Through the first three supercross rounds it could not have got any better. All the title contenders on form, the three fastest riders on pure speed in Sexton, Tomac and Jett Lawrence all winning a race each with a rejuvenated Ken Roczen taking the red plate and in constant podium contention as was Cooper Webb.
Aside from Jorge Prado’s freak shoulder dislocation in the nets, everyone was healthy two races into the three in Glendale with both Webb and Roczen adding their names to the win list, the series somehow got even more intriguing! Until one dab of the foot ended the dream season until then had it all. Jett Lawrence ACL snapped and so did everyone else’s hopes for an injury free season and battle of the legends to the end, it was too good to be true but the way it happened makes it seem so unfair and underlines the brutality of dirt bike racing. We only got one Jett v Eli indoors in the end.
One of the best riders to ever do it, with the best technique and is rarely injured tore his ACL without even crashing and now faces the toughest recovery of his career. It evoked memories of Eli Tomac pulling off Denver two years and Jeffrey Herlings on his last lap of his last race of 2024 injuring his knee without crashing and he is still in a race to be fit for round one of MXGP 2025 in three weeks time.
Now it’s Jett’s turn, to rehab like Jeffrey in his own race to be fit for the start of the US Nationals but it looks a tall order. All that momentum over the years gone in a moment, the guy to beat is out. And the rest will now try to take advantage.
Three former supercross champions who know what it takes plus maybe most naturally talented of them all Ken Roczen, seeking his first after his own injury crisis in the prime of his career robbed his momentum as looked to have got to the top of the mountain.
Roczen is back and this might be his chance. Eli Tomac has revenge on his mind for that cruel Achilles injury in and Chase Sexton is showing what he can do on the KTM as he now looks the same rider that was there to take advantage of Tomac’s torn Achilles. The old guard are striking back and Cooper Webb is the craftiest of them all, and he’s got a whiff of this title now – look out!
They all have the chance to fill the void the defending champion has left and be the man, the door has been kicked open and they are a vying for one spot. First.
As for Jett, Stefan Everts came back from a destroyed knee to win 6 titles in a row, Stewart and Carmichael had perfect seasons after their ACL’s, so it’s possible to bring back prime time, and he has youth on his side but the momentum he built over the last 6 years is gone, for now. He got it back quickly last year but this is a different kettle of fish, even for Jett Lawrence.
Everyone else is building momentum and confidence, Jett has to build his knee up before he can think about getting that number 1 plate back. Jett likes a challenge but this is a very different one than he imagined. It could change the course of his career or it could be a blip in the domination. Only time will tell.
