Chase Sexton has in a weird way had a tough season. A remarkable thing to say given he is the reigning 450 supercross champ (KTM get the number one plate Honda won) but Sexton ever since that amazing lifetime goal accomplishment, has had to play second fiddle to Jett Lawrence, the new superstar of the sport.
The young Aussie was of course also his Honda teammate, everyone knew Jett was staying red and was Honda’s golden boy for the future with Sexton, the guy who won Honda’s first premier class supercross title in 20 years, leaving the team at the end of this season.
Sexton couldn’t stop Jett’s perfect 22-0 season outdoors then ended the year with a big crash while leading in the final SMX race and his final ride with Honda, a tough way to go out as Lawrence won the title. So, with Lawrence the man at Honda now, and Sexton now being the figuratively and literally the number one rider (at least in SX before he switched to 4 for outdoors) at KTM, will it be the catalyst to put Sexton back on top?
Sexton has great style, superb technique and immense determination but he had a few mistakes last year, even in supercross that seemingly allowed Tomac to find his way to the title until that Achilles snapped at the penultimate round, but Chase knew he had the raw speed on the Honda to win anywhere at anytime indoors, loving his supercross set-up as he mentioned at SMX after Charlotte. He was in many people’s eyes the fastest guy in 2023 indoors.
The question is, will the KTM be good enough for Sexton to go that speed again in 2024? Cooper Webb did not gel with the new bike, Jorge Prado didn’t gel with it last year but got the flow in his second season, and Jeffrey Herlings had two big crashes in what was his first year on the new frame, that ultimately ended his season with injury. So, will it take Sexton time to adapt?
Probably, and the other question remains, will he be as good in the whoops? Another area KTM riders usually struggle. But, word on the street is that KTM are making big changes to the bike for 2024 and, as we have seen, Sexton has already been riding the bike and DeCoster told us at the MXoN that testing has already started.
If Sexton is getting on a re-designed machine with improvements that suit him, then he is going to have three months to merge with the bike and make it his own, one he trusts and can race without fear. If that all goes to plan and the changes to the bike works, then the risk of going to KTM might not be as big as it looks on paper based on the most recent bike’s results over the last two years indoors.
Sexton has the ability and dedication, he has great people around him at KTM equally as dedicated with Ian Harrison and Roger DeCoster in the US, and of course Pit Beirer overseeing everything from Europe. They all want to win as badly as Chase and in that respect, it’s a great fit.
The question is, can the bike on track match the ambition and goals Sexton and the team have? The last couple of years suggest not but if new things are coming to that bike, Sexton might have timed the switch perfectly. A new team, new colours, new motivation and the same goal – win the 450 supercross title!
KTM’s mantra is ready to race but this 450 KTM needs to be ready to win from January 6th at A1. Let’s see if the bike can deliver. We know the rider can.
Article: Jonathan McCready
Images: Simon Cudby