SX After-Party From Round 2 in Salt Lake City

After two rounds of the Salt Lake City action, it already feels like Supercross Summer Camp.

Cooper Webb - 1st

“It was a great night overall but it was a tough race – the track conditions were definitely tricky and you had to be patient out there. The whoops were tough, I just committed to my lines from the beginning and it played out pretty well. It was a great night to get a win, these are not easily regained, especially with the top guys up here tonight so I want to soak it in but we’ve got five more rounds to go.” 

Cooper Webb.

Eli Tomac - 2nd

"I was fighting with all I could tonight. I got pushed back off the start and began making my way towards the front after that. I got close with two laps to go but then I made a little mistake in the rhythm section so I couldn’t quite make it happen, but overall it was a good night for us.”

Eli Tomac.

Zach Osborne - 3rd

“My Main Event ride was really good – I maybe let a win slip away but in the end, it’s a good building block. I felt good all day, the team vibe was unreal and we had a really good, fun time today,” Osborne said. “To get all three of the bikes inside the top six was incredible. I’m really proud of what I accomplished and what the team accomplished tonight.”

Zach Osborne.

Jason Anderson - 4th

My day was not bad,” Anderson said. “I ended up second in practice and in the heat race I had a decent little battle and ended up third. In the Main Event, I got a good start and got tangled in the first corner. I came up to third for a minute and then fell back to fourth and just kind of rode around in fourth.” 

Jason Anderson.

Ken Roczen - 5th

“I’m feeling good on the bike and had a good heat race, but obviously I’m having issues that prevent me from keeping it going. I’m trying to figure it out and do my best to come back stronger. This thing isn’t over yet, but obviously fifth place is not where we want to be. The main goal is to try to be better, and especially get a better start; I took a chance going to the very inside on the start gate and that didn’t work out. I’m going to rest and recover, and I look forward to trying our best in the next race.”

Ken Roczen.

Dean Wilson - 6th

“Everything felt so much better today. I was in a really good mood all day, everyone on the team was just in a good vibe and the bike was awesome,” Wilson said. Qualifying went really good and I felt like I was riding really well all day. It was a demanding race and the elevation was definitely hitting me but I finished off with a sixth. I’m happy with that, it was a good fight.”

Dean Wilson.

Malcolm Stewart - 7th

“I said it was time for me to get out there and put it on the edge and sure enough, I won my first Heat Race. That was super cool. I’ve been putting in so much effort with Gareth Swanepoel, the whole MCR team, my mechanic Jason, and we’re all pumped on that. It was time. For me to finally get that is a weight off of my shoulders,” Stewart shared after the race. “In the Main Event I had a decent start, not too bad, but Anderson got caught with a guy and then I tangled with him and fell. I almost had a pretty big one in the middle of the race, but I kept charging and came from basically dead last to seventh place. I’m happy with the way I rode and obviously, on paper, it doesn’t show, but I think that Heat Race unleashed some stuff and I have to keep the ball rolling to stay in it.”

Malcolm Stewart (27).

Justin Barcia - 8th

“We definitely had better track conditions today, the traction was much better, but the whoops were very difficult. We made changes throughout the day searching for that happy setting. I got off to a pretty good start in the Main Event and was running well, but unfortunately got to the whoops and just couldn’t get through them all night. I’m proud of the team for making great changes today and it was a lot of hard work on everyone’s part. We’re just going to keep working and won’t be happy until we’re up front.”

Justin Barcia.

Justin Brayton - 9th

“So another ninth place, but it was a totally different type of ninth place than on Sunday, when I started second and kind of made some mistakes and went back. This time I got a really bad start and just got pinched off. I was in the second gate from the inside, which was kind of a gamble, but I chose it and it kind of bit me. I think I might’ve been last around the first turn and came back to ninth, so I felt good about the ride. I had really good lap times, especially the last 10 to 15 laps, so I just need to get a better start and I think we’ll be good to go here in four days.”

Justin Brayton.

Justin Hill - 10th

“I think the elevation finally got to me. I woke up with a headache behind my right eye and by the time practice was over, it was a splitting migraine. It was not fun. Vince bumped me out in the Heat Race and I had to go to the LCQ for the first time in my career, so I’m not happy about that,” Hill noted at the end of the night. “but it was a good rebound to get 10th in the Main Event. Judging off how I felt earlier I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to safely get around the track. I grew as a human and as a racer, experienced some firsts, rebounded, and dug deep. I think Sunday will be better because today was the worst I’ve felt since we got here. I hope that’s over and I’ll be smarter going forward.”

Justin Hill (46).

Aaron Plessinger - 12th

“I struggled a lot throughout the day with setup. I didn’t qualify too well in the first session, I was just sliding around a lot and not really hitting the whoops like I wanted to. We got better in the second qualifying. I felt a lot better in that one and was flowing a little bit, but in the Heat race, I got off to a bad start and fought my way to eighth. In the Main Event, I got an even worse start. I was messing around with some dudes in the back and couldn’t really get going until the halfway mark and worked my way up to 12th from 18th.

Aaron Plessinger.

“It’s not where we want to be. We’re going to have to make some adjustments and get better starts and finish where we need to. I’ve got a good feeling about these next two rounds. I’m looking forward to it.”

Blake Baggett - 14th

“It was a tough night. My speed was there today, I just had some issues on track that didn’t do me any favors. We will regroup and come back strong this Sunday.”

Blake Baggett.

Kyle Cunningham - 15th

“Overall SLC went well,” said Kyle Cunningham. “I still feel that after my injury I’m still trying to get back to where I need to be. My starts were good today. I finished 6th in the heat and 15th in the main. Still have things to work on, but we have 5 more races to go and I’m happy with the progress I’ve made already with little time and a whole lot of effort from the H.E.P. Motorsports team. Can’t wait for the next one and to continue to get better.”

Kyle Cunningham (44).

Vince Friese - 16th

“The whole day started out rough but tonight was a step in the right direction. In the Main Event, I came out of the start in second place and I felt pretty good about where I was going to be. I definitely could not have stayed there, but I rode my own race and ended up a lot better. Going in, I had a mindset to ride my own laps and not let getting passed fluster me. I put myself in a good position and then slid out in the turn, which was a bummer because I got up around last. I was happy with the finish,“ Friese explained after the race. “The heat and the altitude got to me on Sunday, so for me to finish the Main Event strong makes me feel good. I’ll be better each time and I look forward to the rest of these races.”

Vince Friese (64).

Adam Enticknap - 19th

“Qualifying 13th this weekend was definitely a career highlight for me so far,” said Adam Enticknap. “Prior to this, my best qualifying time was 17th. This weekend was an eye-opener for me. The heat race wasn’t what I wanted but it was better! The LCQ was eventful for sure. I started 16th overall and came back to 3rd place. That was a great ride, but I have to get better starts. The main was okay finishing in 19th but it’s still not where I want to be! I’m ready for Sunday!”

Adam Enticknap.

Ryan Breece - DNQ

“Making the main event was a step in the right direction,” said Ryan Breece. “I’m still killing it with my starts. Hopeful we can figure out this altitude sickness because we got 5 more rounds!”

Adam Cianciarulo - DNR

"Unfortunately, I had to make the tough decision of sitting this one out. I tried to ride the first couple practices but it’s just not in the cards for me today. It’s very frustrating and if I could ride I would. I’ve got to make the smart call now to rest and be ready for next Sunday because we have a lot of good times ahead.”

250 Class

Shane McElrath - 1st

“Man it was a great day for the team! It was a tough race. The track crew built a technical track and it was physically demanding, but I’m super excited and thankful to do my best out there and tonight that was the top step. It’s cool to get back-to-back wins and I’m really excited about it, but right now my focus is on Sunday.”

Shane McElrath.

Colt Nichols - 2nd

“It was a really great night for the team, exactly what we needed to do. I wish I could’ve held the lead a little longer, but it was awesome to lead laps and be back on the podium after such a long break from racing. I had a blast during the night program. It felt like another day at the test track with Shane in that Main Event. So that made it really fun. I’m ready to go again Sunday.”

Colt Nichols.

Garrett Marchbanks - 5th

“My start in the main didn’t do me any favors trying to get up to the front,” said Marchbanks. “I was way back and had to manage to get through the pack. I’m thankful that we were able to get through pretty quickly, but the pace at the front is really high and if you’re not there at the start, it’s hard to close the gap. Everything else feels great, I just need to get up there so I can challenge those guys from the start. We get another try in a few days (on Sunday).”

Garrett Marchbanks.

Jalek Swoll - 7th

“I thought I turned the day around compared to how we started,” Swoll said. “I ran up there in fourth or fifth for a while and the rhythm took me out of the race a little bit but I feel good and I’m riding good so I’m just going to keep trekking through the next few races.”

Jalek Swoll.

Team Personnel

Erik Kehoe - Team Honda HRC Manager

“Today was about damage control. Early in the day things were good; practice went well and Ken’s heat race went well. We know that starts are so important, and in that main event, both Ken and Justin were too far to the inside, got shut off, and were pretty far back. Ken had to put in a really hard effort to battle back up into position, and he struggled to maintain that same effort throughout the race. We need to work on starts and come back strong for the next event.”

Jim Perry – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

“It was another challenging night for the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team. We had our hands full all day, both guys struggled with the track conditions. They were much better than they were on Sunday, there was much more moisture in the track. However, there was a gnarly set of whoops and that was our Achilles Heel. We’ll regroup and come back for the third event Sunday afternoon in Salt Lake City.”

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

“Making the main event was a step in the right direction,” said Ryan Breece. “I’m still killing it with my starts. Hopeful we can figure out this altitude sickness because we got 5 more rounds!”

Jordon Troxell - Mechanic, Ken Roczen

“We had a decent day--nothing too great but not terrible either. Practice was okay, and the heat race was awesome. The main event could’ve been better. The start wasn’t the best; we took a gamble on the inside gate and it didn’t pay off.”

Jordon Troxell.

Brent Duffe - Mechanic, Justin Brayton

“Justin was fast in qualifying and had a really risky gate pick in the main event, going so far inside, which didn’t work out. Having to come from the back isn’t ideal, but at least the track conditions were a lot better with it being a night race and he was able to come through the pack. If we could just manage to get a good start, I know he’s got the speed, and the bike works great. With five more races to go here, I know he’s going to be able to show everyone that he still has it.”

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