SX After-Party 1

Bike Week in Daytona gives us plenty of opportunities to get the good stuff...and we always share.

450 Class

Eli Tomac - 1st

"I've always loved racing at Daytona; I have fun out here, and it's special having the fans so close and loud by the track. I had a positive attitude all day and just kept that energy rolling into the night show. Truthfully, I really thought it was a longshot to win the main as I was riding around sixth in the first lap with some tough contenders in front of me. I had some good momentum in the sand and a few other sections, though, so I was able to put in some solid laps and begin making moves, giving it everything I had."


Ken Roczen - 2nd

"Tonight went well, and I'm happy to come away with a second. My starts have been really good lately, and that continued today in both the heat and the main. When I got out front, I knew I needed to try and lay down some good laps to get a cushion. In the middle of the race, I kind of switched up my lines a little, and it didn't work too well. Eli was coming quick and closed in on me. I made a mistake and tipped over in a turn, which cost me the lead. Even after that happened, it was important for me not to give up and stay right behind him. We were putting down a good pace at the end there, and I think if I had another lap, I could've tried to battle back for the lead. I tried my hardest, though, and in the end, it wasn't good enough for a win. I'm really happy with the consistency that we're bringing every weekend, and with my starts and overall riding. We're still in a good position for the rest of the season."

Ken Roczen.

Cooper Webb - 3rd

"I felt like I put myself in a good position – I was in second, and a little way back, and Eli [Tomac] was able to get me. I started making a lot of mistakes and let him get away. It's good to be on the podium, so I'm stoked on that, but I'm going to work this week. I think I'm at a point where I've finally healed up good enough to try to contend, so I'll take the podium, but I really want to get another win."

Cooper Webb.

Jason Anderson - 4th

"My weekend went alright," Anderson said. "The heat race went well, I almost got into the lead there, but I ended up finishing second. In the main, I got the holeshot and fell back to fourth, but I pushed forward and almost had third. All-in-all it was a good race for me, and I just have to keep racing out there with the boys."

Jason Anderson.

Justin Barcia - 5th

"I felt like I should have had a stronger result, but there were some positives to take from tonight. My starts were much better, so that was a good thing. We just struggled with setup all day. We were trying to adapt to the track and find that happy place, I just never found it. I rode well in my Heat race. The track was pretty smooth, but in the Main Event the track roughened up, and I was just a little bit uncomfortable. Aaron and I battled for a while. It was a fun race, but I expected a lot more of myself. I felt like I should have had a better result, but we have to take the positives. I had good starts and qualified pretty well today, which was something that has hurt us. So we're going to take the positives moving into next weekend at Indy and get back on top."


Aaron Plessinger - 6th

"The night was great. I got off to a really great start in the Heat race. I held Kenny (Roczen) off for a couple laps, but he got by me. Then Barcia and I were going at it for a little bit, but I was able to hold him off and finish second. I got off to another great start in the Main, but then a few guys got by me. I held the pace for a little bit, but it was gnarly out there! It was rough, rutted, and sandy. I almost fell down a couple times and got headshake a couple times as well. It definitely holds up to its name of being the toughest supercross race. Barcia got me with a few laps to go, and I finished sixth. We're making strides towards the front. I finished up eighth two weeks ago, seventh last weekend, and now sixth. I'm just plugging away. The bike's coming together really nice. I think before we know it we'll be up on the podium."

Aaron Plessinger.

Dean Wilson - 7th

"In the Main Event, I knew the start was very crucial, so I put a lot of focus into that, and I had a decent start, but I got a little tight at the beginning," Wilson said. "About midway through, I started finding lines and getting close to the top-five, but I just wasn't able to make it happen. I'm frustrated with not being in the top-five, but I'm happy with my riding progress, and I feel like my confidence is coming back, so every weekend, I'm getting a lot better."

Dean Wilson.

Malcolm Stewart - 8th

"Today was one of the hardest races of the season," Stewart noted at the end of the night. "In the Main Event, I got a terrible start but made my way back up to eighth. Overall, I am happy with the way I rode. I'm starting to find the balance within myself. I just need to keep the ball rolling with another top-ten finish."

Malcolm Stewart.

Justin Hill - 9th

"Daytona is never a typical Supercross track, but this wasn't even a typical Daytona. It was just straight away, turn, straightaway, sand rollers. It was a lot of speed into jagged, weird stuff," Hill explained of the track after the race. "I think that I was moving well at the beginning of the Main Event. I was making passes and moving forward. I crashed in the sand, picked it up, got a few spots back, and ended up ninth. I'm happy to be out of here healthy and am looking forward to Indianapolis."

Justin Hill (46).

Justin Brayton - 10th

"I'm pretty disappointed; it doesn't seem like I can catch a break, honestly. I got an okay start but was shuffled around on the first lap and came around in about 10th. I wasn't able to make the moves I needed to and was back in the chaos. On the final lap, I was completely taken down by Vince [Friese]."

Justin Brayton.

Vince Friese - 11th

"In the Main Event, I rode a little tight and got pushed around in the first few laps. I put myself in a good position but had a couple of bobbles in the sand and dropped back. I was riding and battling with my teammates, stayed with Justin in the middle part of the race there, and Brayton was on me from the middle part until the end," Friese said after the race. "A lapper got in my way, and JB got by me, so the lapper was still in between us, and I went for a pretty aggressive move. I had to lock up the front brake and high-sided into JB, and we both hit the deck. He got up and still beat me to 10th, which was a bummer. I hope he is okay, and I feel pretty bad. My intent was just to put the bike in front of him because he would have seen my bike and stopped, but with the lapper in the way made things more hectic. It's such a bummer because I want to put it in the top-ten for the team. Everyone is working so hard and to go from 10th to 11th like that is tough."

Vince Friese.

Benny Bloss - 12th

"I’m very happy with how my first race back with Team Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-KTM-WPS went tonight. I felt comfortable on the bike out there and thankful for the opportunity. We will make some changes to the bike and be ready for a top ten next weekend in Indianapolis.”

Benny Bloss.

Ryan Breece - 18th

"Being able to pull a holeshot was awesome," said Breece. "Keeping the Suzuki out front in the LCQ was pretty sweet to accomplish at the 50th Anniversary of Daytona Supercross! I am ready to push myself to better results in the main event!"

Ryan Breece (71), and Adam Enticknap (722).

Adam Enticknap - 19th

"What an awesome weekend," said Enticknap. "Qualifying 15th first session and 16th overall in the second session was a good start. Noleen changed the forks three times completely for me. Clark also changed my gearing, which gave me a huge advantage. Coming into the heats, I was confident and ready to roll. I got off to a decent start and was right in the battle during the heat. I ended up coming up short. The LCQ was no short of drama. I pulled a second-place start and was on it! About two laps in, I realized my exhaust bracket had broken, and my exhaust was dangling. I told myself I was going to run it until it dies. I kept the charge and did what I had to. The main event was long and rough. I was going decent and had a crash in the sand. I picked myself up and managed to put in a good ride, ending up right behind my teammate. Huge thanks to my team and mechanic for an awesome weekend!"

Charles Lefrancois - DNQ

"I felt comfortable on the bike from the start of timed practice," said Lefrancois. "I managed to get the 19th fastest time in the first timed session and qualified 22nd overall after the second session. I knew a direct transfer into the main was possible for me with a good start, and usually starts are my strength, but not tonight. I worked hard to make passes, but it was not enough in my heat or the LCQ to transfer to the main. Despite my bad result, I really liked the bike, and also the track, and will work hard this week to get better results in Indy."

Charles Lefrancois.

250 Class

Garrett Marchbanks - 1st

"I'm on cloud nine right now," said Marchbanks. "I've thought about this for a long time - what it would be like to win - and it's better than I could have imagined. It's especially cool to get a win at Daytona. It's such a historic race. I'm thankful that the team has been so supportive and knew I had what it takes. I finally got a great start and can't believe we went wire-to-wire."

Garrett Marchbanks.

Chase Sexton - 2nd

"Never pleased to finish second, but overall I was struggling pretty much all day, just with bike setup and not really feeling comfortable with the track," said Sexton. "It was more outdoorsy than I really expected. On a supercross setup, we just didn't really feel comfortable. Just kind of struggled. In the heat race, I had a crash, ran over a rider, and then got back to third. I really felt like I rode pretty well. For the main event that put me in not a very good spot on the gate. I was pretty far outside. I just tried to give the best effort I could and got into the corner first, but I went too far wide. Made a few quick passes. Garrett was out front. I knew he was going to be tough to beat. He was riding good all day. I put my head down and tried to close the gap a little bit, but overall he was riding really well. I can't take anything away from him. I just didn't have it tonight. Going back into Indianapolis, my home race, with an extended points lead, feels good."

Chase Sexton (1E).

Jeremy Martin - 3rd

"Man, it felt so good to be pinning it on my GEICO Honda at the Daytona International Speedway," said Martin, who actually claimed second in the 450 class at the race in 2017. "The speed was there all day to grab a win, but I couldn't get out of the gate in the main event. I wheelied off the start and lost some ground. I ended up going off the track in the sand section on lap one due to Jordan Smith having a crash. I blew off the track and had to jump some tough blocks. Put on a massive charge to get back onto the box for third overall. Definitely disappointed with my performance."

Jeremy Martin.

RJ Hampshire - 4th

"Obviously, I would have liked to finish on the podium, but all-in-all, I'm pretty happy with how tonight went," Hampshire said. "While I was running third, I dabbed my leg in a corner, and it gave me a stinger on my knee, which kind of caused me to mess up the rhythm a couple of laps and [Jeremy] Martin was able to get around me. With the track being as high-speed as it was, I made the decision to be smart and take fourth, so I could move on to Indy and get better results."

RJ Hampshire

Shane McElrath - 5th

"I felt great all day and had a great night going! I got together with another rider early on, and we both ended up going down. I was pushing hard to come back and catch the lead group, and then I ended up going down again. I'm happy with my riding, just sometimes things don't go your way. We will be back!"

Shane McElrath.

Jo Shimoda - 7th

"The whole practice, in timed qualifying, I didn't get in good laps, but I felt loose all day," said Shimoda. "I was a little bit tight in the beginning of my heat but got fourth. In the main event, I started okay, but [Shane] McElrath crashed in front of me, and I got stuck behind him, which put me behind a lot of riders. I was able to get to seventh, and I was catching up to sixth, but then I went off the track with three laps to go. Had to settle for seventh."

Jo Shimoda.

Jalek Swoll - 9th

"Honestly, the start of the day didn't go too well, but once the night show came around, I actually felt really good on the bike and all the struggles I had in the beginning of the day went away," Swoll said. "I actually think the LCQ helped me a little bit – I got more time on the track and more time on the sand tire, so it was good. I was happy with my speed tonight, and I feel like I was catching the guys in front of me, but I had some mistakes that kept me from breaking into that group ahead."

Jalek Swoll.

Team Personnel

Jim Perry – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

"Daytona is always a grueling event, so in the grand scheme of things, we had a good performance for both guys throughout the day. The Heat race went well. Our starts definitely improved in the Heat race and also the Main Event. They both fought hard for the whole Main Event but were unable to pull off the win tonight. We'll get back to work next week and keep making forward progress."

Erik Kehoe - Team Honda HRC Manager

"Tonight was really great. Ken rode strong all day today – qualifying well, winning his heat, leading most of the race, and then getting second. Obviously, we're a little disappointed not to come away with the win, but Tomac is very strong here, and we knew that coming in. Ken put up a good fight, though, and kept him honest all the way until the end. It was another unfortunate end to the night for Justin. He was riding steady but on the last lap had a pretty bad crash with Friese. He still managed to finish 10th, but I know he wants more and has been frustrated the last few weeks."

Jordan Troxell - Ken Roczen's Mechanic

"Man, so close tonight! Overall, it was a really good day here in Daytona, though. Ken rode awesome all day, and I'm really proud of him. I think we did a really good job focusing on him and doing what we needed to put him in a good position. The team did a great job with the bike all week, and Ken's feedback was positive, so I think overall, he's happy. We came up a few laps short, and obviously, Eli was riding awesome, so we weren't able to hang onto the win. We're still only three points down and have a lot of racing to do, so this battle will likely come down to the end. I'm excited to get back to it in Indianapolis."

Brent Duffe - Justin Brayton's Mechanic

"It was a rough Daytona. We really came into today hoping to turn the season around with Justin having had his win here a couple years ago and the positive vibes this round brings. Unfortunately, he was just a little bit off on everything all day. He had a tough time in qualifying, then his heat race wasn't too bad, but in the main, he was just a little off again and couldn't compete for the top five, which is the goal to turn the season around."

Tony Alessi - SmarTop | Bullfrog Spas | MotoConcepts | Honda Team Manager

"All three guys made progress and worked into the top-10. It was a very difficult race and very complicated with the start and the track, so we're glad to get out of here unscathed," shared Team Manager Tony Alessi. "We didn't have the best Heat Races, which didn't give us the greatest gate picks, but our riders still got good starts in the Main Event with Vince near the front and Malcolm and Justin midpack. Malcolm finished in eighth place, Justin in ninth place, and Vince in 11th after his last-lap crash."

Jeremy Albrecht - JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing Team Manager

"Charles [Lefrancois] rode well in qualifying and improved each time he hit the track," said Jeremy Albrecht, Team Manager. "He showed speed, but bad starts did not help him get into the main event. We will focus on starts to help him improve for next weekend. He has a great attitude and wants to prove he can make us and Suzuki proud. I believe he will make improvements each weekend."

"We went into the weekend wanting to turn things around for Jimmy [Decotis]," added Albrecht. "He had a few crashes that have held him back over the last few weeks and has felt weak and not himself. After qualifying for the night, he made the decision to not continue in his heat race. He will get some testing this week and try to figure out how to get back to competing."

Dustin Pipes - H.E.P. Suzuki Team Manager

"We had another building block this weekend in Daytona," said Team Manager, Dustin Pipes. "Qualifying for Adam went really well, and it was good having him qualify so high. Ryan continues to struggle in qualifying but always steps it up when the racing starts. 

"It's always stressful having to head to the LCQ. It was great to see Ryan out front and grabbing a win with a historic 50th Annual Daytona Race. Both guys carried that momentum into the mains, and I was happy with their riding."

Wil Hahn – Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing Team Manager

"Tonight started out great, but unfortunately didn't end the way we wanted. We have some things to work on. Daytona is always a tough one. We'll put it behind us and focus on getting back on top."

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