Third Time’s a Charm

A DNQ and a tenth-place finish for Hunter Lawrence at the first two rounds didn’t seem very likely before the season started, yet here we are. Plagued by a first-turn crash at the opener and mud at San Francisco, Lawrence’s season has yet to log any highlights. That could change in San Diego this weekend though, and if you’re Lawrence, you’re ready for something to go your way. Where will the HRC Honda rider end up on Saturday night? –Hansel

Better This Time

After a tough, ninth-place night in Anaheim, Eli Tomac was in serious need of a podium finish in San Francisco. In fact, in the post-race press conference he even mentioned it was his focus coming into the second round. “Yeah, my goal was to get on the podium. That was my mindset and that's how good I felt physically. I wasn't, like, limping my way in here at all,” Tomac said. Well, he achieved that goal by taking second in San Francisco, and now sits ten points out of the lead. Of course, it’s tough to gauge Tomac’s improvement for round two because the entire race was slathered in mud. Is he back to battle-for-the-win form in dry conditions, also? Hopefully we find out this weekend. –Hansel

Make That Main!

After retiring in 2012, the now 40-year-old Billy Laninovich is back at the races and looking to put his Yamaha back in the main. He missed it by two spots in his heat race at the opener, and couldn’t come to terms with the mud in San Francisco. He’s right there though, in terms of speed, so we’ll see if he puts it together in front of his hometown fans in San Diego. –Hansel

Bad Math

Cooper Webb certainly turned heads at the Anaheim 1 opener, with hot qualifying times (usually not his specialty), a strong heat race win over Jett Lawrence, and what looked to be a sure podium finish in the main. Then he crashed, uncharacteristically, and finished sixth. The mud claimed him in San Francisco, resulting in an 11^th, and suddenly Webb finds a promising start to the season flipped into an 18-point deficit in the series. It would certainly be helpful for Webb to get some points back ASAP. Can he make up some ground on Saturday? –Weigandt

Goodbye, For Now

San Diego will be the last stop for Jorge Prado before he returns home to prepare for the MXGP season. You can bet he will want to end his Monster Energy AMA Supercross tour on a high note. The real question may be, will we see him back here in 2025? One more shining moment in San Diego could help answer that question. –Sarah Whitmore

Layout

I barely know the difference between football and baseball (slight exaggeration), but I do know that football stadiums like Snap Dragon mean shorter lap times. Shorter lap times means more laps and a rougher track at the end of the night. Anaheim 1, for example, only saw a traditional 20-lap main, because lap times hovered above the one-minute mark. Expect more laps in San Diego. Who will be strong at the end of the race on a rough track? -Whitmore

AP on Fire

Fan favorite Aaron Plessinger has never started a 450SX season off so strong, as he is currently tied with Eli Tomac for 3rd in points. Hard to believe the man with such a loud personality can actually be considered quiet, but his finishes have left him just off the podium, and haven’t drawn as much attention as they should. He’s riding really well, though. Can he keep this momentum going this weekend? –Whitmore