The first Triple Crown event for the 2024 Monster Energy AMA 250 Supercross East championship started strong for Triumph Racing in Indianapolis with amazing starts and laps led in one of the races, although an unfortunate issue culminated in a frustrating 11th overall for Jalek Swoll.
Once again it was down to Swoll to represent the team on the Triumph TF 250-X in its first season of this intensely competitive championship as rookie rider, Evan Ferry, waits to return from injury. The Triple Crown format at the ‘motorsport capital of the world’ replaces the single Main Event with the riders getting the overall result after three separate 10-minute plus one lap races. The format adds extra excitement for fans and a lot more intensity for the riders and teams on what was a demanding track for the evening.
A steady start in qualifying getting up to speed in the Lucas Oil Stadium, Swoll started the night show in the best possible way with the ‘Ghostbusters’ holeshot in Race 1; the Triumph TF 250-X once again demonstrating how incredible it is out of the gate. A hectic first lap would see the #33 pushed down to fifth to then become embroiled in an intense battle with Coty Schock to grab sixth at the flag.
In Race 2, Swoll clinched the holeshot once again and a strong opening performance saw the first laps led by Triumph in Supercross. Hunted down by championship contenders Haiden Deegan and Cameron Mcadoo, the 22-year old was sitting in a comfortable third. A small mistake at just over half race distance saw Swoll come up short on a jump, although he would ultimately place seventh at the chequered flag.
With both the 250s and 450s pounding the track, the dirt conditions had deteriorated going into the third race of the night. Heading into the final running, Swoll was sitting in fourth overall with all hopes on another holeshot. Out of the gate Jalek was able to avoid the chaos at the first turn, but unfortunately due to a small technical issue with a proprietary sensor Swoll wasn’t able to continue his momentum and was forced to retire.
Despite the disappointment, the strong rides in the earlier two races was enough to place Swoll 11th overall for the event and maintain his 10th in the standings. The 250SX east Championship enjoys a four week break now, and the Triumph Racing team will return with both riders in action on April 13 at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Jalek Swoll (#33): “Honestly,I’m proud of what I had to ride through today – I gritted it out and rode as hard as I could, although I’m still dealing with some injuries from my crash in Arlington. There’s a lot of positives to take again from tonight, but everyone has worked their asses off and to finish up how we did is disappointing. It’s just one of those things and we have to move on. We are hungrier than ever and now we have time to work over the next few weeks to come back strong in Foxborough.”
Bobby Hewitt – Triumph Racing Team Principal (US): “Again we have a lot of positives from tonight, but we’re really disappointed, and we can’t hide that. I don’t want the headlines to be about a single proprietary sensor issue as the progress we as a team, Jalek as a rider, and Triumph have made in just five rounds is incredible. Earlier in the night we led laps and had holeshots. The technical issue in the third race is our first black eye and, it’s of course unacceptable. Everyone is working incredibly hard and we have a few weeks now to prepare for the next one.”
Results 250 Supercross East Main Event – Round 5, Indianapolis
1st Cameron Mcadoo (Kawasaki)
2nd Tom Vialle (KTM)
3rd Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
11th Jalek Swoll (Triumph)
250 Supercross East Championship after Round 5 of 9
1st Cameron Mcadoo (Kawasaki) – 98
2nd Tom Vialle (KTM) – 96
3rd Pierce Brown (GasGas) – 87
10th Jalek Swoll (Triumph) – 58
Words and Images by Triumph Motorcycles
