NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Jett Lawrence scored his sixth win of the season in Round 14 of the Monster Energy Supercross season in Nashville, Tennessee and reclaimed sole possession of the red flag one week allowing Cooper Webb to tie him in standings. Webb finished third and lost five points in the process.
Lawrence put it all on the line several times in the opening laps as he chased Eli Tomac and Ken Roczen for the lead. The sand section proved particularly tricky with Lawrence fishtailing on a couple of occasions while trying to erase his deficit.
Ultimately, the race came to him. Roczen crashed hard midway through the event. Tomac got mired behind a lapped rider and once Lawrence was in the lead, he settled into a rhythm and rode away from the field.
“I hate losing, so that bit of a losing streak really sucked,” Lawrence told Peacock’s Will Christien from the top of the podium. “Really pumped to come out and get it done here. ... I’m bummed for Kenny. I didn’t get to see it because of all the smoke, but it looked pretty bad.”
That was a wild ride 😳#SupercrossLIVE #SMX pic.twitter.com/HXO2yyrEHo
— Supercross LIVE! (@SupercrossLIVE) April 21, 2024
Roczen was comfortably in second when something seized on his bike on Lap 7. White smoke erupted from the bike and sent it cartwheeling, throwing Roczen to the ground, It took a couple of laps for Roczen to regain his feet and he was ultimately placed on the medical cart. As of the conclusion of the race, the extent of Roczen’s injuries was unknown.
Tomac also experienced trouble in the race. He grabbed the holeshot and led for 10 laps until he got trapped behind a pair of lapped riders in the sand section. Lawrence easily moved past him and led till the end while Tomac held on for second.
After problems for Chase Sexton midway through the race, Tomac moved into third in the standings. He is 33 points out of the lead.
Webb finished nearly 15 seconds off the pace but minimized the damage by finishing third.
“It was definitely a struggle, that main event,” Webb said. “I got off to a third-place start and the guys just rode away from me. When you’re not on, you’re not on and tonight I definitely struggled.”
Sexton’s problems came early in the race. After clawing his way into contention and starting the race 15 points out of the lead, a rock lodged in his throttle assembly forcing the accelerator wide open as he entered a jump. Sexton walked off track under his own power and after the race the team announced he was sore but did not appear to have suffered any major injuries.
Fourth-place Jason Anderson and Justin Barcia rounded out the top five.
Click here for complete 450 results
Click here for rider points
RJ Hampshire claimed top honors for the 250 West division in the first East / West Showdown of the season and took the points’ lead in his division in Nashville.
“I’m so danged proud of this team,” Hampshire told Peacock’s Jason Thomas. “They stuck behind me in those couple of tough rounds.
“It was that break, that long six-week break [that made the difference]. I had a couple of hard crashes, just stupid, that kind of dragged me down. I executed my start in the main event and that was what I needed.”
Hampshire now has a two-point lead over Levi Kitchen, who crashed early in the 250 Feature.
Jo Shimoda stayed out of trouble and rode a smart race to finish in the runner-up position. This is Shimoda’s fourth consecutive podium.
“Confidence-wise it’s good for me,” Shimoda told Will Christien. “Me and my team worked really hard for this and I was stressing so much today.”
Tom Vialle was the top finishing rider from the East and he also grabbed the points lead in his division.
“I saw Cameron [McAdoo] had pulled over and had an issue early in the race,” Vialle said. “I just tried to stay focused on my own race. I had a good base. The track was really sketchy, so you had to stayed focused.”
Vialle has assumed a 13-point lead over Haiden Deegan in the East division. Involved in the crash with his teammate, Cameron McAdoo fell from first to third and is 16 points out of the lead.
In the 250 class, East / West Showdowns often shake up the standings and that was never truer than when the points’ leaders in both divisions crashed on the opening lap. Levi Kitchen crashed on the backside of a jump in the second turn and collected his teammate Cameron McAdoo. Both riders were able to remount, but could not find enough speed to contend.
After a crash in Qualification 2, McAdoo was already riding hurt and he retired before the halfway point.
Kitchen minimized the damage by moving up to 14th.
On Instagram, Kitchen updated fans following his crash saying he may have broken a couple of ribs.
Click here for complete 250 East / West Showdown results
Click here for complete 250 East points
Click here for complete 250 West points
Click here for combined East / West points
In-Race Notes
This week’s track layout features a split start like the one we saw in last year’s SuperMotocross Round 1 at zMax Dragway.
A light rain fell early this morning in Nashville and as a result, Free Practice has been canceled and with Friday’s Press Day ride scrubbed as well, qualification will be the first-time riders get on course.
The drama of an incredibly tight points’ contest mounts.
The sand section is going to be the trickiest part of the track this week; several riders in both divisions have gone down there.
Meanwhile in the 250 class, Nashville marks the first East / West Showdown, which doubles the competition for a podium finish. The second and final Showdown will be the season finale in Salt Lake City.
Race Day Live reports Max Anstie and Nate Thrasher are the only two riders in the field to have won an East / West Showdown.
In 450s, Aaron Plessinger announced the extension of his Red Bull KTM contract through 2025 this weekend.
Features
450s
Tomac lights up the leader lights with the holeshot.
Lawrence takes second and Webb third until Roczen sweeps by them both.
Lawrence is pushing hard. He takes out a Tuff Blox in the sand but does not go down.
Sexton goes down on Lap 4. He needs help off the track.
The top three, Tomac, Roczen and Lawrence are close to one another. Webb is losing ground in fourth.
There is a massive crash for Roczen after his bike appears to blow an engine and flips. After a couple of laps, Roczen stands up and his bike is finally rolled off the track.
Ten minutes remaining and a rider goes down in front of Tomac. Lawrence capitalizes and takes the lead. Webb is still third — and a distant one at that. He’s 10 seconds behind and losing more ground.
In traffic, Lawrence stretches his lead to six seconds with six minutes on the clock.
Lawrence walks away with the win ahead of Tomac and Webb.
250 East / West Showdown
There is a lot of ground to be lost or made up when Supercross combines the East and West. Bragging rights are on the line as well.
There is a big pileup in Turn 2 including McAdoo and Kitchen while Hampshire leads. That’s both championship leaders down in once incident. Kitchen gets run over by Anstie after his crash.
Both riders remount but they are 21st (McAdoo) and 22nd (Kitchen).
Shimoda and Smith are second and third.
Vialle in fourth is the highest running East rider.
Smith falls in the whoops from third.
As they run, Hampshire has the lead in the West and Vialle in the East.
McAdoo takes his bike to the pits. He’s done for the night.
Strong run for Jalek Swoll, who rides fourth with seven and half minutes remaining.
The front has settled into a rhythm with Hampshire, Shimoda and Vialle comfortable in the top three with two minutes remaining.
The top three hold with Hampshire getting his first East / West Showdown win.
Shimoda and Vialle also stand on the podium.
Smith in fourth and Jalek Swoll round out the top five.
Haiden Deegan finishes sixth.
Last Chance Qualifiers
450s
Grant Harlan grabs the holeshot.
On Lap 1, Devin Simonson crashes out of second.
On the last lap, Justin Hill passes Harlan for the win. He will join his brother Josh Hill in the Main.
Jeremy Hand and Fredrik Noren also advance with Colt Nichols coming up one position short.
Click here for complete 450 LCQ results
250s
Garrett Marchbanks was unable to make the start after crashing in his heat.
Julien Beaumer snags the holeshot and leads early.
Beaumer spins late in the race but holds onto the lead and wins.
Gage Linville, who played such a critical role in his heat, finishes second.
Daxton Bennick and Henry Miller also make the Main.
Click here for complete 250 LCQ results
Heats
450s
Heat 1
Justin Cooper and Roczen contend for the top spot. Roczen gets the holeshot.
Cooper rides off course and hands second to Adam Cianciarulo.
With three minutes remaining, Hunter Lawrence moves into third. Sexton gets around Cooper as well and rides into fourth.
Roczen stalls with a minute and a half on the clock; Cianciarulo leads.
There is a fierce contest at the front as Lawrence takes the lead from Cianciarulo with the white flag waving.
Lawrence wins with Cianciarulo second and Sexton third.
Cooper in fourth and Roczen round out the top five.
Benny Bloss, Dean Wilson, Kyle Chisholm and Josh Hill also advance directly into the Main.
Click here for complete 450 Heat 1 results
Heat 2
Webb and Jett Lawrence will be in this heat.
Tomac leads the field into Turn 1 but Lawrence and Webb both get past quickly. Lawrence leads.
Malcolm Stewart takes third with four minutes on the clock.
Lawrence is stretching his advantage but Webb is close enough to study his line.
On the white flag lap, Tomac sets the fastest lap in the race and takes third back from Stewart.
Lawrence wins with Webb 2.6 seconds behind. Tomac is third.
Stewart hangs onto fourth with Anderson rounding out the top five.
Barcia, Vince Friese, Shane McElrath and Mitchell Oldenburg also advance to the Main.
Click here for complete 450 Heat 2 results
250 West
The 250 West riders have their heat first in this East / West Showdown.
There is a big pileup in Turn 1. The bikes are still down when the field comes back around and West points’ leader Kitchen rides wide, off course. He falls to 10th.
A red cross flag is on course, immediately followed by a red flag. That will help Kitchen regain some of the ground he lost.
Garrett Marchbanks is the rider who brought out the red flag. He’s being helped to the medical cart. Marchbanks ran into the back of Smith.
The race will restart with a staggered start.
Ryder DiFrancesco leads on the restart.
Kitchen immediately makes up three positions, which will help with his gate selection.
Phil Nicoletti announced his retirement earlier this week and he’s having a good race in second. With a minute on the clock, he falls to fourth.
Hampshire gets around on the last lap and takes the win. Smith sneaks past as well for second with DiFrancesco slipping to third.
Nicoletti held on for fourth and Shimoda rounds out the top five.
Kitchen could only get to sixth and he will have a disappointing gate pick.
Nate Thrasher, Anthony Bourdon and Cole Thompson also advance directly into the Feature.
Click here for complete results from 250 West heat
250 East
During the red flag break in the 250 West race, Cameron McAdoo details his crash with a lapped rider. in qualification He’s sore but will mount up for the heat.
Coty Schock gets the holeshot but the big news on Lap 1 is that Deegan goes down in the sand. Deegan falls to 15th.
Halfway through, Vialle takes the top spot from Schock.
Deegan and Linville are swapping ninth and 10th.
Deegan rides off course and gives up another position.
Vialle still up front ahead of Pierce Brown.
With time running off the clock, Deegan finally gets Linville. He passes McAdoo too.
At the checkered flag, Vialle gets his second heat win.
Brown finishes second with a strong run by Schock in third.
Casey Cochran in fourth and Anstie round out the top five.
Swoll and Chance Hymas also advance.
At the back of the transfer positions, Deegan and McAdoo barely advance directly into the Feature. McAdoo almost lost ninth to Linville at the line.
Click here for complete results 250 East heat
Qualification
450s
Tomac takes the early lead in the first qualification session.
Riding 11th on the chart, Jett Lawrence dumps his bike in the sand. Lawrence had to cut low exiting the section in an attempt to get around a slower rider. On the next lap, he moves into third.
As he often does, Lawrence gets to the top of the board on the final lap. Webb is immediately behind him with Tomac winding up third.
Sexton and Anderson round out the top five.
Click here for complete 450 Q1 results
In the mock gate drop starting Q2, Cianciarulo gets the holeshot.
Halfway through this session, Webb and Lawrence ride 1-2.
Lawrence goes to the top with two minutes remaining. Webb is fast in segments but having difficulty finding a clean track.
Q2 ends with Lawrence on top by half a second over Cooper. Webb is third. Sexton and Tomac round out the top five.
This is Lawrence’s eighth time to win qualification.
Click here for complete 450 Q2 results
Click here for combined 450 practice sessions
250s
In the first qualification session, David Pulley crashed hard in the rhythm section. He’s stunned as he walks to the medical carts after the track crew picked the bike from on top of him.
The 250 East riders are the first Group A qualifiers to hit the track and Hymas is fastest early.
Deegan winds up on top with a .182-second margin over Anstie. It’s the first time Deegan has been fastest in qualification if it holds up through Q2.
Hymas rounds out the top three.
Vialle and McAdoo are also in the top five.
Click here for complete 250 East, Q1 results
Carson Mumford is the early leader in 250 West.
At the six-minute mark, there is a wholesale change at the top with Kitchen, Nate Thrasher and Shimoda top three. Mumford just gets dropped to sixth.
Kitchen ends the session with the fastest time. Smith moves into second with Thrasher third.
ClubMX’s Marchbanks and Hampshire round out the top five.
Click here for complete 250 West Q1 results
The West riders get to go out first in Qualification 2.
Kitchen takes control of the top spot early in Q2.
Hampshire goes to the top of the board for this session with Smith and Kitchen rounding out the top three.
Fourth-place Marchbanks and Beaumer are the other top-five finishers.
The second session was fastest for the West riders.
Click here for complete 250 West Q2 results
Click here for combined West qualification sessions
Vialle puts down a heater and is more than a second faster than McAdoo and Brown.
This is Vialle’s first career quick time.
Race Day Live reports McAdoo is favoring his right side. He crashed while trying to get around a slower rider.
Deegan in fourth and Anstie round out the top five.
Click here for complete 250 East Q2 results
Click here for combined qualification sessions
More Supercross News
Aaron Plessinger renews with Red Bull KTM through 2025
Evan Ferry, Triumph Motorcycles part ways
Chase Sexton will not be forgotten
Phil Nicoletti announces retirement
Nashville by the numbers
11 bikes stolen from Phoenix Racing
Foxborough results, points in 450 division / 250 division
Supercross Foxborough 250 East points, results
Foxborough Live, in-race coverage
Coty Schock signs three-year contract with ClubMX
Jeremy Martin out for remainder of 2024 SX
Levi Kitchen becomes a more confident cook
Adam Cianciarulo set to retire at end of SX season
