Good, Bad, 'n Ugly: Salt Lake City 1 1

We're running out of time in the Supercross season. Who makes it in?

250 Class

The Good: Jo Shimoda | 1st Place

Everyone, and I mean everyone, was absolutely pumped to see Jo Shimoda win his first Main Event on Saturday. This dude has ice running through his veins. It didn't matter who was behind him or how many lappers he had to navigate through, he never cracked, and his lap times stayed extremely consistent. Style-wise he's one of the most satisfying riders to watch in Supercross right now, and it seems like he has made huge strides from his rookie season. His consistency alone should slot him into the title contender conversation for next year. Nothing can rattle this kid. 

Jo Shimoda (30).

The Bad: Michael Mosiman | 4th Place

Mosiman clearly had the speed to pass Jo Shimoda for a decent chunk of the 250 Main Event, but the dude could not get the pass done. One of the biggest knocks against Mosiman throughout his young career has been his racecraft, and it looks like he still has some improvements to make in that department. He has the speed to win, but he seems to be struggling to find a middle ground between trying too hard to make a clean pass which leads to missed opportunities and overly aggressive passes when the situation doesn't call for it. He's one step away from being a potential title contender in 2022, but it's one big ass step. 

Michael Mosiman leading into the first turn of the 250 main.

The Ugly: Christian Craig | DNQ

All of the hype behind the 250 East Class getting back behind the gate fizzled out pretty quickly after Christian Craig went down in qualifying. He said he'd try to line up for the night show, and he did, but he could only manage one lap before pulling off and calling it a season. He'll sit out the last round this coming Saturday and try to heal up enough to make the start of the outdoor series. Even though this season didn't end the way Christian would've liked, this was far and away his best season ever in the 250 class. He claimed two wins and six podiums and showed everyone that he is still deserving of a factory ride at this point in his career. I don't know if Christian plans to return to the 250 class next year, but I'd imagine that he'd be a title threat once again if he decides to give it one more go on the small bike. 

He gave it a shot, but it was obvious early in the 250 heat that trying to race with a broken leg wasn't going to work for Christian Craig. Heal up soon, Christian.

450 Class

The Good: Marvin Musquin | 1st Place

Marv's back! This marks his first win of the 2021 season and his first podium since Orlando 2. That really highlights how much of a struggle this season has been for him, but to end the season strong with a win (and hopefully another great finish at SLC 2) should help him build some confidence heading into the outdoor season. I've seen some chatter about whether or not Marvin will return in 2022 or if he'll retire after outdoors. While I have no insider information on that whole situation, I wouldn't be surprised to see him return for at least one more tour around the country. I don't think he wants to leave the sport after what many would consider being one of his worst seasons since joining the 450 class, and I think if he's able to get through the entire outdoor season healthy, it'll be an easier decision for him to make. I could be completely wrong, but I'd like to see him give it one more go. 


Marvin Musquin (25).

The Good Bonus: Malcolm Stewart | 3rd Place

It's hard to believe that this was Malcolm Stewart's first podium in the 450 class, but it's true. We've known ever since he moved up that he has the speed and skill to not only podium but to win in this class. But as we've seen time and time again, speed doesn't always equal wins when you get to the big boy class. Nonetheless, I think a lot of us were hoping he'd be able to score his first podium before the end of the season, and right at the end, he was able to do it. Now the question is, what will Malcolm do for 2022? I believe his contract with Star Racing Yamaha is only for one year, so will he re-up with the team or move onto his third team in three years? I'm sure we'll hear plenty of rumors about his situation when silly season kicks off this summer. 

Malcolm Stewart.

The Bad: Eli Tomac | 10th Place

After being the fastest dude all day long, Eli Tomac didn't get a great start and then fell down a couple of times en route to a 10th place finish in the Main Event. A disappointing finish, to say the least, but with the season winding down, I can't blame him for cruising it in after crashing twice during the race. At this point, I think we're all more curious about which Tomac will show up for the outdoor season.

Eli Tomac.

The Ugly: Justin Barcia | 14th Place

Barcia wasn't blazing fast in timed qualifying, but I still figured he'd be a lock for the top 10 and maybe even the top five if he could nail the start. Unfortunately, he had a crash in his heat race which sent him to the LCQ, and then he had two more crashes in the Main Event that relegated him back to 14th place. His second crash was pretty big, but it sounds like he didn't sustain any injuries, so at least he's still on track to finish out the season healthy. Overall he has had a great first season with the TLD GasGas team, and I think he has proven that he deserves a contract extension if he hasn't gotten one already. 

Justin Barcia.


Words by Grant Dawson
Photos by Steve Giberson

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