2020 Salt Lake City Two Supercross | Race Preview

2020 SALT LAKE CITY TWO SUPERCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

Race two. We’re back inside Rice Eccles Stadium for the 2020 Salt Lake City Two Supercross, round 12 of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series. Sunday’s race was certainly eventful, with the title contenders in both classes finding each other for battles on the track and in challenging conditions that caused some riders to experience physical or mechanical issues. Today’s race will be more like what you’ve come to expect of SX because the Heat Races/LCQ/Main Events will run in their usual order and in the evening hours, two things that’ll certainly have an impact on how things shake out. But let’s not waste words in the intro paragraph. Here’s Race Preview…

MCELRATH & SEXTON

Which rider will come out ahead in the 250 Class on Wednesday? Yeah, Chase Sexton is still the leader in the 250 East Coast championship chase, but Shane McElrath was perfect on Sunday. Seriously, he was perfect because he was the fastest rider in both Timed Qualifying sessions, won his Heat Race, and went wire-to-wire in the 250 Main Event. Can the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider do it again just a few days later, or will Sexton sneak in a win on his GEICO Honda.

Oh, and one can’t say that a rider is on tremendously better equipment than the other, because the race teams have figured out how to get the most power from the YZ250F and CRF250R and you can see it during the laps on the track.

MARCHBANKS & MARTIN

Will this be a rivalry to watch? Veteran Jeremy Martin had a great battle with youngster Garrett Marchbanks on Sunday, which saw Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Marchbanks come out ahead after a very forceful pass on GEICO Honda rider Martin. This won’t be some supreme battle for position in the point standings, because third-ranked Marchbanks has a sizable gap over fourth-ranked Martin (100 to 84). Instead, it’ll purely be about which rider can be faster on the track on the night. We’ve talked at length about Marchbanks being from Utah and how that helps him, but don’t forget that Martin trains with Tomac in Colorado and has become a very good hard-packed dirt rider.

BROWN & NICHOLS

These two could prove to be spoilers in the podium picks. An opening lap crash collected both riders in Sunday’s 250 Main Event, but it didn’t keep them from going all-out on the track. Brown remounted his Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM and charged from the back of the pack to fifth place while Nichols picked up a twisted Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha and posted some of the fastest laps of anyone in the field during the closing laps of the moto. If the two can avoid any problems on Wednesday, they could certainly leave with some podium hardware.

TOMAC, WEBB & ROCZEN

Which guy is going to get it today? The trio linked up early in the 450 Main Event on Sunday, when Webb showed some early speed while Roczen was able to match the pace and pick up on the mistakes of other, but there was no holding back Tomac. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider had a few slip-ups in the opening minutes and allowed the other two to get by, then wicked up the intensity at the halfway point and charged his way to the win. This put more points between him and the others and if he does it again, he could start a run to his fist 450 SX title.

Webb was without a doubt Tomac’s biggest competition in the Main Event. The Red Bull KTM rider made a number of pass attempts on him in the early stages, got one of them to stick, and started to speed away. When Tomac got by around the halfway point, Webb latched on and stayed as close as he could to get second place. The gap between Tomac and third-ranked Webb is 32 points, which is a lot, but Webb proved that he’s going to defend his 2019 title all the way to the end.

As for Roczen, he kept the other two in sight for much of the race and was right on them anytime they made an error. The Team Honda HRC rider got gapped a bit in the middle and late moments of the race, which wasn’t helped by a run-in with a Tuff Block in the final laps, but he showed his speed when it mattered. Like Webb, Roczen will need to win soon if he wants to keep the difference in points (Tomac 252 to Roczen 244) from growing any more.

THE TRACK AND SCHEDULE

Like we said at the start, this race is more typical to the Supercross program we’ve all come to expect. Practice will be in the afternoon and the gate drops for races will be in the evening hours. That means the weather won’t be as much of a factor during the Heat Races/LCQs/Main Events, when the temperatures will drop into the 70s, but riders will have to keep from cooking themselves in the afternoon Timed Qualifying sessions. With all 40 riders in each class confirmed for the night’s races, there’s no need to exert too much energy too soon. Just get an idea of the track, put in a few fast laps, and save it for the night show.

The nighttime schedule will have an impact on the track, too. Sunday was a dust bowl, something that Dirt Wurx did their best to counter, but they could only do so much when the sun beat down on the hard-pack mountain dirt. Once the sun goes down, sometime after the Heat Races, they’ll be able to keep more moisture in the soil and keep it from being dry and slick.

Riders weren’t too challenged by the track on Sunday (doesn’t mean we want to ride it) and Wednesday’s layout looks like it’ll be a little more technical. Dirt Wurx made some major changes to the course, including a right-hand first turn and new obstacles in different locations, which ends any worries that guys will memorize the flow and spin laps with their eyes closed.

2020 SALT LAKE CITY TWO SUPERCROSS | 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 is 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.

2020 SALT LAKE CITY TWO SUPERCROSS | 450 CLASS PROVISIONAL ENTRY LIST

1. Cooper Webb
3. Eli Tomac | The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider leads the championship standings and will have the red plate at this race.
4. Blake Baggett
7. Aaron Plessinger
9. Adam Cianciarulo |The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider is on the mend after his wreck on Sunday but aims to race Wednesday night.
10. Justin Brayton
11. Kyle Chisholm
15. Dean Wilson
16. Zach Osborne
21. Jason Anderson
22. Chad Reed | The CR22/cbdMD/ARMA/Fox Racing/Mountain Motorsports rider will be aboard a KTM 450 SX-F for the remainder of the Supercross season.
27. Malcolm Stewart
31. Fredrik Noren | The JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing rider tweaked his ankle during the Main Event at the first SLC SX and is doing all he can to heal up in time for Wednesday’s race.
34. Tyler Bowers
37. Martin Davalos
44. Kyle Cunningham
46. Justin Hill
50. Benny Bloss
51. Justin Barcia
61. Alex Ray
64. Vince Friese
69. Carlen Gardner
71. Ryan Breece
86. Josh Cartwright
94. Ken Roczen
114. Nick Schmidt
211. Tevin Tapia
280. Cade Clason
282. Theodore Pauli
447. Deven Raper
501. Scotty Wennerstrom
509. Alex Nagy
597. Mason Kerr
651. Jake Hogan
722. Adam Enticknap
824. Carter Stephenson
848. Joan Cros
976. Josh Greco
996. Preston Taylor

OUT WITH INJURIES OR ISSUES

17. Joey Savatgy | The JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing rider has opted out of the Supercross season after recently recovering from a badly broken ankle. He intends to use the extra time as a chance to prepare for the Nationals this summer.

19. Justin Bogle | The Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM rider will miss the remainder of 2020 due to the concussion he suffered at the Glendale Supercross.

20. Broc Tickle | The JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing rider will sit out the Wednesday race after fracturing a bone in his throttle hand at SLC SX One but aims to be back next Sunday.

25. Marvin Musquin | The Red Bull KTM rider is still recovering from the knee injury he suffered in the offseason and is yet to get back on the bike.

42. Ben LaMay | After sitting out the first part of the season, LaMay was tapped for a fill-in ride by FXR/Chaparral/Honda but missed Atlanta due to a thumb injury. The Texas racer did not score points in 450 SX and opted not to make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season.

48. Henry Miller | Despite scoring points in the championship, the Minnesota racer did not make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season.

65. James Weeks | Despite scoring points in the championship, the Florida racer did not make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season.

82. Cade Autenrieth | Despite scoring points in the championship, the California racer did not make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season.

91. Ryan Sipes | Despite scoring points in the championship, the Kentucky racer did not make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season. He will instead continue his do-all race program with Moto Fite Klub’s flat track event.

393. Daniel Herrlein | Despite scoring points in the championship, the Ohio racer did not make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season.

606. Ronnie Stewart | Despite scoring points in the championship, the Maine racer did not make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season.

817. Jason Clermont | Despite scoring points in the championship, the French racer did not make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season.