As mentioned, Vialle comes in with the 250SX East Division points lead, as he enters with a one-point advantage over Max Anstie. Anstie won the opening round, finished second at the Detroit SX after the late-race red flag restart, and then finished sixth and seventh at the Daytona and Indianapolis SX rounds. Anstie told our Tom Journet on Friday that a press day crash at Daytona left him toughing out the previous two rounds, but he is ready for the gate drops today. The big winner at the Indianapolis Supercross 250SX East/West Showdown, Seth Hammaker enters today third in the standings, 11 points behind Vialle. Daytona SX winner RJ Hampshire sits fourth (12 points down) and Nate Thrasher (26 points down) round out the top five. Thrasher was dealing with a broken finger he suffered ahead of the second race, and told Journet the weekend off helped him help up some after surgery before Daytona. Four different winners in the first four rounds—Anstie, Levi Kitchen (out for the immediate future after getting banged up in a Daytona crash), Hampshire, and Hammaker—and just when this championship could not get any more exciting, we have our first Triple Crown for this championship! Good luck on guessing tonight’s overall winner.

In the 450SX Class, Cooper Webb enters today’s tenth round—and third and final Triple Crown—with a 15-point lead on Chase Sexton. Webb is the second-most winningest rider in the Triple Crown format since its inception prior to the 2018 season as he sits only behind Eli Tomac in terms of both individual race wins (nine for Webb after Tomac’s leading 18 race wins) AND overall wins (five for Webb behind Tomac’s leading eight overall wins). While Webb seems to flourish when it is crunch time, there is still a lot of racing to go here. Chase Sexton, Ken Roczen, and crew are looking to stop Webb’s roll before the Webb Wagon gets going at full speed ahead. Throw in Justin Cooper, Malcolm Stewart, Jason Anderson, Justin Barcia, Justin Hill, Aaron Plessinger, and more, and we should be set for another day of action-packed gate drops.

Oh, and we have our third SMX Next - Supercross (formerly named SX Futures) qualifying race today. Landen Gordon has scored the first two wins (the Daytona round looked to be Alex Fedortsov's win until he suffered a flat tire and DNF) but there are no championship points in this program, everyone is just qualifying for the winner-take-all National Championship race in Pittsburgh in April. These riders are the future of the sport—get to know their names now. If you missed our SMX Next preview video and entry list, make sure to check it out: SMX Next – Supercross Preview for Birmingham. 

Stay tuned into this post, as well as our social media pages for more updates throughout the entire day.

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Check out the full race day schedule below. Times are Eastern.

Free Practice

First Qualifying Sessions

450 Qualifying

Max Anstie Injured

As mentioned above, Max Anstie ejected on a jump during qualifying and his leg stuck into the ground on the landing. He came down on both feet and immediately began favoring his left ankle/lower leg.

The session was red flagged in order for the Alpinestars medical crew to tend to Anstie. He was eventually helped off the track, although he did not put any pressure on his left leg, while he held his left ankle/boot in the air. Anstie got onto the back of the medical cart, and he sitting up as he was taken to the mobile medical unit for evaluation. 

Race Day Live's "Lurch" has confirmed a broken fibula (lower leg bone) for Anstie, who was second in 250SX East Division points entering the event.

Another Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing Update

Second Qualifying Sessions

250SX

450SX

Ken Roczen Update

Per the Race Day Live broadcast crew, Ken Roczen pulled off during the second 450SX group A qualifying session due to a shoulder injury (AC separation) he is dealing with. Roczen is still expected to race tonight (10th overall in qualifying). We will provide more information when we can. Listen to Justin Brayton explain the situation below.

LCCQs

250SX

450SX

Night Show

250SX Race One

The gates dropped on the first race of the night, and it was RJ Hampshire with the holeshot, barely over Daxton Bennick, Tom Vialle, and Seth Hammaker. Unfortunately for Hammaker, he went down in the 180-degree turn leading into the whoops, which collected a majority of the field—and took Hammaker a minute to get going again himself. Out front, Hampshire pulled away with the lead, but Vialle kept him honest late. As the duo navigated lapped riders on the final lap, Vialle closed up right onto the rear wheel of Hampshire! Vialle was smart about it though and did not force a pass, knowing he has two more races to go on the night. Hammaker eventually got up to ninth by the checkered flag. Nate Thrasher finished a sneaky third place. Max Vohland and Carson Mumford both had great riders of their own to round out the top five.

450SX Race One

The gates dropped on the 450SX class for the first time, and it was Aaron Plessinger with the holeshot! Cooper Webb went down in the same spot Hammaker went down in the first 250SX race! Webb was outside the top 15 but he got to work. Plessinger lead Jason Anderson but eventually Anderson was under fire from Chase Sexton. Sexton setup Anderson perfectly in the turn after the finish line, pulling off a perfect block pass. Sexton’s rear wheel caught Anderson’s front wheel, sending the #21 to the ground! Not ideal to piss of the #21 machine—we’ll see if there will be any retaliation later today or over the next few races even. A few laps later, Sexton caught up to his teammate Plessinger and pulled off a pass in the same turn where he passed Anderson—although this time the #4 kept it clean. Plessinger fought back the next section, but Sexton got the triple out of the turn, giving him some breathing room quickly. Sexton would go on to take the race win by over five seconds. The #4 also had the fastest lap of the race—a 56.710. Malcolm Stewart, who was collected in that crash with Justin Hill in the second qualifying session, charged to a third-place finish. Ken Roczen made some really nice moves throughout the race, even going from seventh to fourth in a matter of a few turns! Roczen came through fifth as Anderson finished fifth as Webb came through seventh.

250SX Race Two

The gates dropped on the second 250SX race and it was Seth Hammaker who rebounded after his early race mistake in race one to grab the holeshot! Race on winner RJ Hampshire was all over Hammaker, but he slowly started to pull away from Hampshire and the field. Carson Mumford and Nate Thrasher settled into third and fourth as Tom Vialle charged up to fifth. Hammaker took his first ever Triple Crown induvial race win—he hasn’t raced this format much in his career due to injuries—as Hampshire and Thrasher rounded out the podium. Mumford and Vialle rounded out the top five.

450SX Race Two

As the second 450SX race began, it was much of the same from the first race: Aaron Plessinger got the holeshot. And again, Plessinger had his KTM teammate Chase Sexton all over him. Sexton passed Plessinger in the same spot—after the finish line—and checked out. And once again, Jason Anderson was on the ground, as Cooper Webb jumped to the inside line of the #21 machine and Anderson ran out of track on the outside of the 180-degree turn leading into the whoops. Anderson found himself picking up his KX450SR from the Alabama dirt once again. Malcolm Stewart was charging forward again, although the broadcast crew did report his left side is sore from that crash earlier. Still, Stewart caught and passed Plessinger to take over second! Webb got into fourth as Justin Barcia ran fifth. Sexton clicked off his second race win of the night as Stewart and Plessinger swap podium positions from the first race. Webb and Justin Barcia round out the top five.

SMX Next - Supercross Main Event

The third qualifying round of SMX Next - Supercross was up next. The gates dropped and it was Husqvarna's Landon Gibson with the holeshot and early race lead. Landen Gordon, winner of the first two qualifying rounds, went down on the over/under bridge, meaning there would be a different winner tonight. Gibson led until he went down in the whoops, which handed the lead over to Alex Fedortsov (leading at Daytona until flat rear tire). But then Fedortsov crashed, handing the lead to his teammate, Ryder Malinoski. But then Malinoski crashed on the final lap! Enter Enzo Temmerman, who finished second the first two races this season. Temmerman, who has had sneaky speed and consistency, used the consistency factor the other riders were not able to tonight. He took his first race win in the program. Luke Fauser and Tiger Wood rounded out the podium as Klark Robbins and Malinoski rounded out the top five. Gordon came through 16th.

250SX Race Three

Seth Hammaker got out to the lead again as the third and final 250SX race started. Nate Thrasher and Tom Vialle were second and third ahead of Daxton Bennick as RJ Hampshire got caught up behind some downed riders in the first turn. Hammaker checked out for the race win, like he did in race two, as Thrasher rode a solid second. Vialle and Bennick battled but Vialle bested his Yamaha competitor. Hampshire charged up to fifth. Hammaker took the race win and although Hampshire entered the final race with the best score, it was Thrasher's 3-3-2 finishes that took the overall win over Hampshire! Vialle rounded out the podium as Hammaker's 9-1-1 finishes landed him fourth overall.

450SX Race Three

The third race began, and it was Chase Sexton out front from the getgo this time! Cooper Webb was all over his title rival and made a pass on Sexton after the KTM rider made a mistake in a turn. Sexton played it smart this time, letting Webb go without forcing to keep the lead and making a mistake (like he did in Arlington). Nope, this time Sexton swallowed his pride and took second place but hung on for the overall win. Malcolm Stewart pushed through the pain of his qualifying crash earlier and charged up to third place after passing Ken Roczen. Plessinger rounded out the top five. Sexton took the overall win over Stewart and Plessinger as Webb came through fourth.