Ryan Nitzen | February 10, 2024
Good afternoon from Glendale! We’re on hand for round six of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series inside State Farm Stadium. Two very close main events saw Ken Roczen and RJ Hampshire take their respective main event victories.
Main Events
450SX
Ken Roczen controlled the 450 main event from start to finish. The Suzuki rider went uncontested in all 20 laps to take his first win of the season. He’s now the fifth winner in six rounds and jumps to sixth in the points race.
Ken Roczen led wire to wire for his first win of the season. Photos: Brown Dog Wilson
Jason Anderson took second. He started third and moved into the second position after Aaron Plessinger hit the deck early in the main event. From there it was smooth sailing for the Kawasaki pilot as he claimed another podium.
Anderson rode a strong and consistent second.
The real fight was for the final podium position between Eli Tomac and Jett Lawrence. Tomac held the spot for most of the race but saw Lawrence take it away with five minutes left on the race clock. Tomac stayed close but was unable to reclaim the position. With the third place finish, Lawrence retakes the points lead.
Jett Lawrence moved to third late in the race.
450 Podium.
450SX Results (Top 10)
| 1. |
Ken Roczen |
(Suz) |
20 Laps |
| 2. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
+04.781 |
| 3. |
Jett Lawrence |
(Hon) |
+09.248 |
| 4. |
Eli Tomac |
(Yam) |
+14.369 |
| 5. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
+18.749 |
| 6. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Hon) |
+24.618 |
| 7. |
Cooper Webb |
(Yam) |
+26.555 |
| 8. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hus) |
+27.358 |
| 9. |
Chase Sexton |
(KTM) |
+37.553 |
| 10. |
Aaron Plessinger |
(KTM) |
+43.016 |
250SX
An exciting 250 main event saw the two points leaders start first and second as the field barrelled into turn one. Levi Kitchen led the way just ahead of Jordon Smith and RJ Hampshire.
RJ Hampshire grabbed his second win of the year.
Kitchen and Smith traded passes in the opening laps with Smith ultimately getting the upper hand after Kitchen’s mistake through the whoop section. The race looked to be his until a fall after the sand section dropped him off the podium. He charged back up but ran into the rear of Kitchen and suffered another huge crash in the rhythm section. Smith remounted and finished fourth.
Kitchen led early and later finished second.
Levi Kitchen led early on but dropped back to third after both Smith and Hampshire made their way around the Kawasaki rider. He move up a spot after Smith’s fall and then again held him off after the second big crash. Kitchen cruised to second behind Hampshire and now takes over the points lead by four.
Jo Shimoda worked his way to third, his best finish of the year.
RJ Hampshire was the man on the move and made his way to the lead after Smith fell just after the sand section. From there it was smooth sailing for the Husqvarna rider who claimed his second win of the season. He’s now third in the standings, just five points shy of the championship lead.
250 Podium.
Jo Shimoda grabbed his first podium of the 2024 season in third place. The Honda HRC rider started back in seventh but continued to work his way up while other riders dropped or fell back. This is Shimoda’s best finish of the year and a good momentum builder as the series heads into a an east-coast break.
250SX West Results (Top 10)
| 1. |
RJ Hampshire |
(Hus) |
16 Laps |
| 2. |
Levi Kitchen |
(Kaw) |
+02.993 |
| 3. |
Jo Shimoda |
(Hon) |
+06.061 |
| 4. |
Jordon Smith |
(Yam) |
+20.025 |
| 5. |
Garrett Marchbanks |
(Yam) |
+26.440 |
| 6. |
Mitchell Oldenburg |
(Hon) |
+29.936 |
| 7. |
Julien Beaumer |
(KTM) |
+32.887 |
| 8. |
Phil Nicoletti |
(Yam) |
+36.575 |
| 9. |
Robbie Wageman |
(Yam) |
+39.572 |
| 10. |
Hunter Yoder |
(Kaw) |
+45.849 |
Qualifying
450SX
This is the longest stadium track we’ll see this year with lap times over the one-minute mark. Jason Anderson logged the best time, just three tenths ahead of Jett Lawrence. Eli Tomac and Ken Roczen were third and fourth, and the only other riders in the 1:03 range. Points leader Chase Sexton is apparently dealing with a sore hand and qualified eighth.
Jason Anderson set the fastest time of the day with a 1:03.4. Photos: Brown Dog Wilson
Jett Lawrence was second.
Eli Tomac looked good for third.
Roczen was fourth, also on the 1:03 mark.
Webb rounded out the top five.
Sexton is said to be riding with a bruised hand. He qualified eighth.
450SX Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
1:03.400 |
| 2. |
Jett Lawrence |
(Hon) |
1:03.734 |
| 3. |
Eli Tomac |
(Yam) |
1:03.856 |
| 4. |
Ken Roczen |
(Suz) |
1:03.863 |
| 5. |
Cooper Webb |
(Yam) |
1:04.071 |
| 6. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hus) |
1:04.249 |
| 7. |
Aaron Plessinger |
(KTM) |
1:04.532 |
| 8. |
Chase Sexton |
(KTM) |
1:04.599 |
| 9. |
Christian Craig |
(Hus) |
1:04.647 |
| 10. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Hon) |
1:04.818 |
250SX West
We’re back on the west with two red plates split between Jordon Smith and Levi Kitchen. Smith set the quickest time in the 250’s just ahead of Kitchen in second and Hamshire in third. AZ local, Juilien Beaumer was fourth with Jo Shimoda in fifth.
Jordon Smith set the fastest time of all the 250 riders.
Levi Kitchen shares the red plate and qualified second.
RJ Hampshire clocked third.
Julien Beaumer, the rookie and Arizona native, grabbed fourth.
Jo Shimoda was fifth.
250SX West Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Jordon Smith |
(Yam) |
1:04.747 |
| 2. |
Levi Kitchen |
(Kaw) |
1:05.157 |
| 3. |
RJ Hampshire |
(Hus) |
1:05.566 |
| 4. |
Julien Beaumer |
(KTM) |
1:05.576 |
| 5. |
Jo Shimoda |
(Hon) |
1:05.900 |
| 6. |
Carson Mumford |
(Hon) |
1:06.125 |
| 7. |
Nate Thrasher |
(Yam) |
1:06.183 |
| 8. |
Ryder DiFrancesco |
(GG) |
1:06.535 |
| 9. |
Garrett Marchbanks |
(Yam) |
1:06.543 |
| 10. |
Mitchell Oldenburg |
(Hon) |
1:06.634 |
