I have to say I do love a mudder, as do Max Anstie and Justin Barcia who triumphed last weekend at the East Rutherford Supercross which turned into a mudfest.
Images and Stats by Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
This weekend 2023 Monster Energy Supercross Championship embarks on a trip to Nashville and while it was Barcia with the 450win the big winner in terms of the championship points was Eli Tomac who came back from a quali crash to finish second, and thus extending his lead over an out of sorts Cooper Webb to 11 points, with Chase Sexton now 21 points down.
Has Eli now broken the stranglehold or will Webb and Sexton bounce back hard in Nashville?
The 250 class now reverts to just the East and after Anstie’s East/West Showdown victory will he be able to take the fight further to Hunter Lawrence in Nashville. Anstie currently sits in third position just one point behind the super talented teenager Haiden Deegan so the podium positions are still to be decided even if Hunter has one hand on the which he will more than likely claim this weekend.
450 Class Recap: East Rutherford
“Bud with the Mud” Barcia Dominates: Justin Barcia scored the sixth 450SX Class win of his career and first since the 2021 Opener when he bogged his way to a convincing victory after a rain-soaked lightning delay altered the course of the evening. He now has 32 podiums and 70 top-five finishes. For the first time in his 450SX Class career, Barcia has four straight podium finishes.
Tomac Survives and Builds: After a hard practice crash, Eli Tomac’s status was unknown, showing Supercross followers that anything can change at the snap of a finger in this title chase. Tomac was able to shake it off and capture a runner-up finish gaining four points on Webb in the process. The podium was the 94th of his 450SX Class career (fourth all-time).
Roczen Streaks Into Nashville: Ken Roczen scored a third-place finish in the East Rutherford mud for his fourth podium of the season and 61st of his 450SX Class career (11th all-time). He has back-to-back podiums for the first time since Rd. 14-15 of 2021. Roczen also moved into 19th all-time in 450SX Class starts with his 130th. He has one more than David Vuillemin in 20th and one less than Tim Ferry in 18th. Suzuki placed two racers in the top-six for the first time since Rd. 13 of 2016 in Indianapolis.
Notes: Shane McElrath (6th) scored a 450SX Class career best sixth-place finish while making his 47th 450SX Class start. Kevin Moranz (7th) scored a 450SX Class career best seventh-place finish for his first career top-10 finish. He becomes the 268th rider to score a 450SX Class top-10 finish. Benny Bloss (8th) nailed his first top-10 of the season and fifth of his 450SX Class career. Fredrik Noren (11th) ties his career best 450SX Class finish. Tristan Lane (20th) and Jeremy Hand (21st) made their first 450SX Class Main Event starts of 2023. Devin Simonson (22nd) earned his first career 450SX Class start.
450 Class: Nashville Historical Facts
History Lesson: The first 450SX Class race held in Nashville was on April 6, 2019 and Eli Tomac won the race on a Kawasaki. Tomac was able to shave five points off Cooper Webb’s points lead from 26-points to 21-points but Webb held on and won his first of two 450SX Class titles. 2023 will mark only the second time Supercross has been to Nashville, both times being at Tennessee Titans’ Nissan Field.
Inside the Numbers: Nashville became the 47th different city to host a 450SX Class race and Nissan Stadium the 59th different venue to host one in 2019. One race later Denver and the New Mile High Stadium became the 60th different venue (Denver had hosted 450SX Class races in the old Mile High Stadium). Hampton, Georgia became the 48th different city and Atlanta Motor Speedway the 61st venue in 2021. Snapdragon Stadium, in San Diego, nabbed #62 earlier this season.
Returning Racers: Tomac (1st), Webb (3rd), Dean Wilson (4th), Ken Roczen (8th), Justin Starling (15th), Justin Barcia (19th), and Justin Hill (20th) are all racers who started the 450SX Class Main Event in Nashville 2019 (along with where the finished) that are active for 2023 Nashville. The following racers were in the 250SX Class Main Event in Nashville 2019 and are now active 450SX Class racers for Nashville 2023 (along with where they finished): Chase Sexton (2nd), John Short (13th), Fredrik Noren (14th), Joshua Cartwright (15th), Chase Marquier (17th), and Kevin Moranz (21st).
Championship %: Eli Tomac won 2019 Nashville but did not win the title that season, meaning Nashville is 0/1 in Championship percentage. Tomac leads Webb by 11-points going into Nashville.
450 Class: Nashville Wins
Manufacturer Wins in Nashville (Last Win)
Kawasaki: 1 (’19)
Top Winners in Nashville
Eli Tomac: 1 (’19)
First-time Winners in Nashville
N/A
250 Class East/West Showdown Recap: East Rutherford
Anstie Steals Spotlight: Max Anstie scored his first career AMA victory by scorching through the mud and leading start to finish in East Rutherford. The former MX2 six-time winner was making his 24th 250SX Class start and became the 121st different rider to win a 250SX Class race. It was Anstie’s fourth 250SX Class podium and he is only one-point behind second place in the Eastern Regional 250SX Class standings.
Podium Bros: Hunter and Jett Lawrence finished second and third in East Rutherford with Hunter almost pulling a last-lap win out of his hat. They both hold red-plates for their respective regions and have almost identical 250SX Class career numbers: 28 starts, 12 wins for Jett and 11 for Hunter, and 21 podiums.
Honda Pulls Off Rare Feat: For only the eighth time in 250SX Class history, a brand pulled off a podium sweep. The last time this happened was the Anaheim Opener in 2011 with Kawasaki’s Josh Hansen, Broc Tickle, and Tyla Rattray. Honda has now tied Kawasaki with three podium sweeps and their first since Irving 2002 with Travis Preston, Chris Gosselaar, and Travis Elliott. 12 seasons is the longest 250SX Class racing has gone without a podium sweep.
Notes: Max Vohland (4th) scored a career high fourth-place finish and his fourth top-five of the season. Enzo Lopes (5th) scored a career best third straight top five and fifth of his 250SX Class career. Chris Blose (10th) tied Chris Gosselaar for 12th on the all-time 250SX Class starts list with 67.
250 Class: Nashville Historical Facts
History Lesson: The first 250SX Class race held in Nashville was on April 6, 2019 and Martin Davalos won the race on a Kawasaki to finish off the Kawasaki sweep with Tomac. Austin Forkner had a 26-point lead on Chase Sexton with only three rounds remaining in the Eastern Regional 250SX Class title. Forkner sustained an injury during practice and was out the rest of the night and Sexton’s runner-up finish moved him to three points off of the red-plate. Sexton would capture the red-plate in East Rutherford and the title in Las Vegas. Forkner scored a single point in East Rutherford but none in Nashville or Las Vegas.
Inside the Numbers: Nashville became the 39th different city to host a 250SX Class race and Nissan Stadium the 53th different venue to host one in 2019. One race later Denver and the New Mile High Stadium became the 54th different venue (Denver had hosted 250SX Class races in the old Mile High Stadium). Hampton, Georgia became the 40th different city and Atlanta Motor Speedway the 55th venue in 2021. Snapdragon Stadium became the 56th venue to host a 250SX Class race earlier this season.
Returning Racers: None of the 22 racers from the 2019 Nashville 250SX Class Main Event are active 2023 Eastern Regional racers. Seven racers will repeat from the 450SX Class and six of the 2019 250SX Main Event racers are active 450SX Class racers. Chris Blose is the only racer who was in a Main Event in Nashville 2019 that will be active in the 250SX Class in Nashville 2023. He finished 11th in the 450SX Class but has since moved back to the 250SX Class as a fill-in rider for Monster Energy Pro-Circuit Kawasaki.
Championship %: Martin Davalos won 2019 Nashville but did not win the title that season, meaning Nashville is 0/1 in Championship percentage and 0/2 combined between 250SX and 450SX. Hunter Lawrence would clinch the title with a 20th or better in either of the last two races.
250 Class: Nashville Wins
Manufacturer Wins in Nashville (Last Win)
Kawasaki: 1 (’19)
Top Winners in Nashville
Martin Davalos: 1 (’19)
First-time Winners in Nashville
N/A
Past Winners in Nashville
Nashville Track Map
