That's What HE Said

450 Class

Eli Tomac (2nd)

"I left it all out there tonight," said Tomac. "This was one of the best Daytona tracks I've ever raced because it allowed for a lot of passing with really long rhythm sections. Those long rhythm sections really helped me out there and I'm happy with our result tonight."

Cooper Webb (3rd)

"Daytona was really good this year. It was the first time I ever raced it, but I grew up coming here as a kid to watch, so it's pretty special to be here now in the 450 Class. Overall, it was a solid day. We did a lot of great testing this week at Justin Barcia's house to get a great setting for here at Daytona. It was good for me to get my first overall podium especially at my first-ever Daytona, I think I was a lot closer to that top step. I'm looking forward to the rest of the year!"

Christian Craig (4th)

I had a great week testing with the team. They came down to Florida right after last weekend and I feel like we really improved. Just getting more time on the bike and getting more comfortable was huge. I started off race day feeling really good. My qualifying position didn't really show it, but overall I was happy with my riding. It's all about having fun out there, and man, that's what I did tonight. I was up front in the heat race, fell to third, but then the two guys in front took each other out so I ended up winning. You can call it luck or whatever, but I just put myself in a good position to capitalize on people's mistakes. I had a good gate pick and some confidence going into the main. I grabbed the holeshot and led for almost the first lap, but [Justin] Brayton got by me pretty quick. I stayed second for quite a while. I just rode my hardest and did my best. Unfortunately, a couple guys got by me in the end so I ended up fourth. The track was so tough. This is only my second time racing Daytona and last year didn't go well, so I really wanted to get some revenge this year. It's better than the week before, but man, I was so close to a podium. I just need to keep putting myself in good positions and work on getting better each weekend."

Marvin Musquin (5th)

"It's really disappointing to finish 5th tonight. I felt really good all day on my bike and I feel like we threw away a win. I had a good start and was there in 3rd but this time I tried to be smarter with my passes and it worked as I got into the lead. I was able to pull away a little until I made a big mistake, almost looped out and landed on the ground in the mechanic's area. I then had another crash in a turn quickly after getting back on the bike, which took me a little bit of time to reset and refocus so I fought hard to come back to 5th. We are looking to get back on the podium in St. Louis."

Weston Peick (6th)

"Daytona went better than expected for me. I got sick this past week, and I was obviously sore from my crash in Atlanta. I got off to a decent start in my heat race, but then got tangled up in the first turn. I charged up to third, so I was happy with that. I had a good start in the main event and rode in third place for quite a while. Then, due to being sick and sore, I fell back a few positions. Regardless, I'm happy to get some good points and head into next weekend feeling better."

Jason Anderson (7th)

"I had great qualifying sessions," said Anderson. "I fell down in the heat race after getting hit with a tuff block, but came back to ninth to qualify for the Main. I didn't have the best gate pick in the Main, but I made my way through the pack and ended up falling down. I was able to finish seventh. My points are still good, so I'm just going to move onto next week and keep the train rolling."

Dean Wilson (8th)

"I had a more positive weekend," said Wilson. "I qualified third, which was cool, and got second in my heat race. I really felt good all day, but struggled to find flow in the Main. I was running seventh pretty much the whole race, but got passed by Jason in the end. I'm glad I got through it and I'm looking forward to next weekend."

Broc Tickle (10th)

"Tonight was tough. I struggled in the first practice with some issues but by the third practice I felt like I was riding well. I ended up getting an okay start in the Main Event and pretty much stayed where I was at. I didn't make much progress but I was running a decent pace for the majority of the race. The track was tough mentally and physically but we're going to regroup this week and get ready for St. Louis."

Kyle Chisholm (13th)

"I felt good all day," Chisholm said after the race. "It's always nice getting to race in Florida and Daytona is such a unique event. Practice went well for me, and we were able to make some key adjustments for the Heat. I'm proud of that 6th and how close I was to a Top 5. The Main was good as well, I just locked into a pace and kept clicking off laps. The track was super rough but I felt like I was in the mix for the whole night. Only a couple more 450 rounds for me, and we're still looking for that Top-10."

Tyler Bowers (14th)

"Overall, tonight was good," said Bowers. "I hadn't raced Daytona for a number of years and I forgot how rough and rutted out it gets. These conditions aren't my strong suit but we got an LCQ win and put it in the main. We'll continue to improve and move on to St. Louis."

Malcolm Stewart (16th)

"I felt really good on the RM-Z450 all day long. The heat race went well, and I finished fourth. In the main event I was running in seventh place after a few laps, but tangled with another rider. I fell back to 18th, and moved up to 16th by the end of the race. That's part of racing. The important part is to learn from mistakes and keep moving forward."

Adam Enticknap (DNQ)

"It was a rough weekend. Broken parts and crashes held us back from the goal but sometimes these things happen in racing," said a philosophical Enticknap. Unfazed, Enticknap is already looking forward to the next race. "On to St. Louis baby!"

250 Class

Jordon Smith (1st)

"This is a great feeling to get back up here (on the podium)," said Smith. "It was a really tough track both mentally and physically so to get the win is awesome. I feel like we've gained some great momentum and I can't wait to go after another win in St. Louis."

Jeremy Martin (2nd)

"It's Daytona, a real man's track," said Martin. "It was the toughest race of the year as far as fitness. I had to slow down a little bit halfway through the main. I've been kind of sick the last couple weeks. I was getting close to Jordon there and I was starting to think about where I could make a move on him, then I made some mistakes and he got back away from me. Couldn't quite get close again, but it's good. We're on the podium and we're in contention for wins again, and that's something I haven't been able to say in supercross in awhile. We want to get wins and now we know it's coming."

Austin Forkner (3rd)

"I tried to run with those guys at the start and push really hard but I wasn't able to bridge the gap," said Forkner. "I got a little tight and had to settle back in to make sure I was hitting my lines because the track was pretty tough and changing a lot. My goal has been to be consistent and I've been able to do that the past few races, putting me in a good position with the points."

Zach Osborne (4th)

"It was a decent weekend," said Osborne. "I started in the back of the pack in the Main, but came all the way up to fourth which is great. I was really close to the top-three but I just ran out of time. I'm just going to keep plugging away."

Martin Davalos (5th)

"It's been a tough opening four rounds so it's nice to be able to tie my best finish and overcome from an up and down weekend," said Davalos. "I'm ready to put myself on the podium and representing Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki at the front of the pack."

Kyle Peters (6th)

"I had a good day. Right off the bat I felt better than all of the other races. I got in a little bit better of a flow. My practice times were up there. I had a good start in the heat race and rode defensively, so I need to work on that. Everyone flinched off the gate at the start of the 250 main event and I got a terrible jump, but I came around in the top ten. I need to be a bit more aggressive with my riding, but I'm gaining ground. Sixth place isn't where I want to be, but we're making improvements. The goal is to be on the box, and I'm not satisfied until I get up there."

Sean Cantrell (7th)

"I was really looking forward to Daytona and its unique track and layout," said Cantrell. "It was a fun race but was easy to make mistakes throughout the long laps. I'm learning each week and was really happy to put up my best result so far. We'll keep pushing and learning as the season continues."

Jimmy Decotis (21st)

"I qualified inside the top ten for the night program and was looking forward to a good main event. Unfortunately, I had a big crash before the finish line early in the race. I have a couple fractures in my back and some broken ribs. Back injuries are scary, so I'm truly blessed with the outcome. Thanks so much to everyone at the track medical unit for taking care of me."

"I'm extremely bummed right now. I love racing my dirt bike, and these next few weeks will be tough. I'll see a specialist on Tuesday when I arrive back in Charlotte. Thanks to my girlfriend, my family, and for the whole Autotrader/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing Team. ‘The Rippa' will be back, don't you worry!"

Michael Mosiman (DNF)

"My heat race was awesome," said Mosiman. "I got the holeshot then finished second and was feeling great. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish the Main after my big crash, but I'm looking forward to next week."

RJ Hampshire (DNQ after a heat race crash)

"I felt good on the bike all day yesterday," said Hampshire via his Instagram account. "Had some pretty good speed and my foot just slid off hitting my shifter in those rollers during that heat race. After seeing the pictures from the crash I'm very thankful I didn't take that shot to my head. I have some fractures in my T3/T4 in my back and ribs. Also have some damage to my lungs which is why I'll be spending a couple nights in the hospital. I'll be getting some more checkups this week on the shoulder also."

Team Personnel

Jeremy Albrecht (Autotrader/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing Team Manager)

"The day was going well. Peters continues to improve, which is great to see. He worked hard to get that sixth-place finish in the 250 main, which is where he belongs. Decotis was riding better than he had been the past few weeks. It seemed like a weekend where he would finish on the podium again. Then, while trying to pass Peters, he crashed hard and ended up hurting himself. We'll know more later this week."

"Peick looked like he was going to get a podium, but then he dropped back to sixth. He's so tough that I forgot that he crashed really hard last weekend in Atlanta. His shoulder got tight and, as a result, his arm went numb. He had a good weekend considering the amount of pain that he was in. Stewart was riding really smooth and fast, but had an unfortunate incident with another rider that set him back. He and Peick will be at JGRMX this week to do some testing, which should be great."

"The Daytona track was really good, with a lot of jumps. It wasn't as sketchy as normal. There were a lot of passing opportunities, which made for great racing. The fans seemed into it, too. Overall, it was a really good event." 

Erik Kehoe (Team HRC Honda Manager)

"Christian is doing exactly what we had hoped. He's consistent, his starts are really good, and he's improving and getting more comfortable with the bike each week. He rode really well tonight. To get a heat-race win and ride to fourth in the main is awesome. I know he wanted a podium, but he should be really proud of that result. Congratulations as well to Justin Brayton and the entire MotoConcepts team. It was great to see a Honda on the top step of the podium, and they definitely earned it."

Oscar Wirdeman (Ken Roczen's Mechanic...substituting in with Christian Craig)

"I think Christian did great tonight. It was a crazy day with top contenders crashing and getting bad starts, but Christian got another great start and put himself in a good position from the beginning. I think he slowed down a few laps before those other guys, so he lost some time there. He kind of woke up again toward the end and got back up to speed. We tested this week and made the bike a little stiffer for him. Even coming here his fork was still too soft, so we made it stiffer for the last practice, which really helped. We also made a gearing charge because he was revving out the bike. Kenny saw it while watching practice too, so he kind of helped Christian throughout the day. He's bummed he's not racing, but since he was here he wanted to help out as much as he can."

Jim Perry (Monster Energy/Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager)

"Overall, we had an excellent night. It was definitely a step in the right direction. Cooper has been making improvements the last few weeks and it really showed tonight. I still feel like maybe we let the win slip away from us, but it was a good event."