Good, Bad and Ugly | 2023 Nashville 1

'Good, Bad and Ugly' recaps some miscellaneous points from the fifteenth stop of the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross series, Nashville. What would you put beneath each subheading? Travel to the forum to join the discussion or share ideas on social media (@VitalMX on Twitter and Instagram). For now, however, read on for some thoughts on Hunter Lawrence, Justin Barcia and Cooper Webb.

GOOD

So much has been said about the Lawrence brothers and all that they have overcome en route to the top of the sport. Hunter and Jett should not be discussed in the same breath though – that is just lazy. Hunter has been through so much more, experienced some crushing lows and learned just how horrid this industry can be. All of the knowledge gained from his turbulent path has only benefitted Jett, who has been able to enjoy a smooth ride for the most part.

Consider the sheer number of injuries that '96' has had since landing in the United States. The physical and mental toll that came with those would have prompted some to walk away. Heck, look at the way that Arnaud Tonus was treated after countless setbacks. Tonus was forced to return to the Grand Prix series and that could have been Hunter, but he preserved and defied the odds. Books could be written about the hurdles that he has overcome.

It is easy to state that it was a foregone conclusion that he would be a champion. After all, he entered as the heavy favorite and showed so much potential towards the end of the previous term. That's like recency bias, in a sense, because such a conquest seemed near impossible just three short years ago. Consider everything that has happened, dating back to his ACL injury in the EMX250 class, and that makes this situation even more special. Yeah, special. That is the best way to describe this.

BAD

This is not all bad, but it is a shame. Justin Barcia was on such a run and poised to make a splash in the remaining rounds of the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross series. It is likely that he was going to finish either second or third in Nashville, which would have extended his podium streak, but the nasty dragon's back bit him and he exited the stadium floor with a broken collarbone. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.

The good news is that it is just a broken collarbone, so he'll be ready to race (wrong manufacturer) at the end of May. The 2023 Pro Motocross season is just twenty-five days away and that is a reasonable amount of time to get his collarbone fixed. Even better news is that supercross was going so smoothly that he has done more outdoor testing than ever before and, for the most part, is in a position where he is ready to go racing.

"We are really in a good place," Barcia told us less than twenty-four hours before his crash. "It is cool, because I do not have to put all of my focus on supercross right now. This is the most that I have ever been able to get ready for motocross as well. I've never been able to ride motocross during supercross in previous years, because I have been so set on getting my bike good in supercross and getting podiums."

UGLY

Shall we just fill this portion of the column with musings on the countless injuries that occurred in the confines of Nissan Stadium? The incident involving Cooper Webb was certainly the scariest. It is known just how rugged '2' is and to see him so vulnerable was, yeah, a shock. The good news is that he will be fine, but all of that hard work disappeared in a matter of seconds. What transpired moments before the crash was most interesting, because it seemed like he was on a mission to upset the applecart and make a statement. Would that have worked and led to a title? We will never know.