2025 Philadelphia Supercross | Kickstart News and Photo Gallery

Rain, Rain, Go Away: It seemed almost a sure bet we would be dealing with a rain race again in Philadelphia as it rained all day long on Friday and into Saturday morning. But remarkably when the tarps came off, the track was pretty good and after some Dirt Wurx magic, we ended up with a fantastic racetrack.

Seeing Red: Seth Hammaker donned the red plates on his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki for the first time in his career at Philadelphia. Post-race, his mom got to take home the front number plate to keep as memorabilia.

CW1?: Cooper Webb could be just a few more races away from his third 450SX title as he continues to hold a strong defense over Chase Sexton in the second half of the championship.

Well Done: A round of applause to Dirt Wurx for what they made of this racetrack because it looked bad when the tarps were pulled off and it raced very well in the end.

Blue at Kawi: Seeing a noticeably blue Bell helmet with Monster logos all over it and it's not Eli Tomac's is a bit of an odd sight in the pits but this is actually Garrett Marchbanks helmet underneath the Pro Circuit Kawasaki tent. Cool look!

Faces: It was a chilly morning on track walk as with the day race, it was an early start with 9:30am track walk. But the weather didn't exactly heat up much more from the morning onward as the clouds loomed all day long and kept things cold in the stadium.

Faces: Brian Deegan (right) and Haiden Deegan (middle) walk the track with mechanic Brent Duffe (left).

Faces: Chase Sexton seemed to have a locked in focus all day in Philadelphia that he carried with him right from the start of qualifying.

Faces: Chance Hymas had plenty of congratulations to go around this week after his maiden win in Foxborough and he was definitely in a good mood on Saturday.

Faces: Dean Wilson was getting acclimated with the Honda HRC Progressive team all weekend long as he walked the track with team manager Lars Lindstrom and 250SX class teammate Jo Shimoda here.

Faces: Justin Hill missed the main event in Foxborough last weekend and he was probably doing the opposite rain dance coming into Saturday hoping to avoid another mudder. The rain stayed away and Hill got right back to his old ways with a top 10 finish in Philadelphia.

Tough Week: Dayton Briggs led two laps of the main event in Foxborough in his Supercross debut but the harsh reality of the depth of these classes reared their heads this week. Briggs did not even make the night show in Philadelphia as only 20 East riders would qualify in and he was a few spots out.

For the Phils: If you looked closely at RJ Hampshire's Fly Racing gear this weekend, you would have noticed red pinstripes and some unusual font on the Fly Racing logo if you're not a baseball fan. The kit was an homage to the hometown Philadelphia Phillies baseball team that plays just across the street from Lincoln Financial Field where we were this weekend.

Bummer: A week on from an emphatic first career podium, Gage Linville's season looks to be over as he crashed out hard in the second qualifying session. Linville hit his head and fractured a bone in his back and while he plans to get some second opinions this week, it sounds like his Supercross season might be over.

Rodeo: Though it wasn't a downpour of rain, some light rain fell throughout the day and kept the conditions slick. Coty Schock got caught out here as he loses the Muc-Off FXR ClubMX machine from underneath him and lays it down.

Ready for Anything: The conditions were probably at their worst in qualifying and the Star Racing team was on top of it already with a thin lining of foam on top of the helmets to keep mud from building up. By the second qualifying sessions, the foam had been torn off.

We're Live!: Drones have become a staple in motocross and supercross to follow the action with often two different cameras being used to get multiple different shots. With the show being live on NBC yesterday, the drone footage was in tip-top form capturing all the action.

Showing Out: Despite the cold and somewhat wet conditions, the Philadelphia crowd still came out pretty good as most of the lower bowl of the stadium was full again this year. It's a big stadium so selling it out will always be a tough ask, but more kudos to the locals for sitting in the cold all day to watch some good racing.

Colorful: Opening Ceremonies this week featured a ton of colored smoke bombs which haven't been used by Feld yet this year. Whether it was due to the NBC broadcast and trying to go a bit more all out, or just it being a day race and the typical fireworks not working, the colors added some flare to the program kick off.

Sketchy Ladder: Perhaps unknown unless you pay close attention to opening ceremonies but when the 250SX athletes do their usual walk through the crowd, they have to climb a ladder into the lower rows. This is because NFL stadiums rarely have a direct way to go from the field to the stands as a way to keep fans from entering the field. But this ladder can be sketchy at times since the riders are gears up and have to climb up it and over a wall in MX boots.

Grandpa Earl: This weekend was the first race for Dean Wilson with Honda HRC Progressive and Feld leaned all the way into the Grandpa Earl persona as they used the Dean Wilson video in opening ceremonies and then Dean Wilson came out in a Grandpa Earl mask. The crowd was into it as they roared in applause.

How Quickly Things Change: Tom Vialle looked really good in qualifying as he tried to bounce back this week. He holeshot the heat race and then Seth Hammaker snuck by into the lead but Vialle stuck right with him. Suddenly, Vialle crashed hard while running second when he cross-rutted going for a quad and landed off the track coming to a sudden stop. He would not finish the heat race and had dead last gate pick for the LCQ. He was able to make it through in P2 out of that but had a terrible gate pick for the main event and started way down the order. Then the red flag came out and on the restart, Vialle was way better and ended up battling for a podium. Ultimately he got P6, but on a night like that, it basically felt like a win and he's still right in the thick of this title fight.

Different Tuff Blocks: You've probably seen the triangle Tuff Blocks being used to test out of late but also being used are some cut down rectangles that Feld is using at times in the first corner. However, when the ruts dig down deep, the Tuff Blocks are still at shroud level with Chase Sexton displays here.

Feisty: Aaron Plessinger has been so good in the second half of Supercross even taking his Foxborough win out of the equation. In the heat race in Philadelphia, he started behind, caught, and passed Cooper Webb for the win and it genuinely looked like we were going to see him go back-to-back. Then he ended up down with Shane McElrath in the first corner and he spent the whole race charging forward from there. P8 was the best he could do given the circumstances.

Big One: Daxton Bennick's night ended three laps into the 250 Main Event with a big crash while battling around mid-pack. The red flag was displayed as medics worked to stabilize Bennick who was was in a lot of pain. He was eventually placed on a backboard and carted away and was seen moving his arms and legs. For now though, there is no update on his condition. Hopefully we hear good news on Daxton soon.

First Start: Cole Davies and Seth Hammaker had their elbows out on the initial 250 Main Event start as Davies got to the corner first but Hammaker cut underneath to grab the holeshot and lead the first two laps. In the end, it wouldn't matter as the race would be fully restarted.

Restart: Haiden Deegan and RJ Hampshire both came out much better on the restart as Hampshire was down in the first one and Deegan was around mid-pack. This would setup a great race though with a lot of the top fast guys near the sharp end of the field this time around.

Terrific Fight: The battle for the lead early in the 250 Main Event was really good as Hammaker worked to get around Hampshire and then Davies caught on fire. Davies passed his teammate Deegan, then got Hammaker and eventually Hampshire for the lead all within three laps in an incredible display.

Home Crowd: Seth Hammaker's hometown is in nearby Bainbridge, Pennsylvania and he had several friends and family on hand to cheer him on in Philly. Post-race he said the restart took a lot out of him as he went from leading to fourth off the start and had to work hard to battle for the lead but he did retain share of the red plate with his P4 finish.

Late Charge: As Tom Vialle began laboring late in the main event feeling the effects from his heat race crash, Jo Shimoda pounced as he ran him down and passed him to get into the top five with two laps to go.

Mid-pack Drama: For some reason, Austin Forkner and Michael Mosiman got into it during the main event while they were battling for 16th. This must be part of the reason why Forkner absolutely cleaned out Mosiman halfway through the race, but what happened before this, who really knows.

Building Back: Jordon Smith returned to action in Seattle after breaking some ribs in his violent Arlington crash and then he sub-sequentially crashed 100 times in Seattle and still got P12. He rode much better in Philadelphia charging to P9 late in the race and said post-race that he's finally back to riding full time during the week and believes he should be back on the podium before the season is done.

Frustrated: Garrett Marchbanks had an okay day despite a crash in qualifying and he picked up P7 in the main event. However, he says he has so much more potential in him if he could get a start and said post-race he has to figure some stuff out with himself to make a bit more progress by the time we get to Denver.

Tough Break: Julien Beaumer was by far the person who got hurt by the restart the most as he was in third before the red flag and then he got pinched in the first turn of the restart and came out dead last. He would get back to P12, but lost P2 in the standings now as Cole Davies went by.

Quiet Day: Hunter Yoder was the only Partzilla Blaster Power PRMX 250 rider to make it into the main event as he got in straight through the 250 West heat race and rode to P19 in the main event.

Highs and Lows: Cullin Park had an okay day in Philadelphia but left with a P15 result he'd rather forget. After a P2 in Foxborough, expectations now seem to be higher for him and he'll look to find his way back towards the front next week in New Jersey.

Need Starts: Max Vohland came from about 15th off the start in the main event to finish P8 at the flag. He was third fastest in 250SX East qualifying on the day but said his P6 result in the heat race hurt him for the main as his 12th gate selection left him with a subpar option off the line. He did say he believes his starts are coming around and it's only a matter of time before he gets one in the main event and can show what he's got near the front.

Making Progress: Jo Shimoda told us post-race that his broken pinky finger is now almost fully healed despite still being a bit dented. He's been able to put more days on the bike during the week and also said he's been finding better settings as he really starts to dial in this new CRF250R platform. P5 in Philadelphia was closer to where he wants to be.

Keep Charging: Chance Hymas may have won in Foxborough but it was always going to be tough to square off against the top guys in the Showdown. He was in a pretty good position early in the main and then had a small fall and slipped back to P10 by the end.

Victory Rev: Cole Davies lets the Yamaha sing after winning his second career 250SX main event.

Happy Lad: Who would have thought this kid would have two wins and one of them would be in a Showdown when he showed up with #100 on his bike at Anaheim? Anybody? Bueller?

Happy Team: Haiden Deegan celebrates his P2 finish with winning teammate Cole Davies as the duo pulled away from the best riders in the class late in the race and had a close battle to the finish.

Happy Team (x2): The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing crew gathered on the podium together to celebrate their 1-2 finish with Davies and Deegan.

Inches: With the grates, holeshot devices, start mapping, and a number of other things, starts are closer than ever. Five feet out of the gate, it's hard to tell the difference between a guy who holeshots and a guy who starts outside of the top 15, but they're in this picture somewhere.

Full Focus: Dylan Ferrandis was a bit upset that he didn't get the Factory Honda fill-in and he's been fierce of late riding very well again in Philadelphia. He was P7 in the main event.

Hot Start: Early in the 450SX main event, Malcolm Stewart was up there trying to keep pace with Ken Roczen and PRMX's Mitchell Harrison was right behind him in third. In this picture though, you can see the riders who would finish 1-2 already on the charge to the front.

Oops: Shane McElrath came off his P2 in Foxborough full of confidence ready to do it again in Philadelphia. That confidence may have played a part in clipping bars heading into the first corner going for the holeshot and then taking the whole field wide as he and Aaron Plessinger went down in the first corner. McElrath would end up getting back to 12th.

Bounce Back: Joey Savatgy came back to racing last week after suffering some broken ribs and a punctured lung in a brutal crash at Indianapolis. The mud really sloshed him around and he missed the main event, but Philadelphia was maybe the best Savatgy looked all year. A good start in the main event for Joey turned into 20 minutes of nearly flawless riding as he ended up P5 for a season best result.

Battling: While Ken Roczen continues to deal with an AC separation and now a tweaked ankle, he keeps finding ways to battle at the front. After the start chaos and then Justin Barcia's launch over the berm from the lead on the second lap, Roczen found himself in the lead and he pulled out a pretty good gap early on. Eventually, Chase Sexton and Cooper Webb ran him down, but Roczen was clearly the third best guy on the night and was awarded with a podium.

Rubbing Hands: These last four races are going to be so good if these two are going to keep finding each other. Cooper Webb stalked Chase Sexton the whole race and this time it was Sexton who simply got the better of him. Will there be fireworks ahead with these two? Time will tell.

First Chance: We finally got to see what Dean Wilson on a Factory Honda HRC machine would look like in Philadelphia and he pumped up bad in the main event. He ran as high as ninth but would finish up P17.

Shattered: Justin Barcia said post-race he crashed on Thursday and the bike landed on top of his right index finder which "shattered" it and he ended up in the ER. He wasn't even sure he was going to race and said he never touched his front brake all day which was a contributing factor to his first lap crash from the lead. He went for his rear brake and said it blew right through which sent him over the berm. He hopes the finger heals quickly in these next two weeks as he eyes getting started on outdoor testing.

Tricky Conditions: A few corners were really deep still on the track thanks to being in low lying areas and the Dirt Wurx crew could only do so much. Here Christian Craig dances out of the ruts coming onto the start straight.

Extended: Benny Bloss signed a contract extension with the Liqui Moly Beta Factory Racing team this week to continue with the program through 2026. He put in another solid top 10 result but said post-race it could have been a lot better if he rode like himself in the first half of the race. Either way, he's overjoyed to continue with the team and is looking forward to continued improvement.

Call Answered: Chase Sexton saw the championship slip almost all the way out of his hands with a P6 in Foxborough and needed to win in Philadelphia to get back on track. Well that's exactly what he did. Fastest in both qualifying sessions, heat race win, main event win, and the gap is now 12 points.

Podium Pals: Ken Roczen congratulates Chase Sexton after the race. Although Roczen is all but out of this championship fight, he's still had an incredible season and keeps racking up good points week after week.

Debrief: After the main event, Aaron Plessinger spoke with his buddy Cooper Webb and apologized for what happened in the first corner, only for Shane McElrath to roll up next to AP moments after this photo and they would exchange words over the situation.

Called Shot: Cooper Webb on the podium after the race that he was going to go back to work and "kick his ass next week" when speaking of race winner Chase Sexton. Let's see if he makes it happen in New Jersey.

Celebration: Chase Sexton sprays his mechanic Jade Dungey with champagne as they celebrate their fourth win of the year together.

Never Settle: Cooper Webb doesn't seem to care about managing this championship as he was pissed he didn't beat Sexton in the main event immediately following the race.

Family: Ken Roczen and his wife Courtney celebrate his P3 finish on the day.