Media ![Parker Ross celebrates with his crew.]()
Parker Ross celebrates with his crew. Align Media
Yesterday you guys had a pretty dry track for some of those free practices and then we had the rain falling throughout the day. How much did it change from yesterday to today and then the main event?
Yeah, yesterday it was super slippery, dusty. It was pretty hard to see. Then we go out for first practice, and it just rained, and it was like three inches of mud on the track, super slippery. I was pulling tear-offs and stuff. It was like a totally different track. Our qualifying sessions were really good. The track was prime. Really tacky and everything. Then we’d go out for the moto, and they just freshly groomed the track and watered it, so it was a little muddy and slippery. But other than that, it was perfect.
Run me through your sponsors and who you’d like to thank this year.
I want to thank my mom and dad. They’ve been amazing. SLR Honda, Monster Energy, Alpinestars, Fly, ODI, Dirt Tricks, Style Syndicate and everybody else. Thank you so much.
