Monster Energy Supercross is Texas bound this Saturday and the AT&T Stadium in Arlington for round 7 of the Championship for the 450s and round 2 for the 250 East Coast racers.
Images, Stats and Facts by Feld Motor Sports, Inc
Just 11 points separated the top five in the 450’s with Honda’s Jett Lawrence holding the points lead, but with five different winners in six rounds, the chequers could go the way of anyone in Texas.
British hope Max Anstie on his Firepower Honda was second in the first round of the 250 East Championship behind Austin Forkner, but with a fitter Haiden Deagan in the mix Max will need to be at his best to nudge up to the top spot in Arlington.
Lets’ take a look at the Glendale recap and Texas stats with Supercross Live’s this week in SuperMotocross…
450SX Class Recap: Glendale
Kennyzona: Ken Roczen scored his 22nd 450SX Class victory when he took the checkers in Glendale. The victory keeps Roczen (-15) squarely in the Championship battle even though he is sixth in the standings. He is now tied back with Cooper Webb for 10th on the all-time 450SX Class wins list. Roczen now has 50 AMA wins in his career, good for 11th all-time and only six behind Jeff Ward in 10th. Roczen tied Ward for ninth in 450SX Class podiums, passed Ward for eighth in top fives, and passed Ward for ninth in top 10 finishes. The victory was Suzuki’s 75th in 450SX Class racing.
Anderson Takes Advantage: Jason Anderson (-11) also finds himself right in the middle of the title chase after a runner-up performance in Glendale. He beat all four of the riders ahead of him in the point standings with Webb, Plessinger, and Sexton scoring seventh or worse. Anderson gained two points on Jett Lawrence who finished third. Anderson now has 48 450SX Class podiums which is good for 16th all-time. His 86th 450SX Class top five tied him with James Stewart for 10th all-time. His 124th top 10 finish moves him into the top 10 all-time in that category as well, only one behind Roczen.
Red Plate Rookie: Jett Lawrence secured the red plate back from his competition with a consistent third place finish after eclipsing Eli Tomac late in the race. Lawrence has three podiums, four top fives, and six top 10’s to compliment his two victories in his first six 450SX Class rounds. Jett’s brother Hunter scored his first career 450SX Class top five finish and they became the first brothers in the history of 450SX Class racing to score top fives together.
Notes: Eli Tomac (4th) Got bumped off the podium late by Lawrence, but only -17 in the point standings gives the Yamaha rider some hope as the series moves closer to Daytona where he has won in the last five seasons. Cooper Webb (7th) Nailed down his 100th 450SX Class top 10 finish in 111 starts. He is 202/229 (88%) in his AMA career. Malcolm Stewart (8th) Best finish of the season for Stewart and the Husqvarna 450SX Class squad. Chase Sexton (9th) Made his 50th 450SX Class start. Dean Wilson (16th) Moves into the top 25 all-time 450SX Class starts with his 121st.
450SX Class: DFW Metroplex Historical Facts
History Lesson: The first Supercross held in the DFW Metroplex was on February 28, 1975 in Irving’s Texas Stadium, and was the season opener of the second 450SX Class season. The round was held across two days holding two races each. Jimmy Ellis scored the overall victory with 1-1-1-2 rides on his Can-am. Ellis repeated his Texas Stadium heroics in 1976 with a less dominant 3-4-1-4 weekend but fell short to Jimmy Weinert in the final Championship tally by 30 points.
Three Different Venues: After a five-year hiatus the series returned to the DFW Metroplex from 1983-1985 and 1990 at Dallas’ Cotton Bowl. Texas Stadium would host the series again from 1986-1989 and 1991-2008 before it was demolished after 25 Supercross rounds. AT&T Stadium was built in Arlington and hosted the Supercross every season since 2010 including three in 2021. That makes the 2024 Arlington Supercross the 46th race held in the DFW Metroplex and 17th in AT&T Stadium.
Back to One: Arlington was a Triple Crown in 2020 and Eli Tomac won the last two races and the overall. Arlington hosted three races during the 2021 season, and it was a clean sweep by eventual champion Cooper Webb. Arlington hosted Triple Crowns again in 2022-2023 with Tomac and Webb winning the two overalls. After his 2023 Arlington victory Webb became the winningest DFW Metroplex 450SX Class athlete and only trailed Tomac in the point standings by two points with the series heading into Daytona. In 2024, Arlington is back to a regular format but is once again Round 7 and right before Daytona.
Championship %: In 19/43 (44%) seasons the winner of the 450SX Class race in DFW won the title. In 8/14 (57%) seasons in AT&T Stadium the winner has won the title including four of the last five.
Manufacturer Wins in DFW Metroplex (Last Win)
Honda: 13 (’11)
Kawasaki: 10 (’20)
Yamaha: 10 (’22)
KTM: 7 (’23)
Suzuki: 3 (’14)
Can-Am: 2 (’76)
Top Winners in DFW Metroplex
1) Cooper Webb: 5 (’19, ’21 X3, 23)
2) Chad Reed: 4 (’03-’04, ’06, ’08)
3) James Stewart: 3 (’05, ’07, ’14)
3) Rick Johnson: 3 (’85, ’87-’88)
3) Eli Tomac: 3 (’18, ’20, ‘22)
450SX Class: First Time Winners in DFW Metroplex
Jimmy Ellis: 1975 (Texas Stadium)
J.M. Bayle: 1990 (Cotton Bowl)
Doug Henry: 1995 (Texas Stadium)
James Stewart: 2005 (Texas Stadium)
Marvin Musquin: 2017 (AT&T Stadium)
250SX Class Recap: Glendale
Hampshire in the Hunt: RJ Hampshire nabbed his fourth career 250SX Class victory and second of the season with his Glendale win. It is the first time in his career he has scored multiple wins in a season. RJ only trails by five points going into the Western Regionals longest break of the season (returning in Seattle). Hampshire now has 50 250SX Class top 10 finishes, one of only 11 riders to have that many. He is tied with Greg Schnell and Shane McElrath for ninth on the all-time list.
Kitchen Takes Plate to Break: Levi Kitchen will hold the red plate through the extended Western Regional break, as he holds a slim four-point advantage over Jordon Smith and five points over Hampshire. Kitchen now has eight podiums, 10 top fives, and 13 top 10’s in 16 250SX Class starts across three seasons.
Right in the Title Fight: Jordon Smith came back from a rough accident to capture a top five finish salvaging his position in the title fight. Smith is now tied with Mike Brown for fifth on the all-time 250SX Class top fives list with 36 and 16th on the top 10 list with Kyle Peters at 46. Smith now has 105 AMA starts and 41 top five finishes.
Notes: Jo Shimoda (3rd) Scores his first podium of the season and sixth of his 250SX Class career. He now has 25 in his AMA career through 86 starts. Mitchell Oldenburg (6th) Earned his 60th career 250SX Class top 10 finish, only four behind Barry Carsten for third all-time. Billy Laninovich (19th) Scored his first points of his season in his second start of his return to racing. He was making his 52nd 250SX Class start and 100th AMA start. Guillaume St-Cyr (20th) Made his first career 250SX Class start.
Eastern Regional Refresher
Forkner Fries Ford Field: Austin Forkner became the second winningest rider in 250SX Class history with his Eastern Regional opening victory in Detroit. He has 13 250SX Class victories tying him with Jett Lawrence, Jeremy McGrath, and Nathan Ramsey.
Max Not Messing Around: Max Anstie proved his third-place overall finish in the 2023 Eastern Regional Championship was no fluke with a runner-up finish to start his 2024 run. He scored his fifth podium, 10th top five, and 20th top-10 finish in 27 250SX Class starts after a solid Detroit performance. Anstie and ClubMX’s Coty Schock split the factory riders in the top four two to two. Schock earned his first career 250SX Class top five finish and is also in his fifth year of 250SX Class racing along with Anstie.
Detroit Daxton Deals: Star Yamaha rookie sensation Daxton Bennick rode to a podium finish in his first career 250SX Class start. He is the first rider to complete this feat in almost 10 full years (Adam Cianciarulo, 2014 Arlington).
Rest of the Bunch: Pierce Brown (5th), Jalek Swoll (6th), Guillem Farres (8th), and Chance Hymas (10th) were able to score top 10s even with the huge first turn pileup. Nick Romano, Cameron McAdoo, Haiden Deegan, Tom Vialle, Seth Hammaker, and Evan Ferry were not so lucky, all finishing 14th or worse. Henry Miller (7th) and Marshal Weltin (9th) were surprising top 10 finishers.
250SX Class: DFW Metroplex Historical Facts
History Lesson: The first 250SX Class race held in the DFW Metroplex was on May 4, 1985 in Dallas’ Cotton Bowl. Bobby Moore won the East/West combined Main Event on a Suzuki and would clinch the Western Regional Championship a few months later in the Rose Bowl. The series moved back to Texas Stadium in 1986 and hosted their first 250SX Class round, once again being a combined Main Event. Keith Turpin’s victory clinched the Eastern Regional Championship for him.
40th: Irving’s Texas Stadium hosted a 250SX Class round from 1986-1989 and 1991-2008 before it was demolished. The Cotton Bowl held two races, 1985 and 1990. AT&T Stadium has hosted since 2010 including three in 2021. That made the 2023 250SX Class Arlington Supercross the 40th 250SX Class race in the DFW Metroplex and 16th in AT&T Stadium. 2024 will be #41 and #17 respectively.
Going Coastal: Arlington has been an Eastern Regional round since the three Western Regional rounds they held in 2021. Including 2024, AT&T Stadium has been an Eastern Regional 12 times and Western Regional five times. Texas Stadium was an East/West Shootout race from 1985-1996 and then a Western Regional from 1997-2004. Overall, the DFW Metroplex has held 12 shootouts, 14 Western Regionals, and 15 Eastern Regionals.
Champion’s Paradise?: The winner of the DFW Metroplex 250SX Class race has won the Championship in 23/38 (61%) seasons, including six of the last nine. Hunter Lawrence did win Triple Crown Race 1 on his way to a podium finish in AT&T Stadium last season though. Cameron McAdoo won in 2022 but failed to win the title. Justin Cooper won the third Arlington round in 2021 on the way to his Championship.
Manufacturer Wins in the DFW Metroplex (Last Win)
Kawasaki: 15 (‘22)
Honda: 9 (’21)
Yamaha: 7 (’23)
Suzuki: 6 (’10)
KTM: 2 (’15)
Husqvarna: 1 (’18)
Top Winners in the DFW Metroplex
Dean Wilson: 2 (’11, ’13)
Ryan Villopoto: 2 (’06, ’08)
Grant Langston: 2 (’01, ’05)
Jeremy McGrath: 2 (’91-’92)
250SX Class: First Time Winners in the DFW Metroplex
Bobby Moore: 1985 (Cotton Bowl)
Ty Davis: 1988 (Texas Stadium)
Grant Langston: 2001 (Texas Stadium)
Ryan Villopoto: 2006 (Texas Stadium)
Blake Baggett: 2010 (AT&T Stadium)
Adam Cianciarulo: 2014 (AT&T Stadium)
Seth Hammaker: 2021 (AT&T Stadium)
Hunter Lawrence: 2021 (AT&T Stadium)
Past Winners in the DFW Metroplex
450:
Texas Stadium
1975: Jimmy Ellis, Can-am
1976: Jimmy Ellis, Can-am
1977: Bob Hannah, Yamaha
Cotton Bowl
1983: Mike Bell, Yamaha
1984: Johnny O’Mara, Honda
1985: Rick Johnson, Yamaha
Texas Stadium
1986: David Bailey, Honda
1987: Rick Johnson, Honda
1988: Rick Johnson, Honda
1989: Jeff Ward, Kawasaki
Cotton Bowl
1990: Jean-Michel Bayle, Honda
Texas Stadium
1991: Damon Bradshaw, Yamaha
1992: Damon Bradshaw, Yamaha
1993: Jeremy McGrath, Honda
1994: Mike LaRocco, Kawasaki
1995: Doug Henry, Honda
1996: Jeremy McGrath, Honda
1997: Jeff Emig, Kawasaki
1998: Ezra Lusk, Honda
1999: Kevin Windham, Honda
2000: Kevin Windham, Honda
2001: Ricky Carmichael, Kawasaki
2002: Ricky Carmichael, Honda
2003: Chad Reed, Yamaha
2004: Chad Reed, Yamaha
2005: James Stewart, Kawasaki
2006: Chad Reed, Yamaha
2007: James Stewart, Kawasaki
2008: Chad Reed, Yamaha
AT&T Stadium
2010: Ryan Dungey, Suzuki
2011: Trey Canard, Honda
2012: Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki
2013: Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki
2014: James Stewart, Suzuki
2015: Ryan Dungey, KTM
2016: Ken Roczen, Suzuki
2017: Marvin Musquin, KTM
2018: Eli Tomac, Kawasaki
2019: Cooper Webb, KTM
2020: Eli Tomac, Kawasaki
2021: Cooper Webb, KTM
2021: Cooper Webb, KTM
2021: Cooper Webb, KTM
2022: Eli Tomac, Yamaha
2023: Cooper Webb, KTM
250:
Cotton Bowl
1985: Bobby Moore, Suzuki
Texas Stadium
1986: Keith Turpin, Honda
1987: Kyle Lewis, Honda
1988: Ty Davis, Suzuki
1989: Mike LaRocco, Yamaha
Cotton Bowl
1990: Denny Stephenson, Suzuki
Texas Stadium
1991: Jeremy McGrath, Honda
1992: Jeremy McGrath, Honda
1993: Doug Henry, Honda
1994: Jimmy Button, Suzuki
1995: Damon Huffman, Suzuki
1996: Mickael Pichon, Kawasaki
1997: Kevin Windham, Yamaha
1998: John Dowd, Yamaha
1999: Nathan Ramsey, Kawasaki
2000: Greg Schnell, Yamaha
2001: Grant Langston, KTM
2002: Travis Preston, Honda
2003: James Stewart, Kawasaki
2004: Ivan Tedesco, Kawasaki
2005: Grant Langston, Kawasaki
2006: Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki
2007: Ben Townley, Kawasaki
2008: Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki
AT&T Stadium
2010: Blake Baggett, Suzuki
2011: Dean Wilson, Kawasaki
2012: Jusin Barcia, Honda
2013: Dean Wilson, Kawasaki
2014: Adam Cianciarulo, Kawasaki
2015: Marvin Musquin, KTM
2016: Cooper Webb, Yamaha
2017: Justin Hill, Kawasaki
2018: Zach Osborne, Husqvarna
2019: Austin Forkner, Kawasaki
2020: Chase Sexton, Honda
2021: Seth Hammaker, Kawasaki
2021: Hunter Lawrence, Honda
2021: Justin Cooper, Yamaha
2022: Cameron McAdoo, Kawasaki
2023: Nate Thrasher, Yamaha
