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Morning Report

Good morning race fans. For the third consecutive year, we are back at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for Monster Energy AMA Supercross. Today’s 15th round could serve as a pivotal round, especially when you consider we are expected to be in for some rain during the night show. It looks like for the second straight week, weather will play a factor here on race day. How much? We will see tonight. Will the City of Brotherly Love be kind to us race fans with another exciting round? Hopefully!

Again, we are in the final stretch of the season here, so all eyes are on the championship battles at the very top. Cole Davies has the opportunity to clinch the 250SX East Division title at the ninth round of the 250SX East Division. But Seth Hammaker does not want that to happen because today is his home race! If Davies wins tonight—like he did last year in this venue—Hammaker will need to finish second in order to keep the title fight going down to the final round.

In 450SX, Hunter Lawrence enters the day with a lead of just one single point, as Ken Roczen somehow dug himself out of a 31-point deficit just a handful of rounds ago. Despite Eli Tomac being out for today’s round (now two straight races ending his title hopes), this title fight is really good. And not too far back is Cooper Webb, who will keep fighting to the end. You never know what will happen in racing, as we have seen!

Justin Barcia is back in action this weekend for the first time since his big crash with Malcolm Stewart at the Anaheim 1 SX opener. It is good to have Barcia back, especially at a race not too far from where he grew up here on the East Coast.

Read our full injury report if you missed it

And one more rider to watch today in 450SX will be Kyle Chisholm. Yup, Chizz is back! Will he Chizz this weekend in his first race of the season?!

We also have the SMX Next – Supercross Championship today, so it will be an exciting day all around. Tough to say who will take the race win—especially in the winner-takes-all format for tonight’s main event—but Kayden Minear, Ryder Malinoski, Kade Johnson, Deacon Denno, Wyatt Thurman, and crew sure will put on a show tonight. Give us your three winners tonight in 250SX, 450SX, and SMX Next.

After Friday’s press day riding, the SMX Track Crew covered the track in case we got rain overnight.

Tarps were pulled this morning, and the track is in really good shape! Track walk is wrapped up and we will have bikes on the track soon.

And here is today’s race day schedule, plus the broadcast schedule.

Watch as Pennsylvania native Seth Hammaker heads into Lincoln Financial Field for qualifying. 

SMX Next Free Practice

SMX Next

When riders got onto track for the first time, it was in really good shape! They watered the track some following track walk, but it was not even muddy. 

The SMX Next free practice and the field was led by Jeremy Fappani, Kade Johnson, and Ryder Malinoski. Kayden Minear and Jesson Turner rounded out the top five as this session will not count for overall qualifying.

First Qualifying Sessions

250SX

CJ Benard topped the first 250SX group B qualifying session over Luca Marsalisi.

In 250SX group A, it was local Seth Hammaker who had the best lap (a 48.679), followed by Cole Davies (49.122). Those two were the only sub-50-second laps, as Daxton Bennick (50.066) was third fastest. Nate Thrasher (50.124) and Luke Clout (50.389) rounded out the top five. 

1-2 in the championship, 1-2 going out for qualifying... Mechanics for Hunter Lawrence and Ken Roczen roll their rider's race bike down to the tunnel ahead of qualifying.

450SX

In 450SX, Hunter Lawrence topped the field with a 48.284 as a the top six riders were all sub-49 second! Garrett Marchbanks had a crash late in the session but got up and back on his bike. Jorge Prado (48.384) and Ken Roczen (48.707) were second and third fastest, respectively. 

Cade Clason topped the 450SX group B first session with a 50.388.

First SMX Next Qualifying Session

Jesson Turner had the top spot with a 50.914 but then Kayden Minear went 50.565 to take over P1. A lap later, Ryder Malinoski put in a 50.517 to take over the top spot. McKayden Fitch went down before the whoops, but he was up and going again. He sat 11th in the session. Cole Timboe moved into the top five in timing, with a 51.188.

Malinoski’s  50.517 topped the session, followed by a 50.558 by Kade Johnson on the final lap. Then Minear, Turner, and Wyatt Thurman. Landon Gibson was ninth fastest.

Second Qualifying Sessions

250SX

Russell Buccheri topped the second 250SX group B qualifying session.

In 250SX group A, Coty Schock had a great jump when the gate dropped but it was Daxton Bennick with the fake holeshot. Rookie Landen Gordon and championship leader Cole Davies rolled out very last. Bennick started attacking the track immediately and his 50.306 was the fastest first lap. Gavin Towers clipped a Tuff Block jumping out of the split lane turn and almost went down but stayed up, although coming to a complete stop on the very right part of the lane. Luckily, the riders behind him all saw him and avoided him.

Seth Hammaker went 49.301 to take over P1 as Bennick’s 49.854 was second fastest. Davies jumped to third with a 50.345. Then Hammaker went 48.862 to improve his time as Davies’ 49.195 jumped to P2 over Bennick. Marshal Weltin’s 50.062 was fourth fastest, although Nate Thrasher jumped him before the checkered flag.

Nick Romano went down coming across the first turn after the finish line jump and couldn’t get his bike into neutral again. Track crew members helped him get his KX250 off the track. After a few minutes of tinkering with the bike, they pushed Romano and got it bump started, for him to ride off the track. By that point, the session had ended anyway though, so he rode straight back to the tunnel.

Hammaker lost his fast lap for cutting the track, bumping Davies to first in the session.

In terms of overall qualifying, Hammaker’s 48.679 from the first session topped the 250SX field.

450SX

Jorge Prado with the fake holeshot in 450SX group A, followed Cooper Webb then Joey Savatgy, then Hunter Lawrence. Ken Roczen and Garrett Marchbanks went out last. Joey Savatgy had a big crash on his own in the section after the finish line. He was trapped under his bike for a second before a track crew member quickly helped him. He got up and stopped in the mechanics’ area before going back out again. Savatgy would later have a big crash in the whoops that resulted in him being slow to get up.

Hunter Lawrence’s 47.952 was the fastest lap early, then a 48.030 by Prado. Justin Barcia was 12th before Savatgy bumped the #51 back to 13th. Rain started to come down during the session, which helped with some of the dust on the purposefully dry track. Justin Cooper put down a 47.260 on the tenth lap to take over P1 in the session. Lawrence’s best lap—a 47.537—sat second. 

Cooper's time topped the Q1 results, giving him P1 overall on the day.