2021 Houston Two Supercross | Qualifying Report

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2021 HOUSTON TWO SUPERCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

Timed Qualifying at the 2021 Houston One Supercross is done, and yep, the pace is just as close as it was at the opening round. The rapid-fire race order of the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Series is one of the many challenges that the track crew has to work around this season, so the course direction has been flipped, a few obstacles have been reconfigured, and a deep sand turn has been added.

The changes actually made this track faster, as the top lap times were 41-42 seconds. Could we see a 30-lap battle in the 450 Main Event tonight?

250 EAST COAST REGION | QUALIFYING REPORT

Christian Craig’s confidence is at an all-time high. The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider’s win at the opening round was one of the most-talked-about topics of the last few days, and he backed it up with a 42.138 time during Tuesday afternoon’s practice. It sounds like a handful of competitors are trying to apply pressure to Craig, something he brushed off during the post-ride podium interview.

Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha was one-two in the timesheets, as Colt Nichols was second overall with a 42.151 lap. Yeah, that’s only a 0.013-second difference.

Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence tried a few different jump combinations during the Timed Qualifying rounds, lines that only a few others were willing to do, but his best lap of a 42.290 was only enough for third in the group.

RJ Hampshire had a rough go during the final session. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider mistimed the rhythm section after the sand and hit the deck, hard enough that the Alpinestars Mobile Medical staff were at his side for a few moments but got back on the bike a few moments later. He should be good to go for the night’s race.

450 CLASS | QUALIFYING REPORT

How close was the pace in the 450 Class? The difference in lap times for the top-three riders was just 0.192 seconds, and the top 12 riders were within a full second of each other. There are a few big jump combinations hidden in the course, including a massive quad that only a handful of guys managed to do, so tonight’s race should be very close.

Adam Cianciarulo was the star of the field in the final round of practice, as the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider put in a virtually flawless lap, blew through the sand, and hit the quad for a 41.797 time.

Chase Sexton was second overall, thanks to a 41.904 lap, but the biggest detail of the day was the big crash that the Team Honda HRC rider had while trying to link together the long rhythm lane. He managed to walk away from the wreck unscathed. Impressive.

Zach Osborne is determined to make up for a mediocre opening round. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider was the top rider in the first round of Timed Qualifying and was one of the few to do all of the big jumps; a 41.989 put him third overall.

The front-runners are always discussed in Timed Qualifying but trust us, it’s just as competitive all the way down the running order. A total of 47 riders signed up for the 450 Class today, and the difference between making the cut for the night show (top 40 overall times) was 0.194 seconds.