2021 Houston Three Supercross | Race Preview

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2021 HOUSTON THREE SUPERCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

The Monster Energy Supercross Series is ready to wrap up its first weeklong stay in Texas with the 2021 Houston Three Supercross. The time at NRG Stadium has been incredible, with close races, a rotation of riders on the podium, multiple winners, and a very close points spread in the championship chases, something we think will continue with today’s on-track action.

This condensed schedule in select cities, a necessity amid the current global situation, has been mostly well-received by everyone involved. It’s nice to click off a set of motos in just a few days, especially when everything goes well. But if you have an injury or other issue hanging overhead, you’ve realized the Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday gate drops leave little time to sort things or recover. This will be even more important to follow as the season continues with another trio of races that will start next weekend in Indianapolis.

The start of the race is hours away, so let’s jump into the key topics for round three.

THE COMPETITION

We’ve pointed it out repeatedly over the last few days, but here it is again: the racing is the closest we’ve seen in years. From lap times in qualifying to points in the championship, riders are split by minuscule margins. We’ve seen the top-12 riders in the 450 Class within a second of each other on the stopwatch and a similar situation with a smaller number doing the same in the 250 Class. That trend continues on in the races, as battles for positions go down to the final lap, and the names on the results sheets end up in a different order every time. This has kept the top nine riders in the 450 Class within ten points of each other in the standings.

Riders have experienced a mix of good and bad results already, too. Eli Tomac finished 13th at round one, then put in a statement win at round two. Justin Barcia dominated the season opener and was on pace to finish in the top-five at round two until the shifter got caught on a track marker, snapped in half, and left him in first gear for the final laps of the race, which resulted in a ninth-place score. Ken Roczen has been the most consistent, with a runner-up ride at Houston One and a fifth at Houston Two, but a penalty cost him four crucial points and kept him from leading the championship (more on that penalty below). While those three went for wins, guys like Dylan Ferrandis, Justin Brayton, Marvin Musquin, and Zach Osborne have all shown their speed and desire to take a win.

The 250 Class has been just as jumbled. Christian Craig’s race one win gave him the championship lead, and although he was a podium finisher at Houston Two, he admittedly was off the pace and unable to push. Jett Lawrence’s late crash at round one robbed him of a podium finish, and he bounced back with a start-to-finish run at the front in round two. Colt Nichols claimed third at round one and second at round two, so he’s hopeful for another position increase today. Austin Forkner was poised to score another solid finish on Tuesday until a run-in with RJ Hampshire left both riders on the ground and in a tough position for the championship. These two need to finish on the podium, and soon.

THE TRACK

After two races on what was essentially the same track, riders will get to do laps on an all-new layout today, and that’s something everyone seems excited about. Here’s hoping that lap times are a little longer and that there are plenty of places for passing opportunities.

Gone are the long start straightaway and fast left-hand first turn; they’ve been replaced by a quick run to a sweeping right-hander. The rest of the track has received similar changes, as the rhythm lanes are a little shorter and will favor precision and consistency more than they will big air. The sand is back for a second race, but this time it’s a quick kinked turn and a punchy, soft straightaway. This layout has fewer hairpin turns than the first two tracks, too.

One thing that’s on everyone’s mind is how the track will hold up to so many laps. Riders told us that the dirt at round one was surprisingly soft and was a bit drier for round two, which we could see in the ruts and lines. The complete rebuild means the soil has been rotated, which could soft and moist again. Keep an eye on this.

2021 HOUSTON THREE SUPERCROSS
250 CLASS EAST COAST REGION
PROVISIONAL ENTRY LIST

18. Jett Lawrence
24. RJ Hampshire | The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider is nursing a smashed finger from a run-in with Christian Craig at round one and road rash on his torso from an incident with Austin Forkner at round two. He will race Houston Three.
29. Christian Craig | The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider is the current championship leader in the 250 East Coast Region.
30. Jo Shimoda
38. Austin Forkner
42. Michael Mosiman
49. Mitchell Oldenburg
55. John Short
64. Colt Nichols
76. Grant Harlan
85. Kevin Moranz
87. Curren Thurman
88. Logan Karnow
91. Nate Thrasher | The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha team unexpectedly added the rookie to the Houston Three entry list.
95. Josh Osby
99. Hunter Sayles
115. Max Vohland
116. TJ Albright
122. Jeremy Hand
124. Lane Shaw
125. Luke Neese
151. Carter Gordon
160. Vincent Murphy
162. Max Sanford
170. Devin Simonson
185. Wilson Fleming
193. Hunter Schlosser
216. Devin Harriman
241. Joshua Varize
260. Dylan Woodcock
364. Chad Saultz
384. Lorenzo Camporese
509. Alex Nagy
512. Austin Cozadd
551. Guillaume St-Cyr
597. Mason Kerr
604. Max Miller
625. Jonah Geistler
637. Bobby Piazza
693. Rene Garcia
773. Thomas Do
914. Geran Stapleton

MISSING FROM THE LIST

50. Enzo Lopes | The Phoenix Honda rider is sidelined for the foreseeable future due to shoulder and wrist injuries he suffered during a Timed Qualifying crash at the opening round. 

134. Jess Pettis | The Red Bull KTM Canada tweaked his knee during Timed Practice at the opening round. After a further medical evaluation, Pettis and KTM have decided to sit out the rest of the Supercross season.

2021 HOUSTON THREE SUPERCROSS
450 CLASS
PROVISIONAL ENTRY LIST

1. Eli Tomac
2. Cooper Webb
7. Aaron Plessinger
9. Adam Cianciarulo
10. Justin Brayton
11. Kyle Chisholm
14. Dylan Ferrandis
15. Dean Wilson
16. Zach Osborne
17. Joey Savatgy | The Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM rider went down during the Main Event at Houston Two and limped off the track, a fearful sight considering his heel injury. Savatgy has said that he has suffered a hematoma and is working to recover in time for this weekend’s race.
19. Justin Bogle | The Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM rider sat out Houston One after a crash in Timed Qualifying left him with a sore knee, lower back, and hip. He lined up at Houston Two, crashed at the start of his Heat Race, and did not line up for the LCQ. The team has stated his absence was due to a mechanical problem, not an injury, and he will be back for Houston Three.
20. Broc Tickle
21. Jason Anderson
25. Marvin Musquin
27. Malcolm Stewart
28. Brandon Hartranft
36. Martin Davalos
37. Benny Bloss | The Smartop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda rider took a blow to the stomach during the Houston Two Main Event, was unable to catch his breath, and pulled out of the race with a few laps to go. He is okay to race Houston Three.
40. Vince Friese
43. Fredrik Noren
51. Justin Barcia | The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider is the current championship leader in the 450 Class.
57. Justin Rodbell
81. Justin Starling
83. Alex Ray
94. Ken Roczen
114. Nick Schmidt
121. Chris Howell
184. Scott Champion
280. Cade Clason
282. Theodore Pauli
309. Jeremy Smith
330. AJ Catanzaro
421. Vann Martin
447. Deven Raper
501. Scotty Wennerstrom
606. Ronnie Stewart
722. Adam Enticknap
795. Aaron Leininger
805. Carlen Gardner
824. Carter Stephenson
848. Joan Cros
952. Ludovic Macler
974. Brian Marty
976. Josh Greco
981. Austin Politelli

MISSING FROM THE LIST

4. Blake Baggett | A contract dispute with Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM and recent surgery have put Baggett’s career on pause for the time being.

12. Shane McElrath | The SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda rider will miss the opening rounds due to a Grade Three AC separation. It’s still unclear when he will line up; we’ve heard it could be as soon as Indianapolis or as late as Orlando.

22. Chad Reed | The two-time champion has retired from full-time professional racing.

23. Chase Sexton | Team Honda HRC has announced that Chase Sexton will sit out the 2021 Houston Three Supercross due to ongoing pain in his shoulder from Tuesday night’s crash. The rookie has undergone multiple exams and scans on his shoulder, all of which have come back free of fractures, but the injury has limited his range of motion and is still too fresh to line up. Sexton has returned home to Florida and will use the additional time to recover, with hopes of making it back for the trio of races that will happen in Indianapolis later this month.

34. Max Anstie | The Twisted Tea/HEP Motorsports/Suzuki rider had a hard crash during his last day of preseason practice. Anstie will miss the first rounds of the season with a back injury.

44. Tyler Bowers | The privateer will miss the first six rounds of 2021 after a recent change in sponsorship funding.

46. Justin Hill | It’s unclear what Hill will do in 2021 following a split from the SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda team.