Championship Math – 450SX
Ken Roczen leads Hunter Lawrence by a single point, which means whoever finishes ahead of the other wins this title. That rule doesn’t apply if they finish fifth and worse, where the difference in the number of points per position is only a single point, but spoiler alert, neither of these two are going to finish that far back. Who’s going to win it all at the finale this weekend? -Hansel
Traffic
If Roczen and/or Lawrence don’t get out of the gate in first and second, they’re going to have to contend with some traffic. That could be huge for the title—last week we saw Lawrence set sail with the lead before Roczen could get into second place and assess if making a run on Lawrence was even feasible. Will the other riders get out of the way and let the contenders race their own race, or will traffic have a say in who wins the championship? -Hansel
Webb vs. Prado
It’s no secret that Jorge Prado knows how to unapologetically ride a wide bike, and in Denver we saw it play out with multiple riders, most notably Cooper Webb, who ended up on the ground after the two of them got together. This is the second time we’ve seen those two tangle this season. How will Webb handle things if he finds himself on Prado’s rear fender yet again in Salt Lake City as he’s trying to move forward? -Hansel
Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Showdown
The finale always features an East/West Showdown, in which both the 250SX East and West divisions face against each other, and with both titles already decided, the competitors are free to go for it without championship consequences. The clear battle to watch right now is Haiden Deegan vs. Cole Davies. Deegan has had the clear edge every time the two have met up this year, but a lack of championship pressure just might free Davies up a bit. Will Deegan reign supreme in his final race aboard a 250? -Hansel
The Battle For Third
Levi Kitchen rode great to take second place and increase his points gap over third place, from three points to seven, but the situation is still pretty tight between Max Anstie and Ryder DiFrancesco for third—Anstie leads DiFrancesco by a single point. The addition of the 250SX East Division riders makes this situation even more interesting, too. Who will hold third when it’s all said and done in Utah? -Hansel
- Supercross
- Race Day Live (Qualifying)LiveMay 9 - 1:00 PM
- Race Day Live (Qualifying)LiveMay 9 - 1:00 PM
- Pre-Race ShowLiveMay 9 - 6:30 PM
- Pre-Race ShowLiveMay 9 - 6:30 PM
- Main Program Night ShowLiveMay 9 - 7:00 PM
- Main Program Night Show (Audio-Only)LiveMay 9 - 7:00 PM
- Main Program Night ShowLiveMay 9 - 7:00 PM
- Main Program Night Show (Encore Presentation)May 10 - 3:00 PM
Run it Back
Cameron McAdoo was back on the gate in Denver last week for the first time since hurting his shoulder in Seattle. It wasn’t exactly a return to glory, however, as he went down on the start and was only able to come back to 13th. On Instagram McAdoo would later describe it as an “All around messy night In Denver.” McAdoo is better than his performance in Denver suggests, look for him to show it in Salt Lake City. -Hansel
Room for One More
Seth Hammaker was considered a strong title contender coming into the season, and when he won the second race of the 250SX East Division championship, it sure seemed like more victories would follow. Well, he earned a slew of additional podiums, but no more wins. He’s still got this weekend to pad his win count, however, and how much better would it be if he could get it done in the East/West Showdown? -Hansel
Boys On Blue
While all eyes are on Haiden Deegan and Cole Davies, their Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Nate Thrasher has finally recovered from a shoulder injury and has been riding more like himself lately (winning Cleveland). This is also the sort of scenario he excels at, remember he has won the finale before in 2022. But then again, Thrasher’s results are always predictably unpredictable, will he be win or bust in Salt Lake? -Sarah Whitmore
Finishing Strong
It cannot be easy to take a brand-new motorcycle and enter it in a series full of proven race winning bikes. But Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati is up for the task, and the last few rounds they have been making huge strides. The return of Justin Barcia has helped, with incredible heat race rides and Dylan Ferrandis has had great speed lately even if the results don’t show. Will they end the season strong with a couple of top 10s, or even a top 5? -Whitmore
Sport Psychology
When you have two riders who are practically matched in every way, race wins, podiums and speed, Hunter Lawrence and Ken Roczen are going to have to rely on more than luck this weekend. Who can handle the pressure best? Sport psychology says to reframe the mindset, to recognize pressure is a privilege. Meaning they earned the right to be in this position pressure is just a part of it. With the two so closely matched it may come down to mindset, so who will have the stronger mindset on Saturday? -Whitmore
