Things are getting interesting in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, as they always do at this juncture of the season. You’ve got a bunch of would-be title guys who feel like they can get this done and are in perfect position to do it. Think about it. Eli Tomac, Hunter Lawrence, Chase Sexton, and Ken Roczen (1-4 in points) have already shown the stuff to win, and then you have a pissed-off Cooper Webb in desperate need to claw back some points. That’s a damned-strong five pack of guys who know what they’re doing, and none of them have reason to give up now. This is great! Many seasons start this way and attrition (i.e. injuries) and confidence have a way of establishing a pecking order. Right now, no pecking order. All these boys think they’re the man.
As a bonus, this weekend’s race in Houston runs the Triple Crown format, which could throw a wrench in the works. See, this year, especially, there are riders who can do real damage in shorter races. Does that mean they’re favored to win this Saturday? No. The all-time best rider, statistically, in Triple Crowns is Tomac, who is not known as a sprinter. Really, what Tomac’s stats prove is that the best guy wins often no matter the format. However! They do offer the chance for others to do damage, get in the mix, play spoiler, etc.
By that, we’re talking about Jorge Prado here, who is a lethal starter and is now proven fast enough in supercross to back up those starts. Two heat race wins and an Anaheim 1 podium are not a fluke, and with three starts up for grabs this weekend, you’ve got to figure Prado gets at least one holeshot…if not two…or three. Plus, unlike Anaheim 1 when he holeshot and yielded immediately to his teammate Tomac, Jorge has to have even more confidence in his indoor abilities now. Could his next holeshot lead to him thinking “Hey wait, I can win this!” If Prado decides to ride a wide bike, he’s very good at it. This could get interesting.
Dive deeper. Last week Hunter Lawrence—no doubt knowing Prado’s start prowess-cut Prado off big time out of the gate. Prado knows what happened and said after the event to Vital MX’s Lewis Phillips that now he knows the next time he lines up next to that guy (Hunter) it will be elbows, knees, legs, whatever it takes to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Three gate drops this Saturday. Will there be at least one with #96 and #26 lined up next to each other? What happens then?
Hunter, by the way, is no slouch on these starts either, the Honda continues to launch extra hard when it gets over the gate and onto the dirt. Hunter v. Jorge out of the hole is strength versus strength. Look out.
There are two Suzuki dudes that can haul the mail early, also. Ken Roczen’s trademark is the opening laps. People would be pumped if he could deliver a win this weekend, and he’s got the stuff to do it. Then Jason Anderson led some laps last weekend at A2. Again, lots of guys who feel like this format works for them. Does Anderson think he can win a 20-minute main? Probably not right now. Are his chances better this weekend? They are.
Last year, Glendale, Arizona, hosted the first Triple Crown of the year. The three individual race wins in the 450s went to three different riders (Webb, Roczen, Tomac,) and the results were so wild that Sexton won the overall with 3-3-2 scores. This is a crazy time of year with a format that brings more talent to the front. What’s not to love?
