Somehow the 2025 season of Monster Energy AMA Supercross just keeps delivering night after night of jaw dropping action, and Denver definitely provided some highlights in what’s already been an epic season. To get a better understanding of what was one of the nuttiest nights of the season, we fired off our burning questions to former pro and NBC reporter, Jason Thomas.
The conditions in Denver are typically quite dry and slick. Did the trend hold true this year? If so, what are some examples of how that affected the way the guys interacted with the racing surface?
Yes, it definitely got hard and slippery. The SMX Track Crew added sand to the soil in hopes of softening the composition and making it more pliable. That sand often gets blown off and once the riders get to the base soil, it’s almost irrelevant. It could be argued that it helped with berm traction, though. The hard sections were basically blue-grooved concrete in the main events, which is normal for Denver. I’m a fan of having multiple types of terrain so riders are challenged across all facets. The range from Seattle to Denver is broad and puts riders to the test.
Empower Field at Mile High is, well, a mile high in elevation. Does this impact the performance of the bikes or the physiological performance of the riders more?
In a word, both. The elevation robs power from the motorcycles and for the 250s, they don’t have much in the way of remedy as they are already pressing the limits of power and reliability. For the 450s, specifically the factory teams, they can add engine compression, change cams, and adjust ECU mapping to compensate. They wouldn’t likely push this level of performance at sea level but they have power in their back pocket when they need it.
For the physiological performance, once things got rolling, I didn’t notice too much of a difference. I noticed it more when warming up or doing simple tasks, but adrenaline is a powerful mask for pain or suffering. That’s not to say my energy output wasn’t effected when I was racing, I just didn’t notice it much in the heat of battle.
Julien Beaumer was on point in qualifying and set the fastest time in both sessions. How much of that do you think was him being good on this type of soil, and how much of it was his shoulder having more time to heal after he dislocated it in Arlington?
The soil was the larger impact but his shoulder was better and he was able to prepare more coming in. He is very efficient on hard soil. He can find traction when others are feeling a bit less confident. Watching him in the corners was a master class. As a rider who didn’t feel as good when traction was reduced, I marvel at his skill in slippery conditions.
Haiden Deegan put an extremely aggressive move on Cole Davies late in the 250SX main event that sent Davies over the berm and onto the ground. Did it surprise you that Deegan was that aggressive on his teammate, and do you think the intent was to actually clean Davies out?
It was aggressive but not extremely agressive, in my opinion. Anytime you hit side by side, it simply can’t be that egregious. He wasn’t trying to knock Davies down. That type of move involves putting your front wheel into someone with intent. That’s literally the definition of a T-bone (the lower leg of the T would be the front wheel connecting broadside into the competitor). This was far from that. Deegan wanted to make a forceful pass but Davies also has to understand that he didn’t have any leverage in that situation and caution was the better part of valor. Give Deegan the line and try to counter in the following corners. That was really his only recourse.
The spot where Deegan punted Davies is the exact same spot he took Davies out during qualifying. Is there any connection there, or is that a stretch?
This will be an unpopular answer but Davies made the same mistake twice. When you’re on the outside and running out of track, you have to brake. You are in the vulnerable spot and contingent on what the rider to the inside decides. Pressing the envelope there is a great way to end up on the ground. The only possible way to press there from the outside is if you have 100 percent certainty that your teammate will check up and give you room. Davies has to, and I mean has to, assume he will not be given any quarter. He won’t make that mistake again.
Drew Adams was back after sustaining a collarbone injury in Glendale. He was pretty good too, finishing eighth. Was that better, or about where you thought he would be?
I think this was a solid performance. He’s not 100 percent yet so a top ten is solid. He’s in the learning phase and just needs experience and reps. I like his chances of being a top five guy in 2026.
After the 450SX main Chase Sexton said he was fired up during the race because he thought Cooper Webb had almost taken him out by cutting over on him on the start. Did you see what Sexton was referring to?
Yes, in the first rhythm, Webb clips the tabletop and veers a bit right to protect the inside going into the bowl berm. Sexton had to brake hard and almost went into the tough blocks. Anytime a rider moves directionally in the air, it’s risky. I don’t think Webb was trying to chop Sexton’s front wheel, that’s very out of character. But Sexton had a close call because of Webb’s move and intentional or not, it’s fair to assume he was angered with cause. Almost being taken down is not much fun, especially mid-rhythm.
That battle for third in the 450SX main between Webb, Justin Cooper, and Malcolm Stewart was incredible! Do you think Cooper would have passed his teammate, Webb, if there weren’t championship implications involved, or was Webb simply going fast enough to prevent that from happening?
He would have certainly tried! Those two are tight. J-Coop was never going to put a move on Webb in that spot. He could have run it up the inside or tried multiple angles to make a move but he never even positioned himself to. His main goal was to get the podium spot and not steal points from his training partner and friend/teammate. He managed the situation about as well as humanly possible, too. To not interrupt Webb but also hold off Malcolm was a clinic of situational racing. The stress felt by Webb and J-Coop both had to be 10/10 trying to walk that tight rope.
After the race Webb looked absolutely gassed, and he mentioned he’d been under the weather. How difficult is it to perform at that level, for that length of time, when you’re suffering?
He was sick during the week and he looked it on Saturday. Energy levels are lower and it’s difficult to get your body to respond to the max load he’s pressing for. Performance on all fronts is simply lower. He’s a gamer, though, and was able to execute. The start was so critical in that it allowed him to play defense. If he had started tenth and been forced to work through the field while sick, the outcome would almost certainly not have been the same.
Shane McElrath was exceptional in Denver. He got a good start and ran fourth for quite a while before eventually finishing sixth. We know he’s good in mud, but Denver was the opposite of mud! What was he doing that made him so good?
The start was very important but he was also great in the whoops. So much of the racetrack is similar for much of the field but there are specific sections that separate. He was able to match pace with the frontrunners in the whoops and then hold his own everywhere else. Couple that with great first lap positioning and the battle becomes straight forward. Kudos to McElrath on a fantastic 2025.
