Cycle News Staff | April 10, 2021
2021 Atlanta 1 Supercross Rnd 13 Results: The inaugural Monster Energy AMA Supercross at Georgia’s Atlanta Motor Speedway had a little bit of everything—a new winner, a couple of almost-new-winners, crashes, good racing, rain, mud, and ruts on what was one of the longest tracks in Supercross history. But when all was said and done, it was the veteran and defending champion who put his experience and skills to good use to win the premier main event.
Eli Tomac celebrates the 450SX Atlanta 1 Supercross win alongside Chase Sexton and Cooper Webb. Photos: BrownDog Wilson
Eli Tomac, on the Monster Energy Kawasaki, executed one of his patented come-from-behind wins to keep himself in title contention with just four races to go (two more in Atlanta and two in Salt Lake City). Tomac started the race just inside the top five, but it was a distant top five with a rejuvenated Aaron Plessinger (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) having holeshotted and was quickly sprinting away. But Tomac and the rest of the front-runners got a huge break when Plessinger slid out on the seventh lap (of what would be a 12-lap race), throwing away what looked like was going to be the first 450SX win of his career but instead, he would finish a disappointing, for him, sixth.
Meanwhile, another rider who was in a position to nab the first 450SX win of his career had taken over the lead. Chase Sexton (Honda HRC) inherited first place when Plessinger went down, but there were still six long laps left to go and Tomac had Sexton locked on in his gunsight.
With approximately four seconds between himself and Sexton, Tomac slowly started to reel in the Honda rider. Tomac had whittled Sexton’s lead down to a little more than a second with two laps to go when Sexton was stalled momentarily by a lapper. Tomac saw his chance and pounced and sprinted away for the win, taking the checkered flag 6.7 seconds ahead of Sexton, who lost significant time while losing momentum after the incident with the lapper.
“The track changed throughout the main,” Tomac said. “I switched up the whoops and made up some time [there].”
After winning his heat race earlier in the day, Tomac said patience was the key on this track.
“It was a challenge out there,” Sexton said. “I was struggling in the whoops, couldn’t find a flow. I’d like to re-do those last two turns of the second-to-last lap [but] getting on the box is good.”
Points leader Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM) joined Tomac and Sexton on the podium. Webb put himself in contention for a possible win after starting the race in second, but Webb seemed to play it cautious, knowing his nearest rival in the championship, Ken Roczen, was languishing around in 10th place, finding it difficult to make passes on the tricky racetrack. Webb didn’t put up much of a fight when Sexton and Tomac came calling, saying afterward, that instead of playing it safe, he “…wasn’t pumped with that ride. I didn’t execute. Not the best race, struggled. I’m a little bummed with myself.”
Still, it was a profitable day for Webb who stretched out his points lead on Roczen to 22 from 15.
And third place Tomac gained a lot of ground Roczen. The Kawasaki rider is now well within striking distance of the Honda rider. With four to go, Tomac is just 14 points arear Roczen.
Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), who was the top 450SX qualifier, certainly had the speed to win but a bad start was his undoing. He finished fourth, while Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) rounded out the top five.
Plessinger was sixth, followed by Marvin Musquin, Joey Savatgy, Roczen, and Justin Barcia, who had a quiet day.
Barcia had a poor start and like many struggled to make passes.
Nate Thrasher captured his first Supercross win in the 250SX West main.
The 250SX West class saw another new winner—Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha’s Nate Thrasher of Tennessee. It was quite the turnaround for the Supercross rookie when you consider that his best finish prior to Atlanta 1 was a ninth (which he did twice) and he qualified for today’s main event via the Last Chance qualifier, which he won.
In the main event, Thrasher looked like a Supercross seasoned veteran. He grabbed the holeshot and never looked back, leading all nine laps. He felt some pressure by Garrett Marchbanks, who ran second the whole race until crashing in the whoops three laps from the end, handing Thrasher a super-comfortable 15-second lead. Thrasher eventually took the checkered flag 11.7 seconds ahead of his teammate and class points leader Justin Cooper, who had a couple of crashes on the day.
But Cooper accomplished his main goal of finishing in front of series rivals Cameron McAdoo (Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki), who took third, and Hunter Lawrence (Honda HRC), who took seventh, both also victims of crashes on the slippery track.
Cooper doubled his points lead over McAdoo to four and leads third-place Lawrence by 13 points (the Honda rider was just six points back going into Atlanta 1).
Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) and Kyle Peters (Phoenix Racing Honda) rounded out the top five.
It was a heartbreaker for Marchbanks who was pushing for the win late in the race, only to crash and end up 14th. CN
Atlanta 1 Supercross Results
2021 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship
Round 13
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta, Georgia
April 10, 2021
450SX Results (Top 10)
| 1. |
Eli Tomac |
(Kaw) |
12 Laps |
| 2. |
Chase Sexton |
(Hon) |
06.669 |
| 3. |
Cooper Webb |
(KTM) |
16.864 |
| 4. |
Jason Anderson |
(Hus) |
22.043 |
| 5. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Yam) |
23.883 |
| 6. |
Aaron Plessinger |
(Yam) |
24.868 |
| 7. |
Marvin Musquin |
(KTM) |
26.887 |
| 8. |
Joey Savatgy |
(KTM) |
28.643 |
| 9. |
Ken Roczen |
(Hon) |
29.199 |
| 10. |
Justin Barcia |
(GG) |
33.534 |
250SX West (Top 10)
| 1. |
Nate Thrasher |
(Yam) |
9 Laps |
| 2. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
11.677 |
| 3. |
Cameron McAdoo |
(Kaw) |
28.108 |
| 4. |
Seth Hammaker |
(Yam) |
29.961 |
| 5. |
Kyle Peters |
(Hon) |
43.883 |
| 6. |
Mitchell Harrison |
(Hon) |
48.518 |
| 7. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
49i.245 |
| 8. |
Jalek Swoll |
(Hus) |
53.515 |
| 9. |
Pierce Brown |
(GG) |
56.499 |
| 10. |
Coty Schock |
(Hon) |
59.304 |
450SX Point Standings (After 13 of 17 rounds)
| 1. |
Cooper Webb |
(KTM) |
296/6 wins |
| 2. |
Ken Roczen |
(Hon) |
274/3 wins |
| 3. |
Eli Tomac |
(Kaw) |
260/3 wins |
| 4. |
Justin Barcia |
(GG) |
227/1 win |
| 5. |
Aaron Plessinger |
(Yam) |
200 |
| 6. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Yam) |
191 |
| 7. |
Jason Anderson |
(Hus) |
190 |
| 8. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Yam) |
171 |
| 9. |
Joey Savatgy |
(KTM) |
153 |
| 10. |
Marvin Musquin |
(KTM) |
152 |
250SX West Point Standings (After 6 of 10 rounds)
| 1. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
131/2 wins |
| 2. |
Cameron McAdoo |
(Kaw) |
127/1 win |
| 3. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
118/1 win |
| 4. |
Jalek Swoll |
(Hus) |
108 |
| 5. |
Seth Hammaker |
(Kaw) |
107/1 win |
| 6. |
Garrett Marchbanks |
(Yam) |
102 |
| 7. |
Nate Thrasher |
(Yam) |
82/1 win |
| 8. |
Kyle Peters |
(Hon) |
81 |
| 9. |
Chris Blose |
(GG) |
78 |
| 10. |
Coty Schock |
(Hon) |
70 |
Atlanta 1 Supercross Qualifying Results
2021 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship
Round 13
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta, Georgia
April 10, 2021
2021 Atlanta 1 Supercross Rnd 13 Results: After a longer-than-usual two-week break in the 2021 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, racing has resumed for round 13 in Atlanta, Georgia, at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This will be the first of the five remaining races that will be held “outdoors,” and the weather is already a factor.
Jason Anderson was the top qualifier at the Atlanta 1 Supercross. The threat of rain shortened the qualifiers. Photo: BrownDog Wilson
The threat of rain forced the cancelation of free practice, and only one timed qualifying session was used due to rain to set the playing field for this afternoon’s race, which is scheduled to get underway at 3:00 p.m. local time.
The Atlanta track is a huge one. More space means a much longer track compared to indoor tracks. For comparison, the previous race at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, produced lap times in the upper 40-second range and this track is producing laps times in the one minute and 30+-second range.
Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) put together the best lap of the 450s with a 1:37.726, followed by Chase Sexton (Honda HRC), the only other rider in the 37s. Aaron Plessinger (Yam), Malcolm Stewart (Yam), and Dean Wilson (Hus) round out the top five.
The championship contenders Eli Tomac (6th). Ken Roczen (7th), and Cooper Webb (9th) appear to be saving their best for the afternoon program.
Justin Barcia, who has a history of success in the mud, qualified eighth.
Webb enjoys a 15-point lead over Roczen in the 450SX Championship. Tomac is third but trails Roczen by 26 points.
Cameron Mcadoo topped 250SX West qualifying.
Cameron McAdoo (Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) leads the way in the 250SX West qualifying over championship leader Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) and Hunter Lawrence (Honda HRC).
Cooper holds a slim two-point lead over McAdoo in the 250SX West Championship with Lawrence another four points back in third.
Rain is in the forecast through 2 p.m. local time.
Atlanta 1 Supercross Qualifying Results
2021 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship
Round 13
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta, Georgia
April 10, 2021
QUALIFYING ATLANTA 1
450SX Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Jason Anderson |
(Hus) |
1:37.726 |
| 2. |
Chase Sexton |
(Hon) |
1:37.991 |
| 3. |
Aaron Plessinger |
(Yam) |
1:38.991 |
| 4. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Yam) |
1:38.870 |
| 5. |
Dean Wilson |
(Hus) |
1:39.017 |
| 6. |
Eli Tomac |
(Kaw) |
1:39.077 |
| 7. |
Ken Roczen |
(Hon) |
1:39.312 |
| 8. |
Justin Barcia |
(GG) |
1:39.393 |
| 9. |
Cooper Webb |
(KTM) |
1:39.423 |
| 10. |
Martin Davalos |
(KTM) |
1:40.515 |
250SX West Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Cameron McAdoo |
(Kaw) |
1:39.185 |
| 2. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
1:39.610 |
| 3. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
1:41.289 |
| 4. |
Ryan Sipes |
(GG) |
1:41.447 |
| 5. |
Chris Blose |
(GG) |
1:41.517 |
| 6. |
Seth Hammaker |
(Kaw) |
1:41.844 |
| 7. |
Garrett Marchbanks |
(Yam) |
1:42.418 |
| 8. |
Stilez Robertson |
(Hus) |
1:42.572 |
| 9. |
Nate Thrasher |
(Yam) |
1:42.817 |
| 10. |
Kyle Peters |
(Hon) |
1:42.872 |
MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSS POINT STANDINGS
450SX Point Standings (After 12 of 17 rounds)
| 1. |
Cooper Webb |
(KTM) |
275/6 wins |
| 2. |
Ken Roczen |
(Hon) |
260/3 wins |
| 3. |
Eli Tomac |
(Kaw) |
234/2wins |
| 4. |
Justin Barcia |
(GG) |
214/1 win |
| 5. |
Aaron Plessinger |
(Yam) |
183 |
| 6. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Yam) |
179 |
| 7. |
Jason Anderson |
(Hus) |
171 |
| 8. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Yam) |
153 |
| 9. |
Joey Savatgy |
(KTM) |
138 |
| 10. |
Marvin Musquin |
(KTM) |
136 |
250SX West Point Standings (After 5 of 10 rounds)
| 1. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
108/2 wins |
| 2. |
Cameron McAdoo |
(Kaw) |
106/1 win |
| 3. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
102/1 win |
| 4. |
Jalek Swoll |
(Hus) |
93 |
| 5. |
Garrett Marchbanks |
(Yam) |
93 |
| 6. |
Seth Hammaker |
(Kaw) |
88/1 win |
| 7. |
Chris Blose |
(GG) |
68 |
| 8. |
Kyle Peters |
(Hon) |
63 |
| 9. |
Coty Schock |
(Hon) |
57 |
| 10. |
Nate Thrasher |
(Yam) |
56 |
Monster Energy Supercross/Telecast Schedule
| Saturday, January 16 |
Houston (East) |
NBCSN |
6 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, January 19 |
Houston (East) |
NBCSN* |
10:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, January 23 |
Houston (East) |
NBCSN |
8 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, January 30 |
Indianapolis (East) |
NBCSN |
8 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, January 31 |
Indianapolis (East) |
NBC** |
11 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, February 2 |
Indianapolis (East) |
NBCSN* |
11 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, February 6 |
Indianapolis (East) |
NBCSN |
8 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, February 13 |
Orlando (East) |
NBCSN |
7:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, February 20 |
Orlando (West) |
NBCSN |
7 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, March 6 |
Daytona (West) |
NBCSN |
7 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, March 13 |
Arlington (West) |
NBCSN |
7 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, March 16 |
Arlington (West) |
NBCSN* |
10:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, March 20 |
Arlington (West) |
NBCSN* |
10:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, April 10 |
Atlanta (West) |
NBC |
3 p.m. ET |
| Tuesday, April 13 |
Atlanta (West) |
NBCSN* |
10 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, April 17 |
Atlanta (West) |
NBCSN* |
8:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, April 24 |
Salt Lake City (West) |
NBCSN |
7 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, May 1 |
Salt Lake City (East/West) |
NBCSN |
10 p.m. ET |
| Sunday, May 2 |
Salt Lake City (East/West) |
NBC** |
1:30 p.m. ET |
*Same-day delay
**Taped coverage
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Click here for complete 2021 Atlanta 1 Rnd 13 Results.
