After Anaheim one it looked like the story was set. Jett Lawrence was the man to beat and Chase Sexton and Eli Tomac weren’t on the pace they needed to be to challenge, and by the time they got there it looked like Jett could have a comfortable points lead unless Cooper Webb on Jason Anderson kept their good form and roughed him up or Ken Roczen got around a first turn free or incident. Either way, Jett looked in control no matter what was thrown at him.
Then the mud changed the plans and the momentum. Jorge Prado even won his first ever heat race in a close battle over Chase Sexton as both surprisingly walked away from Jett Lawrence who crashed twice, then crashed again in the main for a ninth place, again behind Prado but more importantly, three of his biggest title rivals all made the podium.
We may have found Jett Lawrence’ only (temporary?) weakness – mud. While at the same time, Eli Tomac had a great rebound in second, Ken Roczen came through the field again, this time to third and an increasingly confident Chase Sexton dominated in the mud with the best start of his life – how did he do that?!
Sexton even said he actually wished it was dry such is the progress with his new KTM over the last two weeks. Chase saying in the press conference he got the back end sorted before A1 and felt that last week they got the forks sorted. The win and the red plate will only add to his confidence. He know believes he can match Jett on pace and is better than he was last year on the Honda – and he is talking about dry supercross tracks. He looks confident again and believes he’s back to the level he knows he can and should be at.
So, round three might be the new round one. Webb and Anderson know they are fast in the dry, Jett is already saying he wants to win this weekend to right the wrongs of San Francisco, but for the first time since he has been on a 450 he has somewhat lost momentum – or has he? This is a new situation for Jett Lawrence. Let’s see how he responds.
The mud has let Chase Sexton get back to the front of the series, he admitted to gatedrop he didn’t expect to be at this level so fast in the series, he’s there and he’s ready to battle Jett, and so is Eli Tomac who erased most of the gap Jett got on him at A1. He admitted he just rode poorly and then made a bike change last week, so in the dry and back in the points mix, Tomac will be looking to get back to his best. And we have Ken Roczen back on the box and proven fast whether it’s wet or dry this year. If he can finally get around the first lap without a crash or a stall as happened the last two weekend’s, watch out.
Everything has been reset. All the main players will believe they are ready to win now. Jett feels he has to reestablish himself as the man while Chase Sexton wants to prove he still is and the rest want in on the party. The battle is on.
Anaheim one in 2005 ruined the entire season. It gave Ricky Carmichael a solid championship lead instantly over Chad Reed who DNF’d and struggling Stewart in the mud. Both never recovered, with a desperate Stewart breaking his arm in practice the next weekend pushing too hard to impress in the dry after an extra week’s wait for the most anticipated race ever. Chad Reed won races but could never get the points back to level. RC could control, the rest were instantly on the back foot. The mud ruined 2005 but it has made 2024 – at least for round three.
San Diego is the place to be on Saturday night!
Words: Jonathan McCready
Images: Feld Entertainment Inc.
