DETROIT, Michigan: Jett Lawrence became the first rider in the Monster Energy 2024 Supercross series to win multiple races after a dominant performance at Ford Field.
Lawrence swept the weekend after setting the fastest lap in qualification, winning his heat by 3.3 seconds over Ken Roczen and the Main by 4.7 seconds over Chase Sexton. It was the type of performance that marked his perfect Pro Motocross season from 2023.
Four weeks Lawrence won the season opener in a standard format race on a dry track. The three events he’s failed to win since have either been muddy affairs or in a Triple Crown format.
Lawrence beat Sexton by the sizeable margin with Ken Roczen another five seconds behind in third.
With his second-place finish, Sexton reclaimed the red plate after Aaron Plessinger finished sixth. Lawrence was also able to get around Plessinger in the points and the difference between the top three is now only two. Cooper Webb is a mere four points behind Plessinger after Webb was able to close the distance with a fourth-place finish.
Jason Anderson rounded out the top five.
Click here for complete 450 Main results | 450 points’ standings
In the 250 East Round 5 Main event of the Monster Energy Supercross series, Austin Forkner avoided a Turn 1 crash and to win that division’s opener.
“It’s just the first race, but man I haven’t had the red plate since 20109 I think,” Forkner told NBC after the race.
Going into Turn 1, Forkner’s teammate Cameron McAdoo crashed on the inside of the field and took out many of the favorites, including Haiden Deegan, Seth Hammaker and Tom Vialle.
That opened the front of the field and allowed Max Anstie to sweep into second, picking up where he left off at the end of 2023.
Rookie Daxton Bennick also took advantage of the carnage to take the last spot on the podium.
“I knew I had the pace,” Bennick said. “At the practice track I rode with those guys and I just stayed steady that entire race.”
Coty Schock in fourth and Pierce Brown rounded out the top five.
The most dramatic ride of the event came from Jalek Swoll, who was knocked down in the Turn 1 crash. He rode all the way to sixth in Triumph’s debut.
Click here for 250 East Main results | 250 East points’ standings | 250 SMX standings
450 Main
The 450 riders made it through the tight Turn 1 and Lawrence took the early lead. He’s been hard to catch when he gets that early advantage.
Sexton and Eli Tomac gave chase from second and third respectively.
Plessinger got a horrible start and was mired in 12th at the end of Lap 1.
With six minutes off the clock, Roczen passed Tomac.
At the halfway point, Lawrence held a four-second lead, but Sexton could still see him. Lawrence then steadily pulled away.
With three minutes remaining, the lead was cut to a little more than three seconds.
250 Main
At the start of the 250 Main, there was a big crash in Turn 1, that included Swoll, Haiden Deegan, Vialle, Cameron McAdoo, Seth Hammaker and Cullin Park. Evan Ferry took the hardest hit into the outside wall. McAdoo crashed from the far inside and wiped out most of the leaders, missing his teammate Forkner by inches. Fans will recall that it was a Turn 1 crash last year in the 250 West opener that ended Forkner’s season before it even had a chance to begin.
Chance Hymas got the holeshot, but Forkner took the lead quickly.
Deegan’s bike was damaged in the crash and he limped home two laps off the pace in 16th.
Forkner extended his lead to more than five seconds with a minute remaining on the clock.
Anstie was second with rookie Bennick third.
Schock in fourth and Brown round out the top five.
After getting knocked down in the first turn, Swoll surged through the field and finished sixth in Triumph’s debut.
Last Chance Qualifiers
450 LCQ
Justin Hill led the field to the finish line.
Mitchell Harrison gave up the top spot to Hill late in the race, but he made his first 450 Main after finishing second. Harrison would go on to finish 18th.
Tristan Lane in third and Fredrik Noren also advanced.
Click here for complete 450 LCQ results.
250 LCQ
Triumph’s Evan Ferry got the holeshot and held on to lead every lap and transfer.
Preston Boespflug in second, Marshal Weltin in third and Cullin Park also advanced.
Click here for complete 250 East LCQ results.
250 Heats
Heat 1
Hymas got the early lead ahead of McAdoo and Deegan.
With time running off the clock, McAdoo caught Hymas in traffic and made the pass. Deegan got around Hymas as well on that lap.
Returning from injury, McAdoo won over Deegan and Vialle, who got around Hymas for third.
Hymas held onto fourth with Anstie rounding out the top five.
Jeremy Martin crashed on the last lap and had to be helped from the track on the medical cart.
Click here for complete 250 East Heat 1 results.
Heat 2
Forkner repeated what teammate McAdoo did. Forkner grabbed the early lead.
Swoll was in a transfer position until Brown body slammed him off the track. He regrouped and headed back toward the top nine. With the white flag waving, Swoll took ninth from Boespflug.
Forkner did it and joined teammate McAdoo as a heat winner.
Bennick in second and Brown also stood on the podium.
Hammaker in fourth and Henry Miller round out the top five.
Triumph will make their first Main event.
Click here for complete 250 East Heat 2 results.
MORE: Triumph Motorcycles debuts in the heart of American Motors
450 Heats
Heat 1
Cooper Webb got the early lead with a surprisingly fast rookie Justin Cooper giving chase.
Webb went down at the halfway point and Plessinger took the lead. After the race, Plessinger said he couldn’t hear his bike when he made the pass because of the crowd noise.
Plessinger returned triumphantly to Detroit indeed. He won Heat 1 by nearly four seconds over Cooper with Justin Barcia in third. Plessinger is the first rider to win two heats this year.
Hunter Lawrence had a great heat and finished fourth. Webb recovered to finish fifth.
Benny Bloss took the final transfer position away from Tristan Lane, who will have to go through the Last Chance Qualifier.
Click here for complete 450 Heat 1 results.
Heat 2
Jett Lawrence got the holeshot, but Anderson led the first lap.
They swap paint as there is no love lost between the two after an altercation in San Diego.
The position is settled for the moment at the halfway point with Lawrence as the leader.
Lawrence won by 3.3 seconds but the second-place spot changed hands on the last lap as Roczen blitzed the whoops and took the inside line from Anderson. This was Lawrence’s first SX heat win.
Sexton in fourth and Malcolm Stewart round out the top five.
Click here for complete 450 Heat 2 results.
MORE: Jett Lawrence and Jason Anderson penalized over SD contact
Qualification
The 450 class is first on the track and Lawrence (43.190 seconds) is looking to redeem his season. He led Sexton and Webb.
Roczen and Tomac - both looking for their first win in 2024 - rounded out the top five.
In Qualification 2, Webb (43.199) was fastest but not enough to unseat Lawrence’s time from the first session. Sexton and Tomac were next on the board with Lawrence’s Session 2 time (43.389) landing fourth.
Webb’s time was good enough to land second overall. Sexton was third, Tomac fourth and Roczen rounded out the top five.
Click here for complete 450 qualification results.
In 250s, Brown laid down a flyer on the last lap and passed Anstie for the No. 1 spot. Forkner rounded out the top three. In Group B, Ferry landed fourth in his attempt to help Triumph Motorcycles debut.
In the second qualification session, Forkner (45.121) was fastest but Brown’s Session 1 time stood. Anstie landed in Position 2, Forkner was third, Vialle fourth and Hammaker rounded out the top five.
Click here for complete 250 East qualification results.
More SuperMotocross News
Catch up on the latest news in the SuperMotocross World Championship as on track activity leads us to the evening program.
Jalek Swoll, Evan Ferry debut Triumph at Detroit
Adam Cianciarulo out on week-to-week basis
Detroit by the Numbers
Power Rankings after Anaheim 2
Aaron Plessinger returns triumphantly to Detroit
Cooper Webb, Levi Kitchen keep unique win streak alive
Garrett Marchbanks sizzles in the mud
Jason Anderson, Jett Lawrence fined for SD altercation
Aaron Plessinger earns first 450 win
Hunter Lawrence’s season begins now
Chase Sexton leads start to finish in SF, breaks Jett’s dominance
