Supercross Statistics | Denver in Numbers

Another round of the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross season is sat in the rear-view mirror and that means that it's time to dive into even more statistics, so settle down and prepare to digest many facts and figures. In this regular feature that has become a hit, uncover points of interest that lurked in the shadows at the Empower Field.

• Chase Sexton topped timed qualification, as is normal. Denver was the thirteenth time that he has topped the charts in 2023 Monster Energy Supercross. 00.410 was his margin over the rider in second, Ken Roczen, and that was the fifth largest advantage that he has had in timed qualification this term. Sexton has claimed pole twenty-eight times in his career (twenty of those have come in the premier division).

• With every victory that Sexton claims, his career percentages alter drastically. It is entertaining to follow. Winning the Denver main helped '23' push his win percentage in the 450SX division from twelve percent to fourteen. What else? Fifty-three percent is his current podium percentage – that was just fifty-two prior to this past weekend's round. Additionally, his percentage of top fives has risen from seventy-six to seventy-seven. These numbers pertain to the premier class.

• Denver was arguably the most poignant evening of Sexton's career. It was the twenty-third podium that he has secured aboard the 450F. Twenty-three podiums for '23' in the year of 2023. Another point to think about is that it was his fortieth podium as a Monster Energy Supercross athlete, so across both classes. Forty was, of course, the number that he ran in his first season indoors. Weird coincidence, no?

• It is also worth noting that Sexton has the same victory total in both 450SX and 250SX now, as he has six in 450SX and then six in 250SX. It took him 421 days to reach six in 250SX, from the moment that he won his first, whereas it took him 469 days to do that in 450SX. Oh, so close to being identical! What does this mean? Not too much. They are some cool figures to look at though and that is, of course, the point of this Vital MX feature.

• Sexton, Roczen and Adam Cianciarulo shared the podium for the first time. A very cool trio. Denver marked Cianciarulo's first podium in quite a while. It had been 833 days since he last clinched a trophy in Monster Energy Supercross (that was at Houston 3 back in 2021). It was a drought for '9' and the emotion was clear in post-race chatter. Denver was his fourth 450SX podium and the twenty-sixth trophy of his indoor career.

• More Cianciarulo digits! Denver was his thirty-first start in a 450SX main, but what percentage of races has he competed in since jumping onto the big bike? Since the first round of 2020 Monster Energy Supercross, he has missed thirty-six of the events and so his attendance percentage is sat at forty-six. Cianciarulo has been inside the top five eight times and the top ten twenty-four times since he entered the premier class.

• Roczen was on quite a mission whilst pushing through the field. Considering that '94' was in dead last on lap one, it is quite incredible that he was already in third on lap twelve. How did his speed compare to Cianciarulo when he was moving closer to the runner-up position? Well, let's compare their times in the moments before the move was eventually made (that was on the twentieth lap). Roczen was classified in twentieth at the end of lap one.

• Most impressive is the fact that Roczen had an average lap time that was almost identical to that of the eventual winner. Sexton recorded an average time of 45.825, which was better than anyone, whereas Roczen's average was 45.848. Impressive! Sexton's quickest lap time was a 44.659, but it was Roczen who had the quickest time of the race (44.534). For what it is worth, Eli Tomac had a time of 44.694 before his injury.

• Speaking of the defending champion, the fact that he was classified in twenty-second (after pulling out so early on) meant that a streak concluded. '1' had finished in the top ten in forty-seven mains in a row. When was the last time that he was featured outside of the top ten? That was at Houston 1 in the January of 2021, when he was defending his first Monster Energy Supercross crown with Monster Energy Kawasaki.

• It's worth giving Tomac props for the speed that he showcased in those opening laps. Even though he competed in a fraction of the race, he still posted the quickest times in segments four and five. The fourth sector was the whoops and Tomac has had a difficult time with those at different points this season. Roczen was the quickest in segment one, Cianciarulo in segment two and Sexton in segment three.

• Tomac led those first three laps, then Cianciarulo took control before Sexton ripped into the lead. The raw pace that '23' uncorked once he took control was impressive – the gulf between him and Cianciarulo was quite clear. It took four laps for Sexton to form an advantage of four seconds, but how did he do that? The lap times from that period of the race (the lead change was on lap seven) are highlighted below.

• Honda HRC are having an incredible season. The 250SX titles have already been delivered and a 450SX crown is just days away! When was the last time that the 'red' team had five 450SX victories in a single Monster Energy Supercross season? It was in 2015. Honda won six main events thanks to Tomac (GEICO Honda), Trey Canard and Cole Seely (Honda HRC). Sexton's truly doing something special for the manufacturer.

• Back to Roczen! Believe it or not, it had been a little while since he secured a silver medal. Roczen's last six trips to the box included either gold or bronze silverware. When was the last time that he stood on the second step? It was at round fifteen of the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross season in Atlanta, Georgia. 749 days had passed since that event. '94' has finished second in twenty-five 450SX main events.

• Speaking of Roczen and podiums, his career podium percentage moved to forty-eight percent (in the 450SX class). It was sat at forty-seven when the gates dropped in Colorado, but it was actually at fifty before the season started. Roczen's podium percentage is similar to that of Marvin Musquin. Forty-nine percent is his career podium percentage and, who knows, it may never move from that, seeing as his future in the sport is unknown.

• Did you know that Denver was Roczen's one hundred and thirtieth start in the premier class? The penultimate round of 2023 Monster Energy Supercross was a very poignant moment for the star. It was his one hundred and fifty-fifth start in the indoor series, including all categories. Forty-one mains have been missed by Roczen since he leapt into the premier division as a fresh-faced rookie in the January of 2014.

• Shane McElrath posted the best result of his 450SX career, a fifth, in Denver and that meant that there were two RM-Z450s inside of the top five. Oh, the utter shock. When was the last time that Suzuki put two bikes in the top five in a main event? It was at round thirteen of the 2016 Monster Energy Supercross series, Indianapolis, as Roczen ripped to second and was joined in the top five by Blake Baggett (fifth).

• McElrath scored a season-best result of fifth, as mentioned there, but who joined him in achieving such a feat on Saturday night? Cianciarulo (third), Justin Hill (fourth), Dean Wilson (sixth), Josh Hill (seventh), Kyle Chisholm (eighth), Grant Harlan (ninth), Justin Starling (tenth), Anthony Rodriguez (eleventh), Josh Cartwright (twelfth), Cade Clason (thirteenth) and Devin Simonson (sixteenth). It is one heck of a list, huh?

• Speaking of Wilson, when was the last time that he finished in the top six in a 450SX main event? It was a while ago, believe it or not, as it was at the final round of 2020 Monster Energy Supercross in Salt Lake City. '15' was third on that night. There was a drought of 1051 days between top six showings. Wilson has been inside of the top six in sixteen of his one hundred and fifteen starts in the premier class.

• Wilson is one of just five riders to make every main event in 2023 Monster Energy Supercross. It is just shocking and that number will certainly drop in Salt Lake City, as Tomac is currently involved in such an elite club. Sexton, Tomac, Roczen, Justin Hill and Wilson are the only ones who've been unstoppable. In fairness, just five riders (Jason Anderson, Malcolm Stewart, Marvin Musquin, Justin Barcia and Brandon Hartranft) made every main in 2022 Monster Energy Supercross.