Mud races level the playing field for the entire field and Chase Sexton took advantage to score his first win of 2024 in Round 2 of the Monster Energy Supercross season at Oracle Stadium in San Francisco, California.
With the win, he put an end to any speculation that Jett Lawrence would have a perfect season in the stadium series. More importantly, after losing it last week, Sexton reclaimed the red plate.
Eli Tomac also answered the question surrounding his health. After a poor Anaheim 1 round where he struggled to finish in the top 10, Tomac finished second in the muddy San Francisco race. In the closing laps, he closed the distance on Sexton a little. Late race charges are the mark of his career.
Ken Roczen grabbed the final spot on the podium after finishing 10th last week.
Also in the top five was Shane McElrath, underscoring the theme of mud races leveling the field.
Aaron Plessinger was the fastest rider in the single qualification session before rounding out the top five.
Conspicuously absent from that list was Lawrence, who finished ninth - the first rider off the lead lap; He did not make it easy for Sexton to lap him, however; the two made contact and both hit the ground but the margins to the next rider was sufficient to keep either rider from losing a spot.
Making his first start of the 2024 season, Hunter Lawrence finished 10th.
Jorge Prado got his first Heat win in the first race. He finished second in the Main Event
In the 250 class, Jordon Smith narrowly won over Levi Kitchen with a margin under a second,
Couple with last week’s podium, Smith now has the red plate. Kitchen is second in the points’ standings.
Garrett Marchbanks took the final spot on the podium in third.
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Round 1, Anaheim 1: Another historical first for Jett Lawrence
The land rush works in Chase Sexton’s favor. He takes the early lead over Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo.
Shane McElrath moves around AC for third.
Jett Lawrence is back in sixth and just can’t find his rhythm. With 7:40 remaining, Jett falls back to ninth.
Five minutes remaining and Sexton has a five second lead over Tomac. Roczen us 12 second further back.
Tomac is closing in a little.
Sexton has lapped his way to 10th, Hunter Lawrence. Jett is ninth.
Sexton takes his first win for KTM / Red Bull.
Jordon Smith and Max Vohland get the jump. There’s lot of time to go, however.
Meanwhile, Jo Shimoda lays his Honda down and is going to have back-to-back disappointments.
The AMA has shaved this race down to 10 minutes plus a lap.
Just under seven minutes to go and Hampshire hits the ground when Burton crashed in front of him, The mud is making his bike heavy.
It’s Max Vohland’s time to fall.
Jordon Smith leads Levi Kitchen by 19 seconds with Phil Nicoletti third.
Smith hangs on for the win with Levi Kitchen second.
Garrett Marchbanks is a distant third.
This will give Smith the red plate heading into San Diego. Hampshire finished deep in the field.
After the muddy pole, Aaron Plessinger takes the holeshot.
Hunter Lawrence is second of a moment before handing that over to Ferrandis,
Jason Anderson and Cooper Webb round out the top five,
Plessinger stalls while leading by three seconds. Plessinger falls again and loses second to Ferrandis.
Plessinger cross ruts and lets Webb gets him with a lap to go.
Jason Anderson and Hunter Lawrence round out the top five.
Austin Politelli takes the last transfer position with Tristan Lane narrowly missing.
The 450 Heat 2 is coming up.
It’s time for the big guys to line up. They have not been on the track since Qualification 2 was canceled.
Jett Lawrence runs wide with Jorge Prado getting the holeshot. Jett Lawrence ran wide. Sexton takes second early with Jett third.
Prado is accustomed to riding in the rain.
Larence has an easy fall and lets Ken Roczen get around. Jett is in fourth with Eli Tomac on his back wheel.
Prado lets Sexton closes on him. Prado gets his first Heat win.
Sexton and Roczen round out the podium. Tomac finishes fourth while Lawrence falls one last tie and finishes fifth.
Vince Friee takes the final transfer position in ninth.
Ryder DiFrancesco gets a heck of a jump. It’s easier to ride and the front than in the muddy roost.
Riding third, RJ Hampshire almost crashes while in third. He’s now second, so we’ll have to see if there is a penalty.
There’s not, Maximus Vohland finishes third.
Nate Thrasher hasn’t failed to transfer directly into the A-main in several years. With less than a minute on the clock, he makes the pass for ninth. Thrasher falls and losses the transfer spot for now.
DiFrancesco gets his first 250 Heat win followed by Hampshire, Levi Kitchen, Max Vohland and Carson Mumford.
The field is lining up for 250 West’s Heat 1.
Jo Shimoda gets the holeshot. He struggle at the green flag in Anaheim last week.
With less than two minutes remaining, Shimoda bobbles in front of Garrett Marchbanks. Jordon Smith falls from second and falls to fourth. He’s still in transfer position.
Mitchell Oldenburg climbs to second while Smith recovers in third. Shimoda is 12 seconds ahead of Oldenburg.
Smith reclaimed second with Marchbanks in the last podium spot. Geran Stapleton take the ninth and last transfer position.
Group A takes the track first in the 450 class.
After failing to make the A-Main last Hunter Lawrence jumped to the top early but halfway through Jett Lawrence takes over the top spot.
Sexton takes over.
By the end of the session, Aaron Plessinger - a good mudder in his own right - leads Hunter is second, Sexton, Jett and Cooper Webb round out the top 10.
Eli Tomac is back in 10th at 1:12.4. We’ll see any of the Group B can catch him.
Free practice was canceled because of the weather, so this is the first look at conditions.
Nate Thrasher posted the fastest time in Qualification 1 with a gap of 0.16 over RJ Hampshire, who is sporting the red plate.
Garrett Marchbanks, Mitchell Oldenburg and Carson Mumford round out the top five.
Group B is on the track. The course is muddy, but raceable for now.
Max Sanford topped the Group B chart.
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