Saturday’s fourth round of the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross in Anaheim, California, will be the first Triple Crown format event of the season. Since we have not had a Triple Crown since last April, we figured a refresher on the three-race format might help. Plus, it is interesting to look at the stats from the previous Triple Crown races. Eli Tomac has been rather dominant in the three-race format since it was created. Will he return to the center of the podium this weekend? Check out the stats below. If you do not need a refresher on the format, scroll to see the stats.
Triple Crown Format Introduced
Prior to the 2018 season, the Triple Crown format was introduced. The Triple Crown format is similar to the Monster Energy Cup three-race format, but instead pays championship points at the end of the night (unlike the stand-alone off-season Monster Energy event). Standard supercross format events have one main event in each class that pays championship points. In the Triple Crown format, there are three total races that all count. The three shorter races serve as a reset to the field, which provides interesting situations all night long.
In total, since 2018 there has been 14 total events run in the three-race Triple Crown format. A rider has a bad start in the first race and charges forward can then rebound with better starts in the second and third races. The rider who wins one race might not get a good jump in the other two. While all three races do not give out championship points individually, all three scores are important. And occasionally, a rider flat out dominants the entire night.
Check out this video from 2023:
Change in Race Length
The initial format from 2018 has been adjusted slightly—the length of the three races was changed in both classes prior to the start of the 2019 season.
As mentioned, the 2018 Triple Crown events were three different time lengths for each class. In the 2018, the races were as follows:
250SX:
1. Main Event 1 – 6 minutes plus one lap – 22 riders.
2. Main Event 2 – 8 minutes plus one lap – 22 riders.
3. Main Event 3 – 10 minutes plus one lap – 22 riders.
450SX:
1. Main Event 1 – 8 minutes plus one lap – 22 riders.
2. Main Event 2 – 12 minutes plus one lap – 22 riders.
3. Main Event 3 – 15 minutes plus one lap – 22 riders.
Ahead of the 2019 season, an adjustment was made so that all three 250SX races were the same length and all 450SX races were the same length. This is the race length that is still used today. The current race lengths are:
250SX:
1. Main Event 1 – 10 minutes plus one lap – 22 riders.
2. Main Event 2 – 10 minutes plus one lap – 22 riders.
3. Main Event 3 – 10 minutes plus one lap – 22 riders.
450SX:
1. Main Event 1 – 12 minutes plus one lap – 22 riders.
2. Main Event 2 – 12 minutes plus one lap – 22 riders.
3. Main Event 3 – 12 minutes plus one lap – 22 riders.
Brief Overview of Race Day
Standard Format: Morning: Track walk, free practice, qualifying Night show: heat races, LCQs, then main events
Triple Crown Format: Morning: Track walk, free practice, qualifying, then LCQs Night show: Three races (no heat races)
Both the 250SX and 450SX LCQ race lengths are as follow: 5 Minutes/Plus 1 Lap - 22 Riders (Top 4 into the Races)
The first race will have riders select their gate pick based on their respective qualifying finishes. The second race will have riders select their gate pick based on their race one result, and the third race will have riders select their gate pick based on their race two result.
One thing to note in this format is riders are allowed to tech and use up to two different motorcycles at these Triple Crown events (rule 1.8.4 Motorcycle Usage).
With the quick turnaround between the night show races, riders could run a bike in the first race, a second bike in the second race, and the first bike again in the third race as opposed to running a single bike all night long.
Event Overall Scoring
The results from the three races are combined, and the lowest total score gets the overall win. If two riders tie on the same total score, the better finish in the third race will break the tie (rule 1.8.13 Overall Results for Triple Crown Races, Section b. 4).
Note: with the new points scoring structure put in place ahead of the 2024 season, remember, 22nd does not get any points.
View the full 2024 AMA Supercross rulebook.
2024 AMA SX, MX, and SMX Points System
Finishing Position — Championship Points |
1st place — 25 points |
2nd place — 22 points |
3rd place — 20 points |
4th place — 18 points |
5th place — 17 points |
6th place — 16 points |
7th place — 15 points |
8th place — 14 points |
9th place — 13 points |
10th place — 12 points |
11th place — 11 points |
12th place — 10 points |
13th place — 9 points |
14th place — 8 points |
15th place — 7 points |
16th place — 6 points |
17th place — 5 points |
18th place — 4 points |
19th place — 3 points |
20th place — 2 points |
21st place — 1 point |
22nd place — 0 points |
History of Triple Crowns
Let’s take a quick look at some stats from the 14 Triple Crown events to date. In the 250SX Class, there has been a lot more parity. Austin Forkner leads both categories in terms of race wins (7 out of 42 total) and overall event wins (3 out of 14) as he is the only repeat 250SX overall winner to date. Eight of those 14 250SX Triple Crown events have seen three different riders win all of the three races, and three times we saw three different race winners plus a fourth different winner that won the overall. This happened at the 2023 Arlington SX, when Hunter Lawrence won the first race, Jordon Smith won the second race, and Jeremy Martin won the third race, but Nate Thrasher won the overall.
Forkner also holds the only 250SX Triple Crown event clean sweep to date, as he finished 1-1-1 for the overall win at the Detroit Supercross in February 2019.
The Triple Crown format has seen 18 different riders win a 250SX race (42 so far to date), and 12 different riders win an overall (of 13 total events).
250SX Triple Crown Results to Date
Season | Event | Round | Coast | Race 1 Winner | Race 2 Winner | Race 3 Winner | Overall Winner |
2018 | Anaheim 2 SX | Round 3 | 250SX West | Joey Savatgy | Shane McElrath | Joey Savatgy | Joey Savatgy (1-2-1) |
Atlanta SX | Round 9 | 250SX East | Zach Osborne | Martin Davalos | Jeremy Martin | Austin Forkner (4-2-3) | |
Minneapolis SX | Round 15 | 250SX East | Austin Forkner | Zach Osborne | Jeremy Martin | Jeremy Martin (3-3-1) | |
2019 | Anaheim 2 SX | Round 3 | 250SX West | Colt Nichols | Dylan Ferrandis | Shane McElrath | Shane McElrath (3-2-1) |
Detorit SX | Round 8 | 250SX East | Austin Forkner | Austin Forkner | Austin Forkner | Austin Forkner (1-1-1) | |
Houston SX | Round 13 | 250SX West | Adam Cianciarulo | Dylan Ferrandis | Colt Nichols | Dylan Ferrandis (2-1-2) | |
2020 | Glendale SX | Round 4 |250SX West | Austin Forkner | Austin Forkner | Justin Cooper | Austin Forkner (1-1-3) |
Arlington SX | Round 8 | 250SX East | RJ Hampshire | Chase Sexton | Shane McElrath | Chase Sexton (2-1-2) | |
Las Vegas | Round 16 | Canceled due to COVID-19 - Raced Final 7 Rouds in Salt Lake City with regular format | ||||
2022 | Glendale SX | Round 5 |250SX West | Christian Craig | Hunter Lawrence | Christian Craig | Hunter Lawrence (2-1-2) |
Arlington SX | Round 8 | 250SX East | Austin Forkner | Jett Lawrence | Cameron McAdoo | Cameron McAdoo (2-3-1) | |
St. Louis SX | Round 13 | 250SX East | Jett Lawrence | Jett Lawrence | RJ Hampshire | RJ Hampshire (2-2-1) | |
2023 | Anaheim 2 SX | Round 3 | 250SX West | RJ Hampshire | Stilez Robertson | Jett Lawrence | Levi Kitchen (4-2-2) |
Arlington SX | Round 7 | 250SX East | Hunter Lawrence | Jordon Smith | Jeremy Martin | Nate Thrasher (2-2-3) | |
Glendale SX | Round 12 | 250SX West | Jett Lawrence | RJ Hampshire | Jett Lawrence | Jett Lawrence (1-3-1) |
250SX Triple Crown Stats to Date
In the 450SX Class, the field has been, well, dominated by Eli Tomac in this format. Tomac leads both categories in terms of race wins (13 out of 42) and overall event wins (seven out of 14). The Triple Crown format has seen only eight different riders win a 450SX race (again, 42 races total to date), and only six different riders win an overall. Tomac is the only 450SX rider to win a Triple Crown overall in all first five seasons of the format. But it is Ken Roczen who holds the only 450SX Triple Crown event clean sweep to date, as he finished 1-1-1 for the overall win at the Glendale Supercross in January 2020.
Another stat noteworthy: entering this weekend, Chase Sexton is the only first rider to win both a Triple Crown race AND overall in both the 250SX and 450SX divisions. That could change this weekend though, Jett and Hunter Lawrence have both won races and overalls in the format in the 250SX division, as does Dylan Ferrandis and Shane McElrath, who won in the 250cc class but have yet to win in the premier class. Adam Cianciarulo, Christian Craig, and Justin Cooper all have one 250SX Triple Crown race win—not overall—to their name.
450SX Triple Crown Results to Date
Season | Event | Round | Coast | Race 1 Winner | Race 2 Winner | Race 3 Winner | Overall Winner |
2018 | Anaheim 2 SX | Round 3 | 250SX West | Cole Seely | Eli Tomac | Jason Anderson | Eli Tomac (5-1-2) |
Atlanta SX | Round 9 | 250SX East | Justin Brayton | Jason Anderson | Marvin Musquin | Jason Anderson (2-1-4) | |
Minneapolis SX | Round 15 | 250SX East | Eli Tomac | Marvin Musquin | Jason Anderson | Eli Tomac (1-4-3) | |
2019 | Anaheim 2 SX | Round 3 | 250SX West | Cooper Webb | Cooper Webb | Eli Tomac | Cooper Webb (1-1-3) |
Detorit SX | Round 8 | 250SX East | Eli Tomac | Eli Tomac | Cooper Webb | Eli Tomac (1-1-6) | |
Houston SX | Round 13 | 250SX West | Ken Roczen | Cooper Webb | Marvin Musquin | Cooper Webb (2-1-3) | |
2020 | Glendale SX | Round 4 |250SX West | Ken Roczen | Ken Roczen | Ken Roczen | Ken Roczen (1-1-1) |
Arlington SX | Round 8 | 250SX East | Ken Roczen | Eli Tomac | Eli Tomac | Eli Tomac (5-1-1) | |
Las Vegas | Round 16 | Cancled due to COVID-19 - Raced Final 7 Rouds in Salt Lake City with regular format | ||||
2022 | Glendale SX | Round 5 |250SX West | Eli Tomac | Eli Tomac | Chase Sexton | Eli Tomac (1-1-3) |
Arlington SX | Round 8 | 250SX East | Cooper Webb | Jason Anderson | Jason Anderson | Eli Tomac (3-2-2) | |
St. Louis SX | Round 13 | 250SX East | Chase Sexton | Marvin Musquin | Eli Tomac | Marvin Musquin (2-1-2) | |
2023 | Anaheim 2 SX | Round 3 | 250SX West | Chase Sexton | Jason Anderson | Chase Sexton | Chase Sexton (1-5-1) |
Arlington SX | Round 7 | 250SX East | Eli Tomac | Jason Anderson | Cooper Webb | Cooper Webb (5-2-1) | |
Glendale SX | Round 12 | 250SX West | Eli Tomac | Chase Sexton | Eli Tomac | Eli Tomac (1-2-1) |
450SX Triple Crown Stats to Date
Overall Wins | Race Wins | ||
Eli Tomac | 7 | Eli Tomac | 13 |
Cooper Webb | 3 | Jason Anderson | 7 |
Jason Anderson | 1 | Cooper Webb | 6 |
Ken Roczen | 1 | Ken Roczen | 5 |
Marvin Musquin | 1 | Chase Sexton | 5 |
Chase Sexton | 1 | Marvin Musquin | 4 |
Total | 14 | Justin Brayton | 1 |
Cole Seely | 1 | ||
Total Races | 42 |
While this format tends to see more parity in the 250SX Class whereas the 450SX Class has seen less different winners, one could make a case where the parity we have seen this year might continue. The same argument in the other direction could be made, as we see a rider ahead of the rest of the field rises above the rest. We will find out tomorrow night!
If you like pre- and post-race stats like this, make sure to follow me on X (formerly Twitter): @mitch_kendra.
Very quick Triple Crown stats preview:
— Mitch Kendra (@mitch_kendra) January 25, 2024
In the 14 Triple Crown events to date, there have been:
6 different overall 450SX winners
Most: Tomac | 7 overall wins
12 different overall 250SX winners
Most: Forkner | 3 overall wins (only repeat OA winner)#Supercross #SXHistory #SX2024 pic.twitter.com/QxTgwXtqiL