Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker was able to get his first podium of the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross Championship in Daytona. His second Daytona podium in as many years. After a fifth place start, Hammaker started closing in on his training partner Chance Hymas for third around lap eight. Making a determined pass with two laps to go, he spoke about it in the post-race press conference.
“After the whoops, that rhythm right there, my and Hymas were both going 3-3 before the wall into the sand and he didn’t get the next three and I saw an opportunity," Hammaker said. "It was pretty close, I like that right side of the sand. I am excited to watch it back because I bet we were pretty close. It definitely felt close, but it was kind of then or never, he was riding really well and wasn’t making many mistakes. So yeah, I had to thread the needle. But me and Chance ride together a lot and we always seem to find each other at the races too. I like riding with him, but I was glad I was able to make the pass on him.”
Hammaker has always been fast in supercross with eight podiums in 22 starts. Not to mention his first podium ever was a win in Arlington in 2021, at his third ever supercross! However, Seth is also a member of the list of riders who show incredible speed, have the ability to win races, but also the ability to throw it all away, rarely finishing a season.
Now at 24 years old, it appears Hammaker is maturing, he is aware that in order to win a championship, first you need to be there for every round. Besides an unfortunate case of food poisoning in Detroit where he ended up 17th, he is working hard to change his stripes. As he said in an interview after Tampa, he is just trying to take what each race presents to him, and not try to push for a podium when it isn’t there.
Then after his third in Daytona he said, “Yeah, it feels good to be back on the podium again, two back-to-back here in Daytona, which is nice. My off-season was actually really good. Moved to Florida, at the Dog Pound [Lawrence compound], so I am really enjoying that. Enjoy the people I am around for sure. Learning a lot. The start of the season has been pretty good so far. Detroit was a bummer with the sickness or whatever it was. But that’s in the past now, just trying to chip away at points, keep trying to get on the box and click off a few wins. A couple of East/West Showdowns will help too with trying to make up points. But I feel good, just trying to keep improving each weekend. I really just need to finish all of the races. I haven’t been able to do that yet so that’s a big goal of mine this year.”
One of the hardest things for riders to do, may be to tone down their overt need to win and take a fourth instead of crashing out. It's a skill that unfortunately some never learn. However, for Hammaker this year, he even knew when to back it down and not risk crashing and getting hurt when he was so sick in Detroit. This may be a new, more mature Seth Hammaker for 2025. If he can stay off of the ground, then the win will be sure to come.
