Good, Bad and Ugly | 2023 Oakland 17

Welcome to 'Good, Bad and Ugly' on Vital MX and, yes, a return to the written word! Hopefully this is quite enjoyable for you all. In the future, we will attempt to produce video and written each week. It is likely that there will be one or the other on occasion, however. Oakland, the sixth round on the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross series, is the focus this week. Let's jump in, shall we?

GOOD

It was obvious that Eli Tomac was sick of the countless questions that were asked about his mediocre fifth in Tampa – he batted those away quite swiftly in the twenty-four hours prior to Oakland's main event. It is no secret that he had similar questions and was also puzzled, as he dove into significant tests between the two races and needed reassurance inside of the RingCentral Coliseum. Practice was not incredible, but that heat race may be on record as his best ride of the term thus far. For '1' to push past both Chase Sexton and Cooper Webb in a shortened race is the most brilliant shot in the arm possible.

Momentum shifted from one athlete to another in that heat and most presumed that only a mediocre start could stop Tomac in the main event. Sexton rose to the challenge and found a spark in the intermission though, as he made his rival seem human in the first half of the main. It looked like the momentum was moments away from yet another switch! Everyone knows what happened in that second half – Sexton fell and Tomac prospered. The champion is back atop with the momentum and that is the good, but is he the one with the confidence?

You see, that is a question that has me bewildered. Who possesses the confidence in the premier division? Tomac is the most recent victor and that is an obvious boost, of course, but Sexton knows that he had him covered prior to the crash and simply needs to stay on two wheels. Easier said than done, of course, but it is a problem that is well within his control and that would be a source of confidence. In addition, Webb was not competitive early on and was just nine tenths shy of the victory! You just know that he will use that as motivation, huh? There is so much to think about!

BAD

From one point of confusion to another. Hurrah! This, unfortunately, is not quite as enjoyable to talk about. Ken Roczen took another turn in his quest for comfort on the Thursday before Oakland; he ditched Factory Connection – the company that he chose to work with four weeks prior – for the newest hire at Suzuki (Active Ride handle suspension needs over Progress Insurance Ecstar Suzuki and Twisted Tea Suzuki). '94' was tempted by Kyle Chisholm's guy and has therefore placed his eggs into that basket. Will it work? Time will tell. Were the immediate signs positive on Saturday night? Who knows.

Qualifying was a disaster and eyes started to roll before the sun had even set, but then he won his heat in a fairly convincing fashion and the Roczen stock surged. The first half of the main event was just as positive; the track continued to deteriorate as the laps wound down as did his competitiveness. Eleventh was not a result of note and there is no doubt that he has been searching for answers ever since. The previous 'Triple Crown' at Anaheim 2 was a turning point for him, so perhaps Arlington will make the pendulum swing once more?

UGLY

Okay, look: This is a loaded debate and needs more space than this. Shall we name this a teaser? The 250SX division has been struck by injuries and therefore the depth has taken a hit. Does this point to a lack of elite talent making its way through the ranks? There is both Haiden Deegan and Chance Hymas, who have shown promise, then Levi Kitchen has really hit his stride at the last two rounds. There is talent, so where is the depth? Perhaps this would not be a conversation if there was one just 250SX class, as then a rider like Pierce Brown would be on the verge of the top ten and that would make it abundantly clear that the class is very competitive.

There is no question that the 250SX West class is not of interest to most now, despite the fact that just four rounds have been run. The podium has been identical at three of the events and Jett Lawrence appears to be unstoppable. The battle from fourth through sixth carries some poignance but not enough to really drive interest towards the class. Is it just one of those years? Is there more to this? Confusion, my friends, is the theme of this week's feature.