Yamaha Motor Canada Presents the Wednesday Supercross Recap- Oakland

Words and Photos by Krystyn Slack

 

Round 4 of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, took us to the University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, AZ. For the first time in the 2017 season, races would be held in a football stadium, a stadium that also had a roof, so weather was of no concern – also a first for this season of racing. There has been plenty of buzz since Ken Roczen’s unfortunate and season ending crash in Anaheim last weekend that there wouldn’t be much excitement with the former points leader out of the running. While athletes and fans are disappointed and saddened that Kenny is out of the running for the championship, we couldn’t have been more wrong about the level of excitement and epic battles that are still left to unfold.

The University of Phoenix Stadium track design gave us the longest start we’ve seen thus far this season – a start straight that covered nearly the entire length of the football field. Such a long start meant that riders were likely hitting 5th gear before they reached the first turn – a great advantage if you were able to get a good jump off the gate. We consistently hear about how a bad start can quickly equate to a bad night of racing, whereas a good start can do just the opposite. Having nearly a hundred yards to hold ‘er wide open certainly could put riders in a great position to create exponential gaps between them and the riders behind them, which we saw proven to be true throughout the night. Along with the longest start, we also witnessed riders hammer their way through some of the toughest rhythm sections we’ve seen – sections so tricky that few riders were able to hit the same rhythm two laps in a row, and unfortunately so tricky that they also chewed up a handful of riders for the evening. GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin and 51FIFTY Yamaha’s Tyler Bowers got tangled in one such section, resulting in Martin banging his head and Bowers sustaining a fractured right femur. Nearly the same rhythm section also claimed JGR Suzuki’s Weston Peick who sustained a dislocated wrist and lacerated kidney – all which happened during qualifying practice sessions.

As the sun set on the Grand Canyon State, racing just started to heat up. In the Western Regional 250SX class, points leader, the #38 of Shane McElrath, would find his way to the Main Event by way of an LCQ appearance, after going down in the same section that earlier claimed Tyler Bowers, Jeremy Martin, and Weston Peick. Luckily for Shane, he was not injured, but for the first time in the season he would not transfer directly from his Heat Race to the Main Event. When we dropped the gate on the 250SX Main Event, it was evident we were in for battles of epic proportions for the entire Main Event. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s rookie, Austin Forkner, rocketed to yet another holeshot for the season, and with the assistance of the long and fast start straight, would position himself in the front of the pack for three laps before being passed by points leader Shane McElrath and teammate Justin Hill. The #38 of McElrath would take the lead for the next 11 laps, followed closely behind the #46 of Hill. McElrath and Hill opened up a gap on the now 3rd place Forkner, and similar to his performance in San Diego, Justin found some extra Mario Kart “star power” in the remaining two laps of the race where he slingshotted his way to the front of the pack. Shane and Justin would battle it out for the remaining lap and a half of the race, with Hill ultimately claiming the victory by barely a bike length over McElrath. The two competitors may race hard on the track, but they are great friends off the track and congratulated each other on their excellent racing with hugs and fist bumps just after the finish. Austin Forker would finish in third, marking his first career Monster Energy Supercross podium appearance.

With Ken Roczen now out of championship contention, many fans and members of the media have erroneously expressed that the championship was already over and the only likely contender would be Ryan Dungey on his quest for a three-peat. But as Ryan stated in the post-race press conference, the championship isn’t over until someone is awarded that Number 1 plate and we still have 13 weeks of racing left. In fact, the Glendale SX would lend us to the third unique winner in four rounds of racing.

Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac took off like a rocket and never looked back. It was almost as if we had two different Main Events happening in Glendale: Eli Tomac’s solo space exploration mission, and the 450SX Main Event happening behind him. At one point during the 20 minute + 1 lap Main Event, Eli held an 18 second lead over the rest of the field – yes, the same Tomac who finished 5th, 6th, and 8th in the previous three rounds of racing. The thing about the “Top 10”-type riders, though, is that they have been or are currently podium and championship contenders, meaning that with the right combination of bike setup, a killer start, physical fitness, and brute determination, any one of the top 10 riders could land themselves on the podium on any week. In Glendale, it would be Eli Tomac who claimed his first victory of the season where he rode more like the Tomac we were used to seeing during the 2015 Pro Motocross season before badly injuring both shoulders. The “other” Main Event was filled with notable battles and finishes of its own. After the first lap, Justin Brayton was credited with 2nd place, followed by Cole Seely, Ryan Dungey, Davi Millsaps, and Chad Reed respectively. It should also be noted that Jason Anderson was 11th off the start, whereas three-time visitor to the podium, Marvin Musquin was credited 13th off the start in Glendale.

Round 4 presented some of the most intense racing we’ve seen unfold this season and the fans could not get enough. Long-time veteran and fan favourite, Chad Reed, had a particularly great night of racing in Glendale. It’s no secret that Mr. Two-Two is a big fan of big whoops and the track design for Round 4 was perfectly suited to showcase a killer performance by Reed – a performance that would be quite the show! Reed was in 6th off the start and decisively and aggressively picked off riders, especially with his blazing fast speed in the whoops, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers of joy with every move he made. Just ahead of him, the #14 of Cole Seely and the #1 of Ryan Dungey were engaged in their own battle for 2nd place when Reed made the passing move of the night and got in front of both Seely and Dungey in one pass, moving from 4th place to 2nd. Reed would make the pass stick and would ultimately finish 2nd on the evening – his first podium appearance since Atlanta 2016.

Who will we see on the podium this weekend as we travel north to Oakland, CA for Round 5 of Monster Energy Supercross?

Race Results From Phoenix SX:

250 Main Event
1. Justin Hill (Kawasaki)
2. Shane McElrath (KTM)
3. Austin Forkner (Kawasaki)
4. Aaron Plessinger (Yamaha)
5. Martin Davalos (Husqvarna)
6. Dan Reardon (Yamaha)
7. Josh Hansen (Husqvarna)
8. Jimmy DeCotis (Honda)
9. Phil Nicoletti (Suzuki)
10. Cole Martinez (Yamaha)

450 Main Event
1. Eli Tomac (Kawasaki)
2. Chad Reed (Yamaha)
3. Ryan Dungey (KTM)
4. Cole Seely (Honda)
5. Davi Millsaps (KTM)
6. Justin Brayton (Honda)
7. Blake Baggett (KTM)
8. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
9. Marvin Musquin (KTM)
10. Jason Anderson (Husqvarna)

250 West Regional SX Points Standings
1. Shane McElrath 92
2. Justin Hill 88
3. Aaron Plessinger 82
4. Martin Davalos 70
5. Austin Forkner 67
6. Jimmy DeCotis 55
7. Dan Reardon 47
8. Jeremy Martin 40
9. Phil Nicoletti 38
10. Josh Hansen 37

450 SX Points Standings
1. Ryan Dungey 89
2. Marvin Musquin 74
3. Eli Tomac 69
4. Cole Seely 69
5. Davi Millsaps 55
6. Ken Roczen 51
7. Chad Reed 49
8. Jason Anderson 47
9. Josh Grant 46
10. Cooper Webb 44