Supercross Statistics | Houston in Numbers 6

It is weird, because round four of 2023 Monster Energy Supercross in Houston did not produce the best on-track action. There were storylines aplenty though, which is why 'Supercross Statistics' is so early. There were questions that just had to be answered as quickly as possible! Spoiler alert for the readers though: If you are bored of the Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton discussion, then this may not be for you. There is a lot of analysis of those two below. If you want to enter the conversation, head to the Vital MX forum or @VitalMX on social media.

• There is a lot to unpack from Houston, because of that ever-changing dynamic between Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton. It makes sense to follow the same order as the race schedule and so we will start with a look at the ridiculous time that '23' logged in time practice. Sexton was 1.095 quicker than anyone else in the daytime, but when was the last time that someone went fastest by such a margin? It was actually Tomac at the San Diego mudder in 2019, as he was 1.262 quicker than anyone that day.

• This takes us onto 450SX heat two, where a lot happened. We could spend hours looking at that battle that the two contenders had, but we will keep it short. There is a lot to analyze! Sexton had an average lap time of 52.137 in that eight-lap heat, which was 1.139 quicker than the average lap time that Tomac had. Quite the difference, huh? Much like in time practice, the best lap that Sexton set was 1.071 faster than the fastest time recorded by his foe.

• Again, it was just a heat and therefore means very little now. It would be of interest to me to ask Tomac about what he learned from Sexton in that. Look at the lap times below and it becomes quite clear that he was a fish out of water before '23' flew by and, presumably, showed him some spots where he could be a bit better. Sexton took the lead on lap two, for clarity.

• So much of the time that Sexton gained in heat two came in sector two, which was from the supercross triple to the start of the whoops. Yes, that is a massive sector. Sexton posted a 22.535 on that part of the track when he was at his best, which was 0.491 quicker than the fastest run that Tomac did through there in the heat. If you add it up then, in total, Sexton pulled out 5.172 on Tomac in that sector in the heat race. Crazy, huh?

• We have to dive into the speed that the pair had in the sand (sector one) in the heat race, because that will be very helpful later on. Sexton was indeed faster than Tomac in the sand on all but one lap in the heat (he was 0.120 slower on the fourth lap). Why did that dynamic shift so much when the main event started? Give it time, as we will get there soon enough.

• Random fact of the feature: Sexton was unbelievable in his heat race, but there was a sector where he was just the second-fastest rider. Gasp! Dean Wilson was faster than him in sector four by 0.021. Sector four was from the end of the whoops to the start of the final rhythm. Much like last week, Wilson had a lot of speed in one sector. Weird coincidence for it to happen again.

• Just to put an exclamation point on the speed that Sexton had in the heat race: It was the second heat that he competed in, yet his fastest lap time (50.955) was not matched at all in heat one. Even the fact that the track was smoother could not help Jason Anderson come close – his quickest lap was a 52.066, so almost identical to what Tomac did. What '23' did in his heat cannot be understated and it surrounds the main event with even more intrigue.

• The momentum shifted in the main and we will start with a look at that aforementioned second sector, where Sexton had such an advantage. That did not disappear in the main event, believe it or not, as he was the fastest in that area by 0.307 over Cooper Webb, who had the second-fastest time. Tomac was 0.443 slower than Sexton (best time to best time) in the main. Finally, Sexton had the six quickest times on that portion of the racetrack (those were set between laps six and seventeen).

• The dynamic in sector two remained consistent from the heat race to the main event, but there were rather drastic changes in the first sector. Tomac had the fastest time there in the main (10.602) and that was 0.288 better than the best time that Sexton managed (10.890). Sexton's time made him the tenth-best rider in that sector. '1' went faster than Sexton's fastest on eleven of the twenty-one laps. Yikes.

• The table below offers a better look at the difference in speed in the sand in the main event. It was on lap seven that Sexton finally took second place, so this table starts from that moment. This is why such an emphasis was put on the heat race at the start of the feature. It is truly incredible to think that these two races were run within an hour of each other, as the story was altered so massively.

• Another random fact for you to enjoy: So much has been said about Tomac and Sexton, yet their times in sector four were fairly mediocre. Tomac had the tenth-quickest time on that part of the track (0.346 slower than the fastest posted by Aaron Plessinger) and Sexton had the twelfth best (0.496 slower than the KTM rider). Sector four included a double, a tabletop and two flat turns. Maybe we should build a track like that and then bask in the parity?

• There was clearly a crucial moment in the main where Tomac turned it up a gear to key Sexton at bay. Before we get to that period, look at the lap times from lap seven (when '23' got into second) on. It did appear to be trending in a similar direction to the heat race. Show this chart to anyone and it is obvious that Sexton is really ramping up his charge.

• It was on laps fifteen and sixteen that Tomac came in clutch – he dropped his times and ran consecutive times in the 52.000 range for the first time since laps seven and eight. It was another momentum shift between the two and reinforces the fact that Sexton needed to zap Tomac as soon as he got to him, in a manner similar to that of the heat. Easier said than done, of course. The nineteenth lap was the nail in the coffin

• So much has been said about the rivalry between Tomac and Sexton, thanks to what went on outdoors. What if I were to tell you that this was just the third time that they have finished first and second in a main event? It first happened at Atlanta 1 in 2021 and then in San Diego last term. Does that speak to the fact that Sexton is still quite 'new' in the 450SX class? Does it mean anything at all? No? Okay, we'll move on…

• If you want to keep track of Yamaha's success, the win that Eli Tomac took was the forty-seventh victory for the YZ450F in Monster Energy Supercross. It was the tenth win that Tomac has claimed as a member of the bLUcRU too. To move up in the 'blue' record books, he needs to pass James Stewart who claimed nineteen victories aboard his YZ450F. Getting to that point may be a step too far for Tomac, unless he returns for another stab at supercross in 2024.

• Another random Yamaha fact! Tomac just helped bLUcRU tie Kawasaki for the most 450SX victories in Houston. The manufacturers are sat on fifteen apiece now, with Honda three adrift on twelve. Saturday night was just the second time that Tomac has won in Houston though – his first win inside of the NRG Stadium came in 2021. The last time that bLUcRU won in that city was in 2009, believe it or not. James Stewart triumphed that year.

• When was the last time that a rider won three of the first four stops in Monster Energy Supercross? That was back in 2016, when Ryan Dungey went 2-1-1-1 to start his title-winning term. Dungey had a seventeen-point lead at this point that season, whereas Tomac is only sat on a cushion of seven points at this time. Tomac led the class by six points after round four last season, despite the fact that he only won once across the first four rounds.

• Jason Anderson just took his forty-sixth podium in the 450SX class! Time flies, huh? It was the seventy-sixth time that he has finished a main in the top five. It was his one hundred and ninth top ten finish in the premier division too, so there is that. Anderson has been around a lot and is always there, huh? It is very easy to forget about that.

• Anderson was very feisty at points in the main event, so it was a surprise to see him end up in a distant third. It is even more of a shock to see that he only had the sixth-fastest lap in the main event – Tomac, Sexton, Webb, Barcia and Plessinger set a lap time that topped his quickest one. Sexton had the fastest lap of the race (a 52.014) and Anderson's time was a 52.799. '21' did have the third-fastest average lap time though.

• This statistic was shared in the 'Supercross Statistics' feature after Anaheim 1, but it is rather poignant. Plessinger has completed fifty-five mains in the 450SX division now and, almost unbelievably, Houston was just his seventh finish inside of the top five. The fact that he has had such limited success is a shock to the system. Houston was the second time that he has finished fourth in the 450SX division – the first time that he did it was in Atlanta in 2021.

• Plessinger left the NRG Stadium in Houston with his season-best finish, but who achieved a similar feat at the fourth round of the current season? Joey Savatgy (ninth), Dean Wilson (twelfth), Shane McElrath (fifteenth), Justin Starling (sixteenth), Kevin Moranz (fourteenth), Cade Clason (seventeenth) and John Short (eighteenth). It is a brilliant time to be a privateer in Monster Energy Supercross, huh?