2020 Salt Lake City Five Supercross | Race Preview

2020 SALT LAKE CITY FIVE SUPERCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

Sunday Supercross races just feel right. Well, so do Saturday Supercross races. And these Wednesday night races have been a cool experiment. You know what, we just like being at the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series no matter when or where it happens. It’s time for the 2020 Salt Lake City Five Supercross, the fifteenth round of the season, and the beginning of the end to our time in Utah.

As shocking as it is to say, these next three races will be how we close out an unforgettable run of events and determine which riders really are the top of their respective classes. Sunday’s race at Rice Eccles Stadium will be a crucial time for title contenders in the 250 West Coast Region and 450 Class and this is what we’re going to keep an eye on while at the track…

1W X2?

It’s certainly looking that way. The defending 250 West Coast champion is 10 points up on Austin Forkner with two races to go, which isn’t enough to secure his second title a round early, but the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider is in a very good position to end his time in the class as a back-to-back champion. Poor starts were a problem for the French rider early in the year and he had to fight his way through the pack plenty of times, which was a problem that many expected to correct over the break, yet Wednesday night’s race again saw him buried on the opening lap. 

Ferrandis could play it safe and go for podium finishes to finish this season out, plus avoid any sort of commotion like the run-in he had with Cameron McAdoo during the Heat Race on Wednesday. Or he could win outright and make it a point to the others that he was truly the fastest man in the region before the summer of racing ahead. What strategy will Ferrandis take?

FORKNER’S LAST STAND

What strategy Ferrandis chooses will largely depend on what Austin Forkner does. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider has nothing to lose right now, has the speed to win, and is as aggressive as anyone when it comes to chasing checkered flags. During Wednesday’s post-race press conference, Forkner said he knew he would have to win both races and have a small disaster to strike Ferrandis for the championship to change favor.

The relationship between Forkner and Ferrandis is blunt as can be. Both guys have a history of leaving the other little room when making moves on the track and don’t seem to care if some contact leaves the other upset. Do they opt for a head-ups battle if they find each other at the front of the field on Sunday afternoon, will Forkner try to force Ferrandis into a mistake, or will they never see each other? 

THE WILDCARD

Justin Cooper is just one point behind Forkner in the standings. Being the fastest qualifier but missing the podium on Wednesday night took a small toll on the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider’s rank, though it’s not a cause for concern. Cooper is aboard what’s clearly been the fastest small-bore bike during the time in Utah and five podium finishes on his record show he has a consistency the others sometimes lack. He could get out front early in the Main Event, click off laps, and leave the others behind on Sunday if everything goes his way. That’s not a good thing for Ferrandis or Forkner, because it shows that Cooper isn’t ready to sacrifice himself for a teammate and he’s another guy that’s had a run-in or two with Forkner this year.

MCADOO’S ARRIVAL?

Okay, that Heat Race was a little erratic, but it once again showed that Cameron McAdoo is willing to hang it out if a good result is on the line. Luckily the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider backed it down when it mattered for a third-place finish in the Main Event, the second podium of his career. We all know that confidence is key in racing and once a rider gets an idea of what it takes to put together a full moto, they’re better able to replicate it in the future.

McAdoo could end up being Forkner’s biggest asset in this championship. Ranked 16th after missing multiple rounds with a lung injury, McAdoo could turn into a blocker for his teammate and change the way the points are passed out. 

THE BROTHERS LAWRENCE

Wednesday was quite the adventure for the young Australians, as it marked Hunter’s long-awaited debut in Supercross and Jett’s return to action after highly-publicized broken collarbone at Anaheim Two. Even if you feel the GEICO Honda riders are being a little over-promoted by the TV crew, you can’t help but watch them on the track. Hunter got into a block pass battle with Forkner in his third session on a real Supercross track and sparked off an instant rivalry while Jett ran up front at certain points and fell victim to simple mistakes at others. Neither guy was happy with their results (13th for Hunter, 11th for Jett) and they’re both eager to log results that prove they’re worthy of the hype.

WILL TOMAC FINALLY TAKE THE TITLE?

We had a long talk with Bruce Stjernstrom at last year’s Monster Energy Cup, during which the leader of Monster Energy Kawasaki’s racing operation in the United States told us that his bosses in Japan demanded the 450 Class championship in the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series. Although there was a long shot that Adam Cianciarulo could be the one to bring them the honor in his rookie season, most of the hopes were put on Tomac and he spent the offseason working with the team to refine himself and the motorcycle. Whatever he did to himself as certainly paid off because the once unpredictable rider has been solid from start to finish, including this time in Utah. 

With a 27-point gap on Cooper Webb in the standings, Tomac is closer than he’s ever been before to the top honors. He’s waved off Webb’s attempts to rattle his confidence and won two of the four Main Events run so far at Rice Eccles Stadium. Has he finally figured out what it takes to make it through seventeen races without issue? We won’t know until the 450 SX championship plate gets passed out.

WEBB’S TITLE DEFENSE

Maybe that old saying is right: winning your second championship is harder than the first. Cooper Webb’s title defense has been eventful, with podium finishes, multiple Main Event wins, a body jarring crash, illness, and other random moments through the past fourteen rounds. The Red Bull KTM rider really upped his intensity at these Utah races and with two Main Event wins, he’s hopped over Ken Roczen to take second in the standings. Unfortunately, it might be too little and too late, because there’s more than a race-win worth of points between himself and Tomac. If this gap grows in the next two rounds, Tomac could clinch get it early.

It’s not like there’s a lack of trying from Webb. He’s tried everything to get under Tomac and Roczen’s skin, including forceful passes, protective riding, starting line psych out attempts, and subtle statements when crossing the finish line. Could this be a preview for the summer ahead?

ROCZEN RIDING IT OUT

You have to feel for Ken Roczen right now. The Team Honda HRC rider came into this Utah run ranked second in the series and in a long-awaited battle with Tomac for superiority. Sadly, the rushed racing schedule mixed with Roczen’s health issues (recently stated to be a case of shingles) has completely zapped the energy from the German rider and the latter half of 20-minute features have seen him slip backward in the running order. His battle with Webb on Wednesday during the Heat Race and Main Event was something we’ll watch for years, two major rivals waging war twice in the same night, yet for some reason, Roczen didn’t go for the coup de grace pass that could have put him in the front of the pack. Maybe it’s because he knew Webb would retaliate tenfold and that he’d have little to fire back with…

Look, a fifth-place finish in a field this stacked is a damn good result. The starting lineup for these Main Events has been filled with some of the top talents the sport has ever seen (count the past winners and champions when they load into the gate on Sunday) and to even be on that list is a small accomplishment. But for Roczen it’s simply not enough, and he’ll push himself to the limit to stay where he thinks he belongs. Here’s hoping that determination doesn’t lead to long-term issues.

THE OTHER GUYS

There are dozens of other riders that deserve some attention during Sunday’s race. If we went through them all in detail, we’d be up all night writing and might sleep through the day’s racing. Here’s a quick synopsis…

– You might have heard that Justin Barcia busted the front wheel of his Monster Energy Factory Yamaha Racing machine on Wednesday, but you might not know all the details. Turns out the bike got out of sorts through the whoop section and caused BamBam to blast off the awaiting berm, over the heads of the camera crew (they said they could feel it fly by), and into the back wall of the stadium. The eventual impact with the track crew equipment lockers that are hidden behind the banners is what busted the fork lug. These Utah races have not been Barcia’s best results and we’ve learned it’s from issues he having with the elevation. This couldn’t come at a worse time for Barcia, because he’s dropped to fifth in the championship standings, which is two spots away from third-place rank he needs to trigger a renewal clause in his contract with the Blu Cru.

– Which Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider will be the star on Sunday? Can Zach Osborne add to his list of podium appearances? Will Jason Anderson bounce back from Wednesday’s seventh-place score? Does Dean Wilson turn his single-lap Qualifying speed into a Heat Race win? Might Michael Mosiman be another player in the 250 Class?

– Alex Martin and Christian Craig have stated how the chaos of the 250 Class isn’t something that bodes well for a veteran racer, but their race craft has helped them make the most of the mistakes made by the wound-up youngsters. Craig claimed a Heat Race win with his GEICO Honda on Wednesday night and Martin said that he feels fast on his JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing bike at elevation. Don’t be surprised if one or both are in the top-five at the finish line.

– Aaron Plessinger is warming up. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider went 12-12-11-9 through the four Utah races run thus far and he’s putting in lap times that are on pace with guys closer to the top-five. What’s does that mean? It could finally be his chance to show consistent improvement on the track, a past trend that was stopped by injury in 2019 and COVID in 2020. Or it could be nothing. It’s AP, man, just sit back and see what happens.

– Now that Brandon Hartranft (a guy that’s from the sea-level locale of New Jersey) has an idea of the physical toll that comes from racing at altitude, can the remarkably-fit Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider perform to his full potential?

– Blake Baggett has been his usual “on” and “off” recently. The Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM rider was one of the fastest in the 450 Class on multiple occasions, like during Qualifying on Wednesday. Re-watch the Baggett’s best lap on the NBC Sports Gold Pass if you can; if he could have cleaned up a few mistakes, that time could have been even faster. He backed up his practice pace with a push to end the Main Event in fourth-place, but 14-12 scores in the two prior rounds mean he’s finished outside the top-10 five times this year. Scraping with Justin Hill and Plessinger to end the year ranked 10th in the championship, Baggett could randomly land on the podium at any time.

– Three races to go for Chad Reed. Not going to lie, it sucks to see CR22’s career come to a close with zero fanfare at the track. With few people in the stands, there’s no need for AC/DC to boom over the stadium sound system or a flood-lit Nac-Nac. Seriously, this blows and we really think Chad looked forward to seeing the crowd come to life at his cue one last time. He looks comfortable on the KTM, even considering the limited time he had to learn the bike during the break, and it showed in his season-best result on Wednesday. This is an informal request to have everyone inside the venue play “Thunderstruck” on their phones after the National Anthem is over so we have some sort of normalcy at these races…

– A mechanical issue forced Malcolm Stewart to bail out of the Main Event on Wednesday (something caused the footpeg to snap off), his first DNF of the season. The SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda rider has been stellar in Salt Lake City and really wants to end his career-best season with another top-five finisher or possibly a podium.

THE TRACK

Riders will face an all-new track design on Sunday and this one is much, much different than anything we’ve seen thus far in Utah. A long start straight on the side of the floor will funnel into a long left hook that dumps riders into the middle of a layout that features multiple rhythm sections and big bowl turns. One side of the track will be fast and flat-trackish, the other side will be a collection of technical obstacles that will require precision. Riders might have to get crafty or pushy to make passes in the two long sweeping turns at either end of the floor.

2020 SALT LAKE CITY FIVE SUPERCROSS | 250 WEST COAST REGION PROVISIONAL ENTRY LIST

1. Dylan Ferrandis | The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider leads the championship standings and will have the red plate at this race.
26. Alex Martin
28. Michael Mosiman
29. Cameron McAdoo
30. Brandon Hartranft
32. Justin Cooper
35. Hunter Lawrence
40. Mitchell Oldenburg | The Penrite Honda rider suffered partial tears to ligaments in his knee just before the San Diego Supercross. He did not undergo surgery during the break, but focused on therapy and will finish out the SX season.
52. Austin Forkner
55. Martin Castelo
57. Derek Drake
60. Mitchell Falk
62. Christian Craig
72. Robbie Wageman
83. Jett Lawrence
88. Logan Karnow
90. Killian Auberson
95. Carson Brown
97. Chris Howell
101. Luke Clout
118. Cheyenne Harmon
138. David Pulley
141. Richard Taylor
154. Chase Felong
181. Wyatt Lyonsmith
227. Derek Kelley
244. Mike Henderson
259. Corbin Hayes
284. Lorenzo Camporese
316. Dawson Newby
446. Blaine Silveira
538. Addison Emory
621. RJ Wageman
837. Bryson Gardner
914. Geran Stapleton

OUT WITH INJURIES OR ISSUES

45. Jacob Hayes | The Gas Monkey Energy/AJE Motorsports rider is out due to a broken femur suffered in a practice crash.

106. Jay Wilson | Despite scoring points in the championship, the Australian rider did not make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season.

108. Aaron Tanti | Despite scoring points in the championship, the Australian rider did not make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season.

170. Michael Leib | Despite scoring points in the championship, the California rider did not make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season.

929. Taiki Koga | Despite scoring points in the championship, the Japanese rider did not make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season. He has healed up from the laceration he suffered in a practice crash at the San Diego Supercross and is back on the motorcycle.

952. Ludovic Macler | Despite scoring points in the championship, the Italian rider did not make the trip to Utah for the final races of the season.

2020 SALT LAKE CITY FIVE 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
10. Justin Brayton 
11. Kyle Chisholm
15. Dean Wilson
16. Zach Osborne
20. Broc Tickle | The JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing rider is dealing with a fractured bone in his throttle hand after a crash at the Salt Lake City One Supercross.
21. Jason Anderson
22. Chad Reed
27. Malcolm Stewart
31. Fredrik Noren
34. Tyler Bowers
37. Martin Davalos
43. John Short | With the 250 East Coast on break, the Team Manluk Racing rider will jump to the 450 Class for round fifteen. 
44. Kyle Cunningham
46. Justin Hill | The SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda rider took a rock to the hand at SLC Four and required some medical attention, but intends to race Sunday.
50. Benny Bloss
51. Justin Barcia
61. Alex Ray
64. Vince Friese 
69. Carlen Gardner
71. Ryan Breece
86. Josh Cartwright
94. Ken Roczen | The Team Honda HRC rider has struggled with asthma issues while at altitude, something he says he will work to overcome, and now a case of shingles. 
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
976. Josh Greco
981. Curren Thurman | After running the 250 East Coast region in the first three races, the Team All-South rider will jump to the 450 Class for the next two events.
996. Preston Taylor

OUT WITH INJURIES OR ISSUES

9. Adam Cianciarulo | The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider has decided to withdraw from the remaining races following a wreck at the Salt Lake City One Supercross that resulted in back injuries.

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.

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.