This week Monster Energy Supercross headed to Seattle, home of the newly crowned Super Bowl champs. While the celebration delayed the track build, the crew had it ready to go by Saturday night. In the 250 class, Haiden Deegan faced his first real challenge of the season but still came out on top, making it five wins in a row. Eli Tomac rebounded from two rough rounds to reclaim the top step of the podium and, more importantly, make a statement that he is still the man to beat.
After crashes kept Eli Tomac off the podium the last two weeks, he put it back together in Seattle. In the heat race, Tomac looked a tick off the top contenders, but in the main event he battled through Webb to get the job done. As the track broke down, he adjusted his lines even rolling the first jump in the rhythm section to stay out of the ruts and move more freely around the track. Ultimately, this was exactly the race Tomac needed to show he’s still the guy, even if he hasn’t reclaimed the points lead yet.
Cooper Webb looked strong all day. In his heat race he came out ready to fight, until a mistake cost him the lead and settled him into a transfer position. In the main, Webb got out front early and set a solid pace. The triple onto the table and the whoops were the two spots where Tomac was able to build momentum. After a short battle, Webb settled into second and left Seattle with something to build on. He made up points on the leader and now sits just 11 back after six rounds. It feels like we’re starting to see some separation, and down the stretch this could turn into a Tomac vs. Webb championship fight one we really haven’t gotten to see play out before.
There were highs and lows for points leader Hunter Lawrence in Seattle. For starters, after a mid-pack start he worked through the field with impressive speed, getting to Roczen’s rear wheel in podium position. That was followed by a careless mistake that cost him a podium and cost Roczen even more. As JT said on the broadcast, he likely would have made the pass cleanly, there was no need to force it in that spot, and I agree. I think this week will be a learning moment. Lawrence is very much still in the fight, but Seattle showed there’s still potential for mistakes when you’re leading the championship in the premier class.
As for Chase Sexton… what is going on? After a seventh in Glendale, I wouldn’t have expected him to follow it up with a sixth in Seattle. Sexton just hasn’t been able to elevate to the same level as the other guys. We saw Hunter Lawrence and Justin Cooper push forward, but Sexton stayed stagnant. There were rumors he was sick in Glendale, but after Seattle it might be time to hit the panic button. He’s only 18 points back, so he’s not out of it yet, but if things don’t change quickly, he’ll find himself on the outside of this championship fight.
The 250 class finally gave us the battle we’ve been waiting for. Deegan and Levi Kitchen up front early did not disappoint. It was a cat-and-mouse fight, aggressive at times, but mostly clean. What stood out was that even with all the back-and-forth between them, they still put nearly 30 seconds on Max Anstie. At this point it may be too late for Kitchen in the championship, but it’s hard not to wonder what could have been with better starts in the early rounds. Deegan is in complete control heading into the break, and right now it’s hard to see anyone stopping him.
Next week the series heads to Dallas, where if history tells us anything, Cooper Webb will be a threat. In the 250 class we get a fresh start with the East division, which should bring some new energy and excitement. As we approach the midpoint of the season, expect the separation at the top to continue, and this championship fight to narrow to two or three riders.
