Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton took his fifth win of the year at a hugely-significant Round 16 of the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. The win, coupled with what is likely a season-ending injury for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac, put Sexton as the 2023 champion if Tomac cannot line up at the final round next Saturday.
The 51,691 fans packed into Empower Field at Mile High witnessed one of the most dramatic Supercross championship reversals the sport has ever seen. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen took second place with an incredible charge from the back of the pack inside Empower Field at Mile High. And Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo earned his first podium finish since Round 3 of 2021 in the race that also pays points to the all-new, 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship. In the Western Regional 250SX Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire earned his first win of 2023 with his own thrilling charge. Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence took a hard-fought third in the Main Event to win the Western Regional 250SX Class Championship.
Chase Sexton was picture perfect on a night that changed everything and most likely made him the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Champion. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Adam Cianciarulo grabbed the holeshot ahead of Twisted Tea Suzuki Progressive Insurance’s Shane McElrath, Eli Tomac, and Team Tedder Monster Energy Mountain Motorsport’s Justin Hill. Ken Roczen, on a recent podium streak, slid out in the first corner and started the race in dead last position while his teammate Shane McElrath leapt into the lead down the first rhythm section. Within three corners Tomac had moved into second, then took over the top spot before reaching the green flag. With his hometown race fans going wild, and with Chase Sexton back in sixth, it looked possible that Tomac could earn enough points to wrap up his third Supercross title. But Supercross is one of the toughest sports on the planet, and that fact took over the night, and the title chase, just two and half minutes into the race.
While leading, Eli Tomac stressed his left ankle on a jump take-off. He didn’t crash but instantly lifted his foot from the peg while airborne. After landing he quickly brought down his bike’s speed to roll the rest of the section. He immediately pulled off the track, holding his left ankle away from the bike, then rode instantly to the on-site Alpinestars Medical Rig. Before the race had ended the news was out: Eli Tomac had suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon and was out for the season.
In one instant Eli Tomac lost the points lead and most surely the title after a non-crash injury down one of the track’s rhythm lanes. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Inside the stadium, Cianciarulo held the lead over Sexton. Five minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap race Sexton took over the lead. By then Roczen had already made his way up to sixth place. Sexton steadily pulled clear of Cianciarulo while Roczen continued his charge, passing McElrath for third just eight and a half minutes into the race and gaining on Cianciarulo.
With 8:15 on the race clock Justin Hill took over fourth. Three and a half minutes after that Roczen was up to Cianciarulo and pressuring for the second place spot. Roczen quickly made his move and looked ahead 6.8 seconds to the leader. Roczen started to gain a little time on Sexton, but not at the rate he’d need to make a run at the win.
Interestingly, in a season that saw Sexton give up some big leads with unforced errors, the Honda rider remained composed and smooth. With the full pressure of the race and the title on him, he rode like a champion. Sexton took his fifth win of 2023 and with it jumped into the points lead by seven. If the early injury assessment of Tomac is accurate and he’s truly out for the season, Sexton is mathematically the champion once Tomac officially does not show up and qualify for the final race.
RJ Hampshire put the pieces together and turned his incredible track speed into his first win of the season. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
When the gate dropped for the Western Regional 250SX Class Main Event, Red Bull KTM’s Max Vohland jumped out ahead of Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha’s Enzo Lopes, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Levi Kitchen, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Carson Mumford, and RJ Hampshire. Jett Lawrence, after a difficult Heat Race, was back in tenth as the riders crossed the holeshot stripe. Just over two minutes into the 15-minute plus one lap race Kitchen had taken over the lead and Hampshire was up to second. Further back in eighth, Lawrence was carefully picking off riders but showed no panic – he needed only to finish in tenth or better to take the title with one round remaining in the 250SX Class.
Five and a half minutes into the race Lopes moved past Vohland to take over third position. The riders made contact in a tight corner, and Vohland tipped over. Lawrence seemed to benefit from the chaos and soon got into fourth place. As the race clock ticked down under eight minutes Lawrence overtook Lopes for third place but was over 12 seconds back from the leaders.
Hampshire used the race’s midpoint to make a drive on Kitchen for the lead. The Husqvarna rider closed in, then leapt past when Kitchen made a small mistake in a short rhythm section. Kitchen recovered and retaliated immediately. Kitchen got back the spot as Hampshire went wide then shorted the track’s big double jump. Hampshire was off the track, but he kept his bike upright. Over the closing laps Hampshire put in a heroic charge. He was the fastest rider on the track and quickly made up the five seconds his off-track excursion had cost him. With 40 seconds on the clock Hampshire blitzed the whoops and took the lead from Kitchen.
Kitchen had one last surge of speed on the final lap, but never got into position to make a pass attempt. Hampshire took the checkered flag and the Denver Supercross win. Kitchen was right behind in second, and Lawrence brought his Honda home in third to win the division title with one race – an East/West Showdown – left on the schedule.
Jett Lawrence became the 2023 Western Regional 250SX Class Champion just one week after his brother and teammate, Hunter Lawrence, took the Eastern Regional 250SX Class title. Jett Lawrence becomes one of only four riders to win 4 125/250 Class titles. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Between now and the Supercross Final in Salt Lake City, fans have an incredible opportunity at some one-of-a-kind memorabilia in the 2023 St. Jude Love Moto Stop Cancer Supercross Auction. All money raised goes directly to the children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the St. Jude mission of Finding Cures. Saving Children. The auction runs until Monday, May 15th at 11:59PM ET. The items in the auction were donated by the racers, teams, partners, and supporters of Monster Energy AMA Supercross. To see what’s available to support the incredible St. Jude efforts and take home a piece of the 2023 season, please go to St. Jude Love Moto Stop Cancer Auction.
All-new for 2023 racing, the top 20 racers in combined championship points from the Monster Energy Supercross season and the AMA Pro Motocross season – scheduled for eleven rounds this summer – qualify for a spot in the all-new SuperMotocross World Championship. Riders who finish 21st – 30th in combined points, or those who earn a win yet don’t have the points for a direct qualification, will race a Last Chance Qualifier for the final two spots on the SuperMotocross League starting gate. The all-new series creates the sports’ first playoff season with two Playoff races and one Final race. The 450 class SuperMotocross World Champion will win a cool $1,000,000 payout along with the top spot in the history books. The 250 class champion will take home a $500,000 prize with their SuperMotocross World Championship title.
Tickets for next weekend’s Supercross Final are on sale now. If you can’t make it to Utah, each race of the 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship streams live on Peacock with select events also broadcast on NBC, USA Network, and CNBC. To purchase tickets, watch video recaps of the season, and get feature stories, race results, and streaming and broadcast airtimes please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.
450SX Class podium (riders left to right) Adam Cianciarulo, Chase Sexton, and Ken Roczen.
Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
250SX Class podium (riders left to right) Jett Lawrence, RJ Hampshire, and Levi Kitchen.
Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
