Ryan Nitzen | January 20, 2024
Welcome to sunny San Diego! Well, not so sunny today. Rains cancelled the second qualifying sessions but the track crew did their best to salvage the course and it provided a wild night of racing. In the end fans saw Aaron Plessinger and Nate Thrasher claim the wins in their respective classes.
It’s the 50th anniversary round too which means we’ll see some celebratory graphics and gear sets. Scroll through to see it all!
450 Start. Photos: Brown Dog Wilson
Main Events
450SX
Another exciting round of racing as the 450SX riders took to the track for their main event. The track crew did their best to prep the rutted course and give the riders the best surface to race on.
Roczen got the start and led early on.
Ken Roczen grabbed a big holeshot and looked to be running away with the win in the first half of the race. He carried the top spot over until a big slide out saw him crash out of the lead. While kickstarting his bike, and later stalling it one turn later, Roczen dropped down to 12th at the finish.
Plessinger leading Barcia and Webb.
Plessinger claimed his first-ever 450SX main event win.
Roczen’s crash allowed second place Aaron Plessinger to move into the lead. Plessinger looked comfortable in the soft conditions and held the lead from there on out. Despite attacks from second place, AP7 led until the checkered flag flew. This is his first 450SX victory and the roaring crowd certainly voiced their approval of the KTM Cowboy. Plessinger also carries the red plate into Anaheim 2 next week.
Webb put in multiple charges but couldn’t get close enough to make a pass.
Cooper Webb put in a hard charge for second place. He’d make a run at Plessinger then a mistake would set him back. Then a run, then a mistake. Webb got the closest late in the race but approached Chase Sexton who was going a lap down. Sexton and Webb made contact which forced Webb to roll the following rhythm section and essentially ended his shot at the win. This is Webb’s best result of the year.
Barcia grabbed his first podium of the year.
Justin Barcia rebounded from a poor result last week to a podium finish tonight. The GasGas rider fought for the lead in the early portion of the race but kept it consistent for a third. A podium for Barcia is also his best finish so far in 2024.
450 Podium.
Jett Lawrence and Jason Anderson finished fourth and fifth after a back-and-forth battle which ended with some heated words after the race. Chase Sexton and Eli Tomac went a lap down in eighth and ninth respectively.
450SX Main Event (Top 10)
| 1. |
Aaron Plessinger |
(KTM) |
22 Laps |
| 2. |
Cooper Webb |
(Yam) |
+02.188 |
| 3. |
Justin Barcia |
(GG) |
+22.099 |
| 4. |
Jett Lawrence |
(Hon) |
+37.164 |
| 5. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
+42.230 |
| 6. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Hon) |
+44.447 |
| 7. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
+52.323 |
| 8. |
Chase Sexton |
(KTM) |
21 Laps |
| 9. |
Eli Tomac |
(Yam) |
+04.517 |
| 10. |
Dean Wilson |
(Hon) |
+21.237 |
250SX
The 250SX main event saw the riders push it to the absolute limit as the track was the driest it’d been all night. RJ Hampshire started things off with the holeshot and led for the opening laps before a mistake in the whoops let Garret Marchbanks by.
Thrasher held on for his first win of the season.
Marchbanks carried the top spot for the middle portion of the race and opened up a slight gap over Hampshire, Levi Kitchen, and Nate Thrasher. Kitchen later fell while chasing Hampshire which bumped Thrasher up into a podium position.
Garret Marchbanks led laps but later finished second.
As the race neared the white flag, Marchbanks ran into the back of a lapped rider which allowed Thrasher to jump into the lead just after the finish line. Marchbanks continued in hot pursuit but couldn’t seal the deal on a pass back. Hampshire also stayed in the mix in the final laps and made it a three-way battle for the lead.
Smith stayed in it and snuck through to third.
In the end Thrasher held on for his first win of the year with Marchbanks crossing second. Hampshire threw it away with a huge highside in the second to last turn and dropped to sixth. This crash allowed points leader Jordon Smith to slide into the final podium spot.
250SX Podium.
250SX Main Event (Top 10)
| 1. |
Nate Thrasher |
(Yam) |
16 Laps |
| 2. |
Garrett Marchbanks |
(Yam) |
+01.203 |
| 3. |
Jordon Smith |
(Yam) |
+05.141 |
| 4. |
Jo Shimoda |
(Hon) |
+05.572 |
| 5. |
Levi Kitchen |
(Kaw) |
+06.390 |
| 6. |
RJ Hampshire |
(Hus) |
+10.486 |
| 7. |
Mitchell Oldenburg |
(Hon) |
+38.741 |
| 8. |
Ryder Difrancesco |
(GG) |
+51.399 |
| 9. |
Hunter Yoder |
(Kaw) |
15 Laps |
| 10. |
Anthony Bourdon |
(Suz) |
+11.599 |
Qualifying
450SX
Times are close as the top seven riders are all on the same second. Conditions got worse as the rain came down but Ken Roczen made the best of it and came out with the fastest time in the 450 class. Eli Tomac clocked in for second despite a big crash and was only two-tenths off Roczen’s pace. Chase Sexton rounded out the top three just clear of Jason Anderson and Dylan Ferrandis.
Ken Roczen posted the best time in the 450 class. Photos: Brown Dog Wilson
Tomac clocked second even with a crash.
Last week’s winner, Chase Sexton, qualified third.
Jason Anderson was fourth.
And Dylan Ferrandis rounded out the top five.
450SX Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Ken Roczen |
(Suz) |
52.027 |
| 2. |
Eli Tomac |
(Yam) |
52.223 |
| 3. |
Chase Sexton |
(KTM) |
52.307 |
| 4. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
52.477 |
| 5. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Hon) |
52.479 |
| 6. |
Jett Lawrence |
(Hon) |
52.864 |
| 7. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
52.982 |
| 8. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
53.112 |
| 9. |
Cooper Webb |
(Yam) |
53.474 |
| 10. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hus) |
53.561 |
250SX
Points leader Jordon Smith grabbed top honors with the fastest time of the day as conditions were still dry in the early parts of the 250 session. Jo Shimoda looked quick on his retro themed Honda for second and RJ Hampshire grabbed third.
Jordon Smith got out front early and set the best time of the day.
Shimoda styled his way to second.
250SX West Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Jordon Smith |
(Yam) |
50.931 |
| 2. |
Jo Shimoda |
(Hon) |
51.076 |
| 3. |
RJ Hampshire |
(Hus) |
51.671 |
| 4. |
Julien Beaumer |
(KTM) |
51.781 |
| 5. |
Max Miller |
(Suz) |
51.808 |
| 6. |
Talon Hawkins |
(KTM) |
51.920 |
| 7. |
Ryder DiFrancesco |
(GG) |
52.054 |
| 8. |
Levi Kitchen |
(Kaw) |
52.104 |
| 9. |
Carson Mumford |
(Hon) |
52.151 |
| 10. |
Mitchell Oldenburg |
(Hon) |
52.328 |
In The Pits
The Honda HRC team is sporting this retro kit inspired by the Honda Elsinore.
The Twisted Tea Suzuki squad is running this 90’s Suzuki “S” kit.
Another homerun is from the Heartbeat Hotsauce Yamaha team with their ’96 YZ look.
And a Bradshaw lid to match.
The AEO KTM team with their throwback theme. The Canvas gear is pulls it all together.
The MotoConcepts Honda team has this ’95-96 McGrath Honda look.
Press Day Video
