News 25 Feb 2024

Late drama sees Webb take Arlington 450SX victory

Deegan capitalises on late-race Forkner crash to claim first 250SX win.

Image: Octopi Media.

Two dramatic main events saw Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha riders Cooper Webb and Haiden Deegan take last-gasp victories at the Arlington round of the AMA Supercross Championship.

A dramatic 450SX main event saw Webb snatch a late win inside  AT&T Stadium, as leader Jett Lawrence stumbled twice in the dying laps.

A near-perfect jump off the gate saw Team Honda HRC’s Lawrence grab the holeshot from Cooper Webb and his brother Hunter Lawrence and steadily build a lead, that at one point, nudged five seconds.

Behind the leading group carnage unfolded early, with Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen, Malcolm Stewart and Jason Anderson all crashing in separate incidents on the opening laps.

Tomac (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) then put in one of his signature aggressive performances to work his way forward from 16th to take over third from Red Bull KTM’s Aaron Plessinger as the main event entered its final stages.

Further up front, Lawrence drifted wide off a jump and crashed, handing the lead to Webb with just a handful of laps left to run.

Lawrence desperately tried to close the gap, but on the last lap tangled with lapper Vince Friese (SmarTop MotoConcepts Honda) and again went down, allowing Tomac and Plessinger to claim the remaining podium places.

Jett and Hunter finished fourth and fifth respectively, ahead of Red Bull KTM’s Chase Sexton and Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha). Roczen (Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki), Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Racing) and Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) completed the top 10 positions.

Lawrence still leads the 450SX points standings, but his margin has been trimmed to three points over Webb (135 to 132), with Plessinger just four points further back.

Image: Octopi Media.

In the 250SX division, Deegan capitalised on a heavy crash from 250SX East series leader Austin Forkner to win his first Monster Energy AMA Supercross victory.

Deegan got a great start and claimed the holeshot, but his lead was short-lived when Forkner executed a commanding pass through the whoops into the P1 position several corners later.

The Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider looked fast and composed, managing his lead over Deegan for most of the main event, before a huge crash in a rhythm section late in the race saw him tumble out of contention.

Deegan inherited the lead and finished with a comfortable seven-second victory, celebrating by ghost-riding his Yamaha after the finish-line in a tribute to his father, Brian Deegan.

Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo clicked off some vital passes early to finish the main event in second place, ahead of a fast-finishing Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM), who put a heavy qualifying crash behind him to claim a well-earned podium result.

Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) crossed the finishline fourth, just ahead of Pierce Brown (TLD Red Bull GasGas) in fifth.

New series leader, Fire Power Honda Racing’s Max Anstie, recovered from a mid-pack start to place sixth, ahead of Chance Hymas (Team Honda HRC), Coty Schock (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha) Guilllem Farres (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Racing) and rookie Daxton Bennick (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha).

Forkner’s crash saw him lose the250SX East series lead, handing the red plate to Anstie on 38 points, four points ahead of Brown, with Bennick third.

The next round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will be held at Daytona, FL next weekend.

Detailed results

 

 

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