SX After-Party From Salt Lake City 3

Supercross Summer Camp in SLC rolls on. Here are some of GuyB's best shots from round three.

450 Class

Eli Tomac - 1st

"We had a pretty great battle going, but I did not want to let the win go. I ended up getting a triple combo at the end of that rhythm, which was the real make or break moment for me. That was a great battle and a lot of fun. The track had some great character, and it was just a great day for the Monster Energy Kawasaki team."

Eli Tomac.

Cooper Webb - 2nd

"It sucks I got second, but man, it was a battle from lap one until the last lap. The conditions were tricky, and the lappers were gnarly – a lot of it came down to that. It seemed like one lap I might get it right and one lap he might get it right, but we were really pushing hard. It was a fun race, even though I got beat. We'll try to get the top spot on Wednesday."

Cooper Webb.

Jason Anderson - 3rd

"I'm happy to be up here," Anderson said. "I feel like I'm getting closer to old form, and my headspace is a little better, so I'm just trying to keep building. I feel like I've had some good speed the last two races, so I'm going to work on some stuff and come back at the next round and hopefully try to make it a little less easy on the championship guys."

Jason Anderson.

Zach Osborne - 4th

"It was a decent day, I felt really good in the one qualifying session that we got, and the heat race was good with the holeshot even though I had a good little spill," Osborne said. "I came out with a holeshot in the Main, but I rode kind of tight, and the track was a little sketchy for me. I didn't really find the flow right off the bat, so it was a tough Main, but it was a fourth-place, so we'll take it. I've got a little bit of consistency to build with, so I'm happy with it."

Zach Osborne.

Malcolm Stewart - 5th

"It's crazy that we've raced three times in completely different conditions. The first race was super dry, the second race was not too bad but still pretty dry, and then we had a mud race. I feel like it's been three different terrains in the same place, and it's crazy to me," he shared at the end of the day. "The Main Event was good. I got a good start and rode my race, which put me in fifth. That's my best personal finish in the 450 Class, and I'm really happy about that. I almost had a few pretty big crashes but saved them! It's crazy to say that I finished in the top-five and still got lapped, but in mud races like that, I'll take it. We're on a pretty good roll right now, and we just need to keep doing what we're doing so that we can hopefully end up on the podium."

Malcolm Stewart.

Dean Wilson - 6th

"It was a little bit different of a day with the weather and having only one qualifier, which went really well with a second," Wilson said. "Unfortunately, with the rain, I spun really hard on the gate and was pretty much dead last going down the start straight. I knew it was important to stay on two wheels and just try to click people off every lap, so that's what I did. I don't think it was my best riding, but I managed to get a sixth, which is not too bad considering I came through the pack with a bad start." 

Dean Wilson.

Justin Barcia - 9th

"It was a tough day. Not a whole lot more to say than that. It didn't go the way I wanted to. We're definitely going to keep trying, stay positive and keep moving forward. I'm really looking forward to going racing in two days to try and turn things around."

Justin Barcia.

Ken Roczen - 10th

"These past two races obviously haven't been the results that we needed to be in the fight. That doesn't mean that we aren't still trying. Sometimes you're dealt a hand of cards that are completely out of your control, but we're trying to make the smartest and quickest decisions to get through some of the health issues that keep coming up. My heat went well, and I led a handful of laps until I got a flat. The boulders started popping up, and I think I know right where the rock got me in the whoops. With the weather changing, we tried to make a tire decision that would give me the best chances of not having that same thing happen in the main, but that obviously didn't work well. I'm not the type of guy that likes to roll around or is satisfied with a fifth- or 10th-place finish, but sometimes if that's the best you can do for the night, you just have to accept it for what it is. I can't thank my team enough for being patient with me and for never wavering in their support. I know the sacrifices they're making to be up here and all of the work they're putting in to give me the best equipment and support, and I want to do better for them. I couldn't be more grateful for them, and I hope we can turn this around and be in a better position to put up a fight on Wednesday."

Ken Roczen (94).

Aaron Plessinger - 11th

"It started out pretty muddy, and I was doing really well in practice. I went out for the Heat race, and I struggled pretty hard. The track dried out, got pretty rough, but I got a good start and was moving forward before I started to struggle and fell back to fifth. In the Main, it was pretty much the same thing. I was moving forward and got up into seventh and was right on (Ken) Roczen for sixth, then I tightened up and couldn't hold on anymore and fell back to 11th.

Aaron Plessinger.

"Before the next race, we're going to make some changes and hopefully get the bike dialed in for the next round so that we can go out there and show them what we've got. I'm better than what I have been finishing. I've shown it before. We just need to figure out what the problem is and dive in on it."

Blake Baggett - 12th

"The track was tough today. I just couldn't get going in the main event and struggled a bit in the mud. We will regroup and come back strong on Wednesday."

Blake Baggett.

Justin Hill - 15th

"It was another tough one. The highlight of the day was a face plant in the mud, so that's not what I was looking for. But I got out of the day healthy and without any injuries, so with four more races, I'm looking to put in better finishes," Hill noted after the race. "I'm hoping for better track conditions coming up. The track was completely brutal, and for the guys up front to do what they did is crazy to me. I'm still plugging away and trying to find my place."

Justin Hill.

Vince Friese - 16th

"It was a rough day. The track was brutal. Even when you start out normal here, the dirt is by far the worst on the tour. It's full of rocks and everything, so it's like you're riding on gravel out there and add the rain into that is not good. There were a couple of guys that outclassed everyone, and the rest were in survival mode," Friese explained, following the race. "It is what it is. We have another one in a couple of days, and we'll keep plugging away."

 

Vince Friese.

Broc Tickle - 17th

"Today was a tough day all in all," said Tickle. "I am happy I made it through all the racing, and I'm looking forward to Wednesday's race. I'm thankful for the whole JGR crew. We can build off of this."    

Broc Tickle.

Kyle Cunningham - 19th

"Round 13 in Salt Lake City wasn't bad," said Cunningham. "The track conditions were tough, but my riding felt great. The result doesn't show with five crashes in the main, but man, I had fun on my motorcycle. There are four more rounds to go, and I'm going to keep working and getting better every weekend."

Kyle Cunningham.

Ryan Breece - 21st

"Round 13 in Salt Lake City had some steps in the right direction," said Breece. "I was on the ground a little more than I would like to be, but 21st overall in the 450 main event was an achievement for me."

Ryan Breece.

Fredrik Noren - DNQ

"I'm looking forward to getting back to my normal speed and progressing from there," said Noren. "Separate from my ankle, I'm making rookie-type mistakes on my own. These are all things I will work through, and I'm ready to go race." 

Fredrik Noren. Beware the last corner in an LCQ.

Adam Enticknap - DNQ

"My weekend was tough in the mud," said Enticknap. "I learned a lot, but my main focus coming into the next rounds is starts. I had a decent jump out the gate, but had a bad shift coming into the first corner. I made a few quick passes and felt decent in the whoop section, but I ended up fifth place in the LCQ, missing the main by one spot. As a racer, it's one of the hardest positions to get. Ready for redemption on Wednesday."


250 Class

Shane McElrath - 2nd

"Man, it was nice to get away with a second-place! It was a tough track and very tough conditions. I'm bummed to get the red flag early and then to go down while leading race after the restart, but I'm happy with my effort. We'll come back after the break and fight for this championship."

Shane McElrath.

Colt Nichols - 3rd

"Conditions were really tough tonight with the rain, and the transitions between everything made it really hard to put the laps together. I was able to salvage a podium, which is always nice, but I've got some work to do for the last two rounds."

Colt Nichols.

Pierce Brown - 4th

"All-in-all it was a solid day, and I couldn't be happier. I ended up third in my heat race and fourth in the Main Event. This is my fifth Supercross race ever, so to have my best finish yet, I'm stoked!"

Pierce Brown (163).

Jalek Swoll - 6th

"Honestly, results-wise, it was one of my best days, but it wasn't up to what I felt like I could do out there," Swoll said. "I got a pretty good start in the Main Event, ran up front for a little bit, and faded back to sixth. The track was pretty brutal out there, but I was all about just staying up on two wheels, and I'm happy I was able to do that to take home a career-best finish."

Jalek Swoll (352).


Team Personnel

Jim Perry - Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

"Today in Salt Lake City the weather was tough, it played havoc on the team and the riders throughout the day. The practice session was cut to one qualifying session, which didn't give us much time to make adjustments on the bike. It seemed like every time the guys went out on the track, the conditions were different. Both guys qualified well out of their heat races, finishing in the top five, but in the Main Event, the conditions were brutal. Aaron rode well the first half of the race and then started to struggle with the conditions. Justin got off to a slow start after getting pushed off track and then towards the end picked up the pace, but the damage was done. It was a tough day in the muddy conditions in Salt Lake City. We'll regroup and come back Wednesday for the next round."

Erik Kehoe - Team Honda HRC Manager

"Coming from the last race, our starts were better, and Justin actually made some progress this week after we made some changes on the bike--he had a solid ride. I'm not sure about Ken and where we're at. After he got that flat tire in the heat race, we made a change for the main event, which probably wasn't the right direction. Ken had a hard time keeping a good pace for the whole race, but we'll take these next couple days to regroup and get back out there on Wednesday."

Jeremy Albrecht - JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Racing Team Manager

"The positive from today is that both guys will be able to race on Wednesday," said Jeremy Albrecht, Team Manager. "Broc was able to get through the day, but with some pain from his broken hand. He did not further injure it, so we're hopeful every race will get better."

Albrecht added, "Freddie showed improvement and should have made the main event. He crashed in his heat while in a transfer spot and then was on the bubble in the LCQ. Freddie should be feeling even better after a few more days to let his foot heal." 

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

"It was a very demanding program for everyone involved and a lot of work today," stated Team Manager Tony Alessi. "Malcolm got another top-five finish, but Vince and Justin struggled with the conditions to finish just outside of the top-10. They are all well and safe to race again in a couple of days, and we're looking forward to a dry race."

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

"Mother Nature played a big factor this past round," said Dustin Pipes, Team Manager. "I'm happy we came out somewhat unscathed. As a team, we must have crashed over ten times. Five crashes for Kyle alone in the main event. Nevertheless, the riders were resilient in performing their job. The main event results don't paint the best picture, but when you dive deeper into the individual racers times, you will find we should have placed considerably higher. Staff wise, everyone raised their level of attentiveness to circumvent the poor weather and put our racers in the best position possible. Communication was great, and everyone is performing their roles to a tee, much like the combined parts making our Suzuki RM-Z450 run so good."

Wil Hahn - Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha

"Tonight's conditions were challenging with all the rain we got throughout the day. Unfortunately, Shane got caught up with a lapper early on and lost his lead. All in all, it was still a positive night. Shane was able to recover and finish second, and Colt joined him for another double podium for the team. We will regroup and come back fighting after the break. Now it's time for our West guys to go racing next week."

Zach White, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki R&D Manager

"Garrett (Marchbanks) was riding well and had a good heat race, so it was tough to see him get hurt. He stayed overnight in the hospital for observation on a bruised lung and will hopefully have some good news soon." 

Brent Duffe - Justin Brayton's Mechanic

"It felt good to wake up in Salt Lake City again--it's starting to feel normal now. We're in a routine, but things were different with the rain. I look forward to mud races because we don't get too many of them. With a shortened schedule, it made the day go by really quick. JB got his best result, so I'm not stressing over the extra work during the day or that it's causing for tomorrow. JB is happy with the bike setup, and we're looking forward to the next round in a few days."

Jordon Troxell - Ken Roczen's Mechanic

"It was another less-than-stellar day in Salt Lake City. Rain delayed the program, but we had a pretty decent heat race until we got a flat tire. Once again, the main didn't go in our favor, so we lost a lot of points. We have four more rounds, so the goal is just to try and improve."

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