Cycle News Staff | May 4, 2024
We are live from Denver for round 16 of the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series. This is the penultimate round of the championship and although Jett Lawrence has started to open a small gap over Cooper Webb, we learned last year that things can change quickly. Eli Tomac started the Denver round with a safe points lead before an Achillies injury at his home state race ended his season.
Jett Lawrence took his third win in a row and sixth of the season to win the Denver 450SX main event. His HRC Honda teammate and brother Hunter led much of the main event and finished a close second. In the 250SX main event, it was another HRC Honda rider on the top step with Jo Shimoda taking his first win of the season.
Denver 450SX Results
Hunter Lawrence grabbed the early lead and was followed by his brother Jett. The Honda duo ran in that order for the first half of the race with Hunter riding a fast pace and Jett seemingly content to follow his older brother.
Jett Lawrence took the Denver 450SX main event win after passing his brother Hunter mid-way through the race. Photos by BrownDogWilson.
The Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha trio of Cooper Webb, Eli Tomac and Cooper Webb ran third through fifth at the start. Tomac passed Cooper for second on the third lap but went down soon after and eventually finished tenth.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson was the rider on the move and eventually worked his way into third and was close enough to put a little pressure on Jett, which seemed to push him to make a move on Hunter to take the lead. Andersen kept it pretty close until late in the race but was not close enough to make a serious threat but was clear of Justin Barcia, who worked his way into fourth on the Troy Lee Designs GasGas.
Jett Lawrence celebrates his eighth win of the season in Denver and was joined by his brother Hunter in second (right) and Jason Anderson in third.
Webb was riding with an injured wrist that was visibly causing him some issues and he held on for a fifth-place finish to keep the championship alive going into the Salt Lake City final. Webb is now twenty points behind and the only rider mathematically alive in the championship.
Justin Cooper finished sixth on his Yamaha. Malcolm Stewart finished seventh on his Husqvarna despite getting stuck behind a down Chase Sexton in the first turn and later going down while attempting a pass on Cooper. Sexton recovered from his first turn crash to get as high as sixth before crashing but still held on for eighth. Dylan Ferrandis finished ninth on the Phoenix Honda and Tomac rounded out the top ten.
2024 Denver 450SX Overall Results (Top 10)
| 1. |
Jett Lawrence |
(Hon) |
24 Laps |
| 2. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
+01.802 |
| 3. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
+05.404 |
| 4. |
Justin Barcia |
(GG) |
+12.175 |
| 5. |
Cooper Webb |
(Yam) |
+22.017 |
| 6. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
+22.433 |
| 7. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hus) |
+26.219 |
| 8. |
Chase Sexton |
(KTM) |
+33.386 |
| 9. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Hon) |
+43.726 |
| 10. |
Eli Tomac |
(Yam) |
+48.214 |
Denver 250SX Results
HRC Honda’s Jo Shimoda took his second career 250SX win after leading it right from the start. Levi Kitchen moved into second quickly with a pass on Monster Energy Star Yamaha’s Nate Trasher and Kitchen’s title rival RJ Hampshire also moved into third early in the race. Shimoda held a pretty safe two second lead for most of the race but Kitchen and Hampshire both closed in on the last lap to make it interesting, but they finished in that order.
HRC Honda’s Jo Shimoda took the Denver 250SX West main event after leading it wire to wire.
Trasher finished in fourth ahead of his teammate Jordon Smith. Club MX FXR Muc Off Yamaha’s Phil Nicoletti finished sixth. Cole Thompson finished seventh on a Yamaha and fellow Yamah rider Robbie Wageman finished eighth. Talon Hawkins finished ninth on the AEO KTM and Red Bull KTM’s Julien Beaumer rounded out the top ten.
Jo Shimoda (center) took his second career 250SX main event win and first for Honda at the 2024 Denver Supercross. Levi Kitchen (left) finished second and RJ Hampshire finished third. Kitchen and Hampshire are now tied in points going to the Salt Lake City finale next weekend.
For the 250SX West championship, RJ Hampshire and Levi Kitchen are tied going into the Salt Lake City final next weekend. That race will be an East / West Shootout round with KTM’s Tom Vialle leading Haiden Deegan in the 250SX East Championship by fifteen points.
2024 Denver 250SX West Overall Results (Top 10)
| 1. |
Jo Shimoda |
(Hon) |
18 Laps |
| 2. |
Levi Kitchen |
(Kaw) |
+00.649 |
| 3. |
RJ Hampshire |
(Hus) |
+02.163 |
| 4. |
Nate Thrasher |
(Yam) |
+20.285 |
| 5. |
Jordon Smith |
(Yam) |
+40.798 |
| 6. |
Phillip Nocoletti |
(Yam) |
+1:00.051 |
| 7. |
Cole Thompson |
(Yam) |
+1:04:581 |
| 8. |
Robbie Wageman |
(Yam) |
17 Laps |
| 9. |
Talon Hawkins |
(KTM) |
+05:295 |
| 10. |
Julien Beaumer |
(KTM) |
+10.412 |
QUALIFYING
HRC Honda’s Jett Lawrence, who holds a twelve point lead in the championship over Cooper Webb came topped the timing sheets in the combined qualifying sessions with a 53.866 second lap. Rockstar Husqvarna’s Malcolm Stewart put in his best qualifying session of the season with a 54.104 for the second fastest time. Red Bull KTM’s Chase Sexton was at the top of the leaderboard for a while but ultimately finished third with a 54.111 second lap.
Jett Lawrence set the fastest 450SX qualifying time in Denver. The HRC Honda rider seems determined to hold his championship points lead with just two races to go. Photography by BrownDogWilson.
Hunter Lawrence finished fourth on his HRC Honda and Jason rounded out the top five on his Monster Energy Kawasaki. Home state Hero Eli Tomac finished eighth.
Malcolm Stewart showed some speed that he has been missing so far in 2024 and set the second fastest 450SX qualifying time.
Chase Sexton has been fast the last few weeks and was again battling for the top spot in qualifying in Denver. He ended up third.
450SX Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Jett Lawrence |
(Hon) |
53.866 |
| 2. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hus) |
52.104 |
| 3. |
Chase Sexton |
(KTM) |
54.111 |
| 4. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
54.328 |
| 5. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
54.620 |
| 6. |
Cooper Webb |
(Yam) |
54.887 |
| 7. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
55.073 |
| 8. |
Eli Tomac |
(Yam) |
55.129 |
| 9. |
Justin Barcia |
(GG) |
55.225 |
| 10. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Hon) |
55.490 |
250SX WEST QUALIFYING
250SX West Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
Rockstar Husqvarna’s RJ Hampshire took the 250SX points lead with a win at the previous round in Nashville and he came out on top of the battle for the fastest time in the combined qualifying practice sessions with a 54.546 fastest lap. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Levi Kitchen was the points leader until a crash in Nashville resulted in a fourteenth-place finish and he now trails Hampshire by two points. Kitchen finished second in the timed qualifying with a 54.643 second lap.
RJ Hampshire is looking to maintain the momentum he gained with his Nashville 250SX win. He was fastest in qualifying in Denver.
Levi Kitchen put in the second fastest time in qualifying. The Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider is looking to regain the 250SX region points lead that he lost in Nashville.
Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha rider Nate Trasher had the third fastest time followed by teammate Jordon Smith. Red Bull KTM’s Julien Beaumer rounded out the top five.
| 1. |
RJ Hampshire |
(Hus) |
54.546 |
| 2. |
Levi Kitchen |
(Kaw) |
54.643 |
| 3. |
Nate Thrasher |
(Yam) |
54.672 |
| 4. |
Jordon Smith |
(Yam) |
54.955 |
| 5. |
Julien Beaumer |
(KTM) |
54.989 |
| 6. |
Jo Shimoda |
(Hon) |
55.983 |
| 7. |
Anthony Bourdon |
(Suz) |
57.343 |
| 8. |
Cole Thompson |
(Yam) |
57.366 |
| 9. |
Ryder DiFrencesco |
(GG) |
57.366 |
| 10. |
Talon Hawkins |
(KTM) |
57.511 |
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