2023 Tampa Supercross | Kickstart Recap & Gallery
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It’d been a while since we last went to a Tampa Supercross. Despite being just an hour from the home office for Feld Entertainment and a fair number of the pro class entry list, Raymond James Stadium hasn’t become a mainstay in the Monster Energy Supercross Championship schedule and this year was only the third race there since 2018. The most recent prior visit was 2020, an eventful day seems like forever ago and shockingly recent all at once.
The sport is in a much different place than it was the last time we parked our rental car in the grassy Super Parking lot north of the venue. In the years since, organizers Feld and MX Sports have come together with NBC to make a combined super-series that has increased the purse, added a few more events, and kickstarted a number of television/internet broadcast incentives to build and captivate audiences. We know this first-hand, as both our trips to Tampa have included a Thursday night dinner at the Feld offices, where such concepts were first put into the open during a discussion (2020) and then shared through an early progress report (2023). It’s going to take a few more years for things to really take off, a timeline that all parties involved are aware of as they run through the inaugural season of SuperMotocross, but we’re already looking forward to the 2026 meeting.
But for how much some things changes, others stay the same. Once again, we’re seeing a 450 Class fight shape up between Eli Tomac and Cooper Webb, two two-time champions at the highest level of the sport and who have vastly different approaches to riding. Chase Sexton is poised to be the spoiler to either’s third title through unrelenting speed that only seems to get interrupted by a timely, costly crash. Had Sexton not went down in the whoops late in the Main Event, we could be seeing at a Team Honda HRC with red plates in Oakland and a one-point difference between two riders in the standings. Instead, Tomac retained control on and it’s now a four-point spread between three guys.
Eli’s Tampa ride has been discussed and dissected a dozen times. Was he sick? Is he hurt? Could this be another example to an early season slide in results? Or might it be what the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider said in the press release, that it was difficult to set the bike up for the conditions and that he never felt “on” all day? The defending champion has three intriguing results in a row (the Anaheim Two crash, the Houston dominance despite early pressure, and a distant fifth in Tampa) and all eyes are on him as the series heads across the country and to the dark dirt of Northern California.
Webb, meanwhile, did exactly what everyone assumed he’d do at the first “East Coast” race of the season. The Red Bull KTM rider was chipper during Friday’s media session, doing interviews with anyone that’d ask and cutting in laps on a very abbreviated track, and that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the weekend. He was ranked fifth in qualifying, rallied forward in the Heat Race, and latched onto Chase Sexton’s rear wheel in the early moments of the Main Event. Not even a near crash in the whoops could break Webb’s focus, and on a lap when others might check up, he reeled in the leader and pounced the moment a mistake was made. Oh, and he’s turning down in corners and finding new, tight lines in other sections. Yeah, Cooper’s back.
But Chase Sexton’s speed is something else, evident in his run of fast laps in Timed Qualifying over the last few rounds, and he’s determined to make his mark on the 450 Class while Tomac and Webb are around. He has much as said so in our HWYW, stating that it’s his mission to put a new name on the champion’s trophy and that he wants to lead the new era, knowing all the while that small mistakes will make that an even harder task. Can he hone that focus and consistency in for twenty-minutes plus a lap? And can he do it immediately?
As for the 250 East Coast Region, it was another win by Hunter Lawrence, the sixth of his career and the most forceful one yet. The Team Honda HRC rider bulled his way back to the front after a mediocre start to the moto, an effort that saw him pick off some riders with calculated passes while moving others out of the way completely, a style that is much different than the finesse of brother Jett. Two wins to start the season have put Hunter at the top of the board and a target on his back, as the handful of potential victors in the small-bore division know they have to deal with him however they see fit if they want the bigger trophy.
Talon Hawkins told us how his promotion from Supercross Futures to the 250 East Coast Region was proposed. “I was done to go straight into it, but I wasn’t really expecting it. I got the call four or five days before Houston. I tried to prepare as much as I could, but all in all, I just went out there and rode,” stated the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider. What’s the biggest difference between the elite amateurs and the true pros? “The intensity right at the starting laps,” he shared, a common observation. “I wasn’t anticipating that. The guys just flip a switch and go, so the first few laps are a full sprint. I wasn’t expecting that and now I know.”
Light up the rear. Riders were eager to hammer the throttle after the long sand section, but the flat start straightaway didn’t provide as much traction, evident in the quick step-out that Nate Thrasher’s Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha did here during the afternoon.
The sound testing procedures on page 67 of the AMA rule book put into action: technical steward positioned on the right side of the motorcycle (not to screen or stand between the bike and the microphone), the person presenting the motorcycle for testing positioned on the left side of the motorcycle during the test and engaging the clutch during the full throttle portion (a MUST per the protocol), and the inspector opening throttle as fast as possible until full open throttle (instantly, within 0.3 seconds), then holding at max engine ‘rpm’ for 1 second.
Flying formation in the Alpinestars Blue Angels gearset.
Dean Wilson is still fine-tuning the Fire Power Honda CRF450R. The latest noticeable change? A switch to a crossbar-equipped Neken handlebar, which will offer a more rigid feel to the number 15.
Feel better, Alex. A hard crash in the LCQ left our star rider with a broken thumb, an injury that he’s already undergone surgery for and that has a three-to-six-week recovery window. But merch.
Goldfish, a little something to fuel a flagger through the chaos that is a C Group practice session.
The RCCZ KTM race team made its Supercross debut in Tampa. Put together by our friend Jeff Crutcher to initially follow the General Tire Arenacross Outlaws, the small squad will field Carter Biese and Cheyenne Harmon through the remaining rounds of the 250 East Coast Region. Biese learned challenging SX can be during the afternoon’s practice sessions, while Harmon continues to recoup from from a recent leg injury. Bike’s look great, Jeff.
Super Parking. Ricky Carmichael is really getting into the long-distance portion of his motorcycle life and rode this Triumph Tiger from his place near Tallahassee through the Sunshine State and to Tampa.
Phoenix Racing Honda’s neon green/yellow/red gear and well-stocked roster of small-bore riders is giving us some Team ECC vibes. The group got three riders into the 250 Main Event at Tampa, with Jace Owen finishing ninth, Coty Schock eleventh, and Caden Braswell twelfth. Cullin Park’s night came to a quick close after a hard crash on the opening lap of 250 Heat Race One, but he’ll return for Arlington.
DangerBoy can take a hit. The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider found out how a cruising lap can quickly go wrong in Supercross and a small mistake sent him flipping off the side of a triple in the day’s last practice session. Deegan was okay, but bike was too tweaked to continue (spot the front brake lever) and he pulled out after doing eight laps in the sessions.
Speed and style check, starting with Eli Tomac entering the whoops on his Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha…
…Jason Anderson doing the same on his Monster Energy Kawasaki…
…Justin Cooper learning more about his Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha…
…Ken Roczen skimming the tops with his Progressive Insurance/ECSTAR/Suzuki…
…Justin Hill on his Monster Energy/Motul/Mountain Motorsports/Team Tedder/KTM…
…Aaron Plessinger going for the full ride on his Red Bull KTM…
And Chase Sexton stealthily attacking on his Team Honda HRC.
Souvenirs from a day in the pits.
The forecasted rain didn’t faze DirtWurx. We saw the track crew in the tunnel between practice and they told us the first bands were due to hit the stadium in ten minutes. Sure enough, the precipitation started midway through the final session for the 450 A Group. They hopped on the equipment once the heaviest part of the afternoon storm had passed through and worked the topsoil to keep it from becoming slick or water-logged.
Pro tip from SCOTT’s John Knowles: leave your goggles outside if it’s going to be wet and rainy. This will keep the lens at a constant temperature, which should lessen the chances of it fogging when slipped over your helmet.
The afternoon rain sent every brand rep into overdrive, as many retooled and re-prepped helmets, gear, and goggles for a widely feared wet race. Kyle Vara kept it simple and added a thin sheet of foam to the top of Eli Tomac’s Bell Moto10 to keep heavy roost from sticking to the top. It was a good effort, but by the Main Event, we noticed that most of the mud accessories had been stripped off and saved for another day.
Todd Ford of Custom Upfits let Donn and Anton take the Veteran MX Foundation KX250 for a rip around Perris Raceway a few weeks ago, footage you can find in a LOTW vlog. The one-of-a-kind bike was put to its true use at the Military Appreciation Race, as Ford flew disabled servicemember Travis Strong and his wife to Tampa and let the veteran rip it on the starting line during opening ceremonies. Check out our “Saturday Morning Chat” video from Tampa for a quick interview with Ford and Strong, then check out www.veteranmx.com for more about the program.
Battle within a battle. We saw Ken Roczen and Justin Barcia’s fight for position play out on the track and on the screen during 450 Heat Race Two.
Same, but different, this time with Alpinestars and CANVAS MX.
Maybe it was the roofless stadium or the spirit of Florida Man in the air, but man, the Liquid Flame Cannon seemed to be on another level at Tampa. Here’s a look at the rig’s control panel, which includes a big red emergency stop button. Side note: we’d love to see some of the test sessions that happen in Rogersville, Tennessee, over the summer.
250 LCQ Transfer Position Style Check, staring race winner Hardy Munoz…
…Runner-up Brock Papi…
And Devin Simonson after he made the deciding move on Marshal Weltin for the final spot.
The terrain had us puzzled all weekend. During the daytime, it was dry and hard, with traction where the dirt was loose and the appearance of organic matter like sand and grass. It felt tacky once it rained, but even that was deceiving, as the worn-in lines turned even slicker while the rest of the track never broke down and developed the expected East Coast ruts.
We wonder if Team Honda HRC will change their limited SX plans with Chance Hymas. The young rider has two eighth place results to his credit, which has him ranked eighth in the point standings and amid a five-point split that has Michael Mosiman in fifth and Jordon Smith in ninth. More racing would only be more experience for next year, but would come at the cost of prep for the full outdoor season.
0.134 seconds. That was the difference between Hunter Lawrence and Nate Thrasher at the scoring loop, which is located near the base of the finish line, not the top. The infield scoring pylon light up instantly with the winner, and everyone looked to see which name would be displayed, including Lawrence.
Max Anstie, 250 Supercross contender. It's incredible to see how many different paths the rider has taken over the course of his career, including how this drop-down to the small-bore bike started after he went to different teams in the pits at the STL SX last year to spread the news that his former team was no more. Again, find the Midweek Podcast with did with Anstie last summer to hear a fully detailed how and why on the matter.
The first roller into the track's most treacherous section was really a regular dirt hump covered in the sugar sand. The firm ground allowed riders to carry as much of their speed as possible before it was robbed away by the long lane.
Who had the best jump and drive out of the gate? We'd give to Aaron Plessinger, who inched the front fender of his Red Bull KTM ahead of the others just ten feet in.
Ken Roczen's race bike was without its suspension on Friday morning when we went by the truck, a sign that the rider, Progressive Insurance/ECSTAR/Suzuki team, and Factory Connection were doing work on the Showa dampeners. We heard stories about all-day sessions from the team's technical partners and Roczen mentioned in interviews that it was his hardest week of testing yet, which is coming much later than the others and when the group is near his Florida HQ. Fifth in points and with a 4.8 average finish, we're interested to see how Roczen does through the coming stretch.
Chase Sexton took a moment for himself on the backside of the berm to process the late-race crash that cost him the win. What did the Team Honda HRC rider’s takeaway after the bike broke free in the whoops and put him down? “At this point, I can’t change what happened. I can focus on what I can do better and that’s riding rougher tracks during the week to replicate Main Events, because that’s where the points are paid out,” he explained for HWYW. “You try to analyze what went on, and that’s pretty hard when you get off the track. I was pretty bummed and sit in that suck for a little bit, be down on yourself. I went over to the whoops, analyzed what I should have done better, which was probably go over to the left hand side, and headed where they were bigger but didn’t have a rut through them. I was better tonight, I just made that mistake.”
Three different winners and seven different podium finishers through the first five rounds. Will more riders make their marks on the score sheets this year, or are we starting to figure out who will be the front-runners week in and week out?
True grit. That's it for this one, onto Oakland.
