2020 Salt Lake City One Supercross | Race Preview

2020 SALT LAKE CITY ONE SUPERCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE
2020 UTAH SUPERCROSS RESTART DETAILS

Do we really need to write another introduction paragraph that explains the excitement of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series restarting? Or can we just talk about what we’re going to see on Sunday when riders in the 250 East Coast Region and 450 Class hit the track at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City? Okay cool.

Seven races in three weeks. Consistency will be more important than ever because there are only so many chances to put in results and establish one’s rank in the running order. A crash or injury could prove to be disastrous for any rider, as there will be little time between the Sunday and Wednesday races to heal up (being in SLC for the entire duration, away from a rider’s usual resources like cryotherapy and therapists, will be another issue entirely). It’s going to be a completely new challenge for racers and teams, but everyone has to deal with the same circumstances and the best in the field will rise to the occasion.

What strategy will riders develop to get through the month? Will it be smarter to take it easy through the first few races in order to be healthy in the last few? Or should they lay it all on the line right away, just because there is a constant chance that the whole thing could be stopped at any moment (COVID-19, yes, but there is now social unrest right down the street for the stadium). There are riders known for their ability to come out firing right away, while others take a few rounds to get into a routine.

THE TITLE TWO | ELI TOMAC & KEN ROCZEN

Separated by three points and fighting to get the first 450 SX title in their career. Eli Tomac and Ken Roczen have dominated the headlines and anticipation talks leading into the seven SLC races, and rightly so. The two have very different riding styles and traits that will be put to use over the next few weeks and it’s difficult to predict which one will be better. Let’s break down a few things about both, starting with series leader Tomac…

If there’s one person in the 450 Class that stands to benefit most from the series ending in Utah, it’s the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider. A Colorado native that lives at a higher elevation than SLC and has a practice track with similar soil, he is already familiar with the toll the altitude will have on his bike and body, plus the technique necessary to get around the hard-pack dirt. He’s won the most races of anyone so far this season and holds a slight advantage on Roczen as a result of it. His results are a double-edged sword: he’s known for being slow to start in a race season (it took him three races to finish on the podium this year) but the wins and results tend to stack up once he’s on a roll. If Tomac can finish around the top-five in the first two rounds, then get on the podium or claim a win by round three, he will be expected to carry the momentum all the way to the end. The biggest question is if he can avoid the costly Tomac Moments of multiple small mistakes or one bad finish that have kept him from claiming the championships in the past. Only time will tell.

Ken Roczen isn’t going to be as out of his element as certain people think. Yes, he lives in Florida most of the year, which is as far from altitude as one could get, but he has some ties to Utah (his wife’s family is from St. George and he often spends part of his preseason training at tracks in the south part of the state) and his calculated riding style will certainly work well on the dry and slick tracks. Unlike Tomac, it doesn’t take Roczen long to get into a groove and he has a record of being at the front of the pack in the first races of a season and a win or two in the first few races would put him back into control of the point standings. He did “struggle” to a sixth-place finish at Anaheim One this year, something he pinned to a missed suspension setting, but he looks to have a very good base setting for his CRF450R now (there won’t be many variations with seven races in the same building). With the most laps led and most podium finishes, Roczen was clearly the most consistent rider through the first part of the series, but it’ll take multiple wins in order to get the top spot in the points. Roczen will have to hang it out a little more to do that, something he hasn’t done too much since his injuries, but that’s what it could take to keep pace with Tomac.

DARK HORSES | COOPER WEBB & JUSTIN BARCIA

Cooper Webb and Justin Barcia are two guys that could play spoiler to Tomac and Roczen’s title hopes. Both riders have claimed their share of race wins this year and made the most of the break in the action to further fine-tune their bike (Barcia) and heal up an injury (Webb). Although they’re down a considerable amount of points to the top-two (29 for Webb, 31 for Barcia) they have plenty on the line personally, which we will layout below.

Webb’s motivation is obvious: he’s the defending champion and wants to keep the number one plate on his bike. Up and down results at the start of the season put Webb at an early deficit, but he was on the podium more often than not through the middle of the season. That, plus a win at San Diego, got him back into contention. He says that the time off allowed him to heal up from the body jarring slam at Arlington and that he’s ready to finish out the season. And we all know what a confident Webb can do.

Barcia is basically racing for a job right now. Ranked fourth in points, Barcia needs to produce results and finish at least in the top-three of the championship standings to get a contract extension with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing for 2021 and beyond. We’ve all watched Barcia up the intensity when a deal with a team is on the line, and he really wants to retain his spot with the blue crew. If you view this race as a start to a season, like a second Anaheim One, then it’s hard to bet against the guy that’s won the last two Anaheim One races. It’ll be interesting to see how Barcia’s riding style plays out on the slick dirt, but either way, it’s going to be interesting.

WILD CARDS | MALCOLM STEWART, JASON ANDERSON, DEAN WILSON, ADAM CIANCIARULO, JUSTIN HILL, JUSTIN BRAYTON

It’s a lot of guys, yeah, but each of them could be important at some point in the next few weeks.

Jason Anderson made massive changes to his program during the break. A split with Aldon Baker was rationalized as a way to keep racing fun and to avoid the burnout that comes from the nonstop grind, so these first few races will be his chance to prove that he can still get results away from the “structure.” The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider has known issues with altitude, but he addressed it this time by going home to New Mexico and riding on a private track in the mountains. Anderson was on a heater early in the year, until a run-in with Justin Brayton and rough rounds at Tampa and Atlanta halted his momentum. Jason has done well at Salt Lake City before, grew up on dirt just like this, and is fast enough to steal a random win.

Malcolm Stewart is ranked fifth in the championship. That’s mighty impressive for a guy that is best known for bursts of speed and for repeated crashes. His time with the SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda team and training program with Gareth Swanepoel has certainly played a part in this, as he is faster and more fit than ever before. A little-known practice crash between Anaheim One and St. Louis kept Stewart from full health early in the year, so it’s understandable how he played it safe for top-10 results instead of pushing it for possible top-five finishes. Which tactic will he employ through the next seven rounds?

Dean Wilson didn’t have the same offseason as his competition. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider spent every day from late October until early January working to overcome his hip dislocation at the Monster Energy Cup and raced his way into shape through the opening rounds. Wilson started to hit his stride in the middle of the season and used the break as a bonus bootcamp by riding with Anderson and the Lawrence brothers. In need of a contract for 2021, Wilson will use the results as his resume.

Adam Cianciarulo reached wonderboy status when he repeatedly clocked the quickest laps in qualifying and finished on the podium in multiple Main Events. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider made some first-year mistakes that kept him from getting wins and a broken collarbone at Arlington nearly derided his entire season, but the break allowed him time to completely heal and get back to speed on the bike. AC sees this seven-race run as Rookie Season 2.0 and could be much more consistent in the second half.

Justin Hill had a lot to prove in 2020. After a very rough 2019 with JGRMX, Hill’s signing to SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda was seen as a last chance to prove that he’s willing to work and is worthy of good equipment. With blazing-fast laps in qualifying to wild pre-race shadowboxing routines to top-10 finishes, Hill has earned his place on the CRF. Now it’s time for Hill to log the top-five or better results he says he’s capable of.

Justin Brayton is coming into this seven-race run more excited than anyone. The veteran rode well in his return to Team Honda HRC, with top-10 finishes in Main Events and intense battles with other riders on the track, but a run-in with another rider resulted in a broken hand at Daytona. Like many, JB used the time off as a chance to heal and he’s very eager to get in the mix again with other younger riders. With Chase Sexton coming to take the second factory spot in 2021, a strong end to the year here could merit Honda keeping Brayton on red for as long as he wants.

250 CLASS | CHASE SEXTON, SHANE MCELRATH, GARRETT MARCHBANKS

If you thought Chase Sexton lucked his way into the 250 East Coast title in 2019, then see the string of wins by the GEICO Honda rider this year as proof he’s worthy of the 1E plate on his bike. Stronger, faster, and smarter than he was a year ago, Sexton is in control of the class and has to maintain what he’s been doing to wrap this up and move to the 450 Class.

Shane McElrath is again in a weird position. Signed with Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha for 2020, he used the blue bike as a fresh start and claimed an important win at the Tampa round. A veteran in the class, McElrath is on the verge of pointing out of the 250 Class (we’ve heard there is talk of adjusting the advancement requirements for 2020 but haven’t confirmed) and there would be no better way to exit the class than with a title.

Garrett Marchbanks is the sleeper. With RJ Hampshire opting out of the return due to his knee injury, Marchbanks entered the conversation as a very longshot title contender. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider’s wire to wire win at Daytona proved he can be the best guy on a given night, something few expected to happen this year, so we’re eager to see if he can do it again. Oh one last thing: Marchbanks is a Utah native and grew up not far from SLC, so this is literally his home race.

THE TRACK

As we wrote a few weeks back, it’s likely that we’ll see the same general flow of this track for much of the time in Salt Lake City. With limited time between races and lots of infrastructures to work around, the Dirt Wurx crew shouldn’t have to work unnecessarily to make an all-new design every time, especially if their efforts could be better used as keeping the soil moist and racy, not a dry and slick goat trail.

We’ve heard that the first build will be a bit mellow, a way to ease everyone back into the routine and to avoid any unnecessary injuries clipping the already limited field down further. Two long back-to-back rhythm lanes will offer riders plenty of options to string together lines (will that first jump be poppy enough to quad-in to the section or will the quad be after the on-off?) plus two whoop pads that will require riders to get through them straight and true. If the dirt dries out quick and develops a slick top, it’ll be important for riders to have precise lines and throttle control.

250 EAST COAST CLASS PROVISIONAL ENTRY LIST

1E. Chase Sexton | The GEICO Honda rider holds control of the championship lead and will have the red plate at this race.
6. Jeremy Martin
12. Shane McElrath
13. Colt Nichols | The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider will be back in action after a shoulder injury caused him to miss the first part of the season.
36. Garrett Marchbanks
38. Kyle Peters
39. Jordan Bailey
43. John Short
47. Lorenzo Locurcio
49. Chris Blose | The FXR/Chaparral/Honda rider will return in the 250 East Coast region after recovering arm/hip/internal injuries he sustained in a crash at the Glendale Supercross.
56. Justin Starling | After beginning the season with FXR/Chaparral/Honda, Starling has joined the Gas Monkey Energy/AJE Motorsports team for the rest of 2020 and all of 2021.
59. Josh Osby
66. Enzo Lopes
67. Jerry Robin | After beginning the season with FXR/Chaparral/Honda, Robin will complete the 2020 SX season aboard a privateer Husqvarna.
68. Nick Gaines | The 3D Racing rider broke his hand at the Daytona Supercross, but used the time off to recover and will complete the SX season.
73. Chase Marquier
75. Coty Schock | The FXR/Chaparral/Honda rider will start his Supercross season in Salt Lake City; this will be his first race.
77. Kevin Moranz
84. Jo Shimoda
124. Lane Shaw
125. Luke Neese
128. Carter Halpain
157. Darian Sanayei
162. Max Sanford
163. Pierce Brown
185. Wilson Fleming
197. Dillon Cloyed
208. Logan Leitzel
248. Travis Delnicki
258. Justin Rodbell
332. Dustin Winter
349. Grant Harlan
352. Jalek Swoll
364. Chad Saultz
367. Hunter Sayles
675. Kyle Dillin
981. Curren Thurman

OUT WITH INJURIES OR OTHER ISSUES

24. RJ Hampshire | The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider has decided to sit out the remainder of the Supercross season after having surgery during the break to repair the damaged ligaments in his knee.

53. Jimmy Decotis | The JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing rider recently announced he will take a break from racing to get a better handle on his health and continued battle with Lyme Disease.

54. Jordon Smith | The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider torn ligaments in his knee at the Daytona Supercross, underwent surgery to repair the damage and will miss the remainder of the season.

79. Isaac Teasdale | The JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing rider will miss the Utah races due to a torn MCL.

104. Brian Moreau | The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider suffered a spinal injury during a practice crash at professional Supercross debut in Tampa. We will share updates about his recovery as we receive them.

175. Josh Hill | The ClubMX rider will miss the Utah races due to a recent hip dislocation from a practice crash.

194. Lance Kobusch | Despite scoring points in the championship, the Missouri racer did not make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season. He is back on the bike after missing time due to a collarbone injury.

201. Cedric Soubeyras | Despite scoring points in the championship, the French rider was unable to make the trip back to the United States for the final races of the season.

355. Joey Crown | The Club MX/ATVs & More/FXR rider is sidelined due to continued issues from a concussion suffered at the Atlanta Supercross.

725. Richard Jackson | Despite scoring points in the championship, the Oklahoma racer did not make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season.