Nate Thrashed pulled out a win in a thrilling, down to the checkered flag 250SX main event at the San Diego Supercross. After starting in about sixth, Thrasher moved his way into the top three and had a battle with Garrett Marchbanks and RJ Hampshire for the race lead. Thrasher got into the lead when Marchbanks got slowed up by a lapped rider late in the race with about two laps to go. Still, it was a crazy battle to the finish, as all three riders were right behind one another with only a few turns to go!
Thrasher held off Marchbanks by only 1.203 seconds at the checkered flag as Hampshire had a spill that dropped him to sixth. After a bumpy start to 2024 with finishes of 21st and 18th, receptively, at the opening two rounds, this was a big rebound for Thrasher.
After the champagne showers ended, Thrasher joined the media in the post-race press conference.
Nate, it's been a while since you've been on the top step of the box. I know you've had some struggles. You started the season with a pretty rough A1 and last week as well. So, to pull it out, without going to the LCQ to get this win. How are you feeling right now?
Nate Thrasher: Yeah, definitely feels good to be back up here after a long year, for sure. So, yeah, we'll just keep this momentum going. Felt good at A1, just unfortunate crash. But yeah, we're feeling good now and ready to fight for some more wins.
Do you think you found something to get you up on the top step of the podium that you didn't have in the first two rounds? If so, what was it?
I felt good the first two rounds, honestly. I felt good at A1, just didn’t get quite a good start. And, in San Francisco, I went to the LCQ and got a bad start and crashed in the wrong spot and just couldn't quite them all back up. So, yeah, it was a tough race. But, yeah, I felt good tonight, even in the heat race and going into the main event, I knew the speed was there. So, I didn't get a good start, but I was just clicking off laps and felt good all night. And just knew I had the speed to win.
![Nate Thrasher and Jordon Smith during the race.]()
Nate Thrasher and Jordon Smith during the race. Align Media ![Thrasher takes his fifth career 250SX main event win.]()
Thrasher takes his fifth career 250SX main event win. Align Media ![Teammates Thrasher and Smith celebrate.]()
Teammates Thrasher and Smith celebrate. Align Media ![Thrasher with his fiancée Andrea.]()
Thrasher with his fiancée Andrea. Align Media
This one for all three of you guys. About rider in ear [helmet] communication, especially with lappers. Have you guys ever put much thought into the ability to hear maybe like a race control telling lappers or a riders that have crashed to avoid some of the things that can catch you guys out on there in supercross?
Yeah, I think it's tough too because I think sometimes they put the blue flag out too early and the guys were not on them at that particular time and then they have to wait and wait and look back and look back and the leader is always the toughest going through. So, yeah, it's a tough situation. I don't know if they can do anything but it would sure help us, for sure.
You were one of the only guys going double, triple, going into the whoops, making a bunch of time there. How are you like unlocking new lines and finding stuff like that in the race when the conditions are so gnarly like they are?
Yeah, it was kind of coming around throughout the night. The dirt was starting to grip back up and we were doing that in practice, and it wasn't that hard. So, I was just like, if I get this double right and just pop the triple pretty simple. And, yeah, I was just trying to do everything kind of like ride it like it was drop and, yeah, that was kind of my goal going into the main event. It was tougher to ride cautious than it was to go out there and ride all out. So, that was my goal for the night in the main, just go out there and ride all out and then whatever happens, happens. And it was good.
San Diego - 250SX West Main Event
January 20, 2024| Rider | Time | Interval | Best Lap | Hometown | Bike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Nate Thrasher | 16 Laps | 1:00.566 | Livingston, TN  | Yamaha YZ250F | |
| 2 |  Garrett Marchbanks | +1.203 | 1:00.875 | Coalville, UT | Yamaha YZ250F | |
| 3 |  Jordon Smith | +5.141 | 59.973 | Belmont, NC | Yamaha YZ250F | |
| 4 |  Jo Shimoda | +5.572 | 59.327 | Suzuka, Japan  | Honda CRF250R | |
| 5 |  Levi Kitchen | +6.390 | 59.846 | Washougal, WA | Kawasaki KX250 |
This will be for all three of you guys. Last weekend, we saw the second qualifiers get canceled. Same thing again this weekend. Was there more of an emphasis today to go out there and perform in that first qualifier, seeing the rain coming in, seeing that possibility that we may have had a repeat from last week.
Yeah, for sure. We pretty much had like three laps there where the times were coming from and then after that you're quite a bit slower. So, it was a big emphasis on going out there and setting a lap early. And, yeah, I didn’t get a lap very good early, but, yeah, we made it work. [Laughs]
I think lap one you were sixth if I'm not mistaken and just even basing off the last couple of weeks of struggling, were you ever doubting yourself? And once you were in sixth place and the conditions, did you see a position to kind of build the confidence and go to the front?
Yeah, after the first lap, I didn't get a good start and I kind of worked forward on the first lap to get up to six. Got into six and I was like, let’s just settle in, it's a long race. Once I started settling in, I had a good pace. I could kind of close in on anybody in front of me. But it was tough to pass out there. It was super one-lined, so, you kind of just had to pick your moments to make a pass or you just kind of had to wait back and hopefully they made a mistake. So, yeah, I felt like I was comfortable on the bike, wasn't getting really any sketchiness out there anywhere, so I kind of do whatever I want, go in any line I wanted. So that was a big confidence booster earlier in the main event and, yeah, I just started clicking off laps, and guys made mistakes and passed a couple of guys and then got behind Garrett, there and I was just trying to put a little pressure and then unfortunately got with that lapper. But, yeah, I just took advantage of it and tried to run away, but, same, got into lapper myself so it tightened back up. So, I just knew I had to take my laps off. I've been there before and, yeah, just had to do that to get the win.
