Supercross flies high in Birmingham
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (TRIBUNE) – The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship resumed after a two-week break, with Chase Sexton of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing taking the victory inside Protective Stadium.
Sexton put in an impressive performance in Birmingham, finishing 1st, 1st, and 2nd in the season's third and final Triple Crown event to secure the night's overall win in the 450SX Class.
Sexton reflected on the challenges of the Triple Crown format after taking the win.
'Triple Crowns are tough because even if you win the first two races, just like what happened to RJ [Hampshire in the 250SX Class], something can go wrong in the first turn,' Sexton said. 'I rode pretty solid. I wasn't doing the [triple jump] in the last race, just being a little conservative. It was a good race, Coop rode good, and I'm stoked to get that monkey off my back, get another win, and finally get this season going in the right direction.'
Sexton is optimistic about the remainder of the season.
'This is my favorite part of the season, these last seven or eight rounds,' he said. 'It seems like it's where I really shine.'
Despite hip pain from a qualifying crash, Malcolm Stewart from Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing finished strong with race results of 3rd, 2nd, and 3rd to earn a podium finish.
'I just made a mistake in practice and caught Justin Hill's front wheel [in midair]. I hit my hip pretty good,' Stewart said. 'The good news is I've got a solid group with my team. They just said, 'Just go out there and give it everything you've got.''
Stewart credited his medical support for getting him race-ready.
'Huge shoutout to Doctor G for getting me back in [shape] to go out there and do these three races,' he said. 'It's awesome, and I'm so blessed to get back up here [on the podium]. Yeah, baby, maybe I've earned a little bit of fishing money now!'
Aaron Plessinger, the night's third-place finisher from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, led several laps and secured his second podium of the season, with finishes of 2nd, 3rd, and 5th.
'I just feel like I'm on a roll, like I've found another gear, found a good groove,' Plessinger said. 'The boys at the practice track are keeping me on my toes. The Baker's Factory [Training Facility] is a riot right now—we're going off. Aldon's keeping us in shape.'
Despite falling short of the win, he remained positive about his night.
'It was just a good night—good starts, good riding. I led a lot of laps and just couldn't seal the deal, but we're up on the podium,' he said. 'All these fans out here in Alabama were insane. We're going to keep it up and hopefully podium the season out.'
Points leader Cooper Webb took the third race win.
Nate Thrasher secured the overall win in the 250 Class with finishes of 3-3-2.
'I really felt coming into this season that this was going to be my year,' he said. 'Tampa went okay—I ended up crashing on the first lap. But we just kept fighting every round. I just knew that I'm tough enough to be out there.'
After finally getting in more training time, he's optimistic about the races ahead.
'This week, I was finally able to do two days [of practice] before coming to this race, and those two days were great,' he said. 'I'm super excited and just ready to get the ball rolling. We're not out of [the championship] yet!'
RJ Hampshire looked promising after finishing 1-2 in the first two races, but an early incident in the third race hindered his chances for the win. A first-turn incident slowed and dropped him outside the top 15, but he rallied to finish fifth.
Hampshire acknowledged struggling with his intensity during the Triple Crown event but stayed focused on the championship battle.
'You could tell, even in the first two races, I just didn't have the spark,' Hampshire said. 'I felt good in practice and then was just flat. I don't know if it's things catching up to me or what, but I just didn't have that intensity.'
A poor start in the final race cost him a shot at the overall win.
'I butchered the start in my last race,' he said. 'My starts were saving me [in Races 1 and 2].'
Despite the setback, Hampshire remains optimistic about the next round.
'We're still in this thing and looking forward to Boston in a couple of weeks [for the next 250SX East race],' he said.
Tom Vialle of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, the points leader, secured a podium finish with results of 2nd, 5th and 3rd at the event, extending his championship lead after Max Anstie of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing couldn't compete due to a crash in qualifying.
Vialle was relieved to make it through the Triple Crown event but left Birmingham wanting more after missing out on the overall win.
'I'm happy to survive that Triple Crown. It's always a pretty sketchy race,' Vialle said. 'In the second moto, I finished fifth. I made a lot of mistakes and lost some ground, and that might have put me out for the overall tonight.'
Vialle remains focused on securing a victory over the next few rounds.
'I want that win really bad,' he said. 'I'm working for it, and hopefully in the next few races, I can do it.'
450SX points standings:
1. Cooper Webb 211
2. Chase Sexton 203
3. Ken Roczen 184
4. Malcolm Stewart 162
5. Justin Cooper 160
6. Jason Anderson 151
7. Justin Barcia 142
8. Aaron Plessinger 125
9. Justin Hill 125
10. Shane McElrath 96
250SX points standings:
1. Tom Vialle 99
2. R.J. Hampshire 89
3. Seth Hammaker 86
4. Max Anstie 78
5. Nate Thrasher 78
6. Chance Hymas 66
7. Cullin Park 62
8. Daxton Bennick 60
9. Maximus Vohland 56
10. Carson Mumford 51
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