Cycle News Staff | June 14, 2020
2020 Salt Lake City Supercross Rnd 15 Results: Just when you think things couldn’t get any worse for Ken Roczen (Honda HRC) and that he had zero chance of winning based on his past few performances, the veteran racer dug deep and pulled off a big–and surprising–victory at round 15 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship in Salt Lake City, Utah, the fifth-straight race, in just 14 days, held at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Roczen, who has been dealing with health issues ever since he arrived in Salt Lake, received more bad news a few days earlier when he tested positive for shingles, a virus that is known for its extremely painful rash. But Roczen, who we all know is a fighter, came out swinging tonight in the 450SX main, got around fast-starter Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM) on the third lap, and he went on to finish out the lap in the lead, the first time he’s done that since coming here. This time, however, he stayed there to the checkered flag, for all 29 laps.
“It was a big turnaround,” Roczen said. “My physical condition was a lot better today.”
And it showed. Lately, he’s been struggling with a lack of energy by the halfway point of the main events in Utah, but not this time. Even last Wednesday’s winner, Webb, admitted that he was expecting him to fade, but Roczen stayed strong and took the win with three seconds to spare over Webb.
It was not only an emotionally important win for the Honda rider, but it was also an important one in that it moved him back into second place in the championship, having overtaken Webb.
However, Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki) is still in charge of the championship. After nearly crashing and losing a bunch of positions exiting the first turn, Tomac, once again, came up through the pack, this time for a third. Tomac made a push to catch the leaders, but when he started struggling in the whoops past the halfway point and realized he wasn’t going to catch Webb, the Kawasaki backed off and settled for safe third. He lost some ground to Roczen in the championship, but Tomac could still clinch the title at the next race in Utah, Wednesday. He now enjoys a 24-point lead over Roczen. Webb is another one point back in third.
Zach Osborne (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) had another strong ride taking fourth but well behind the three riders ahead of him. Malcolm Stewart (Smartop/Bullfrog Spas/Motoconcepts Honda) rounded out the top five.
It was a tough day for Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) who got caught up in a multi-rider pileup early in the race and eventually retired to the pits on the 13th lap. As a result, he lost fourth in the points standings to Justin Barcia (Monster Energy Yamaha) who he had just passed in the championship last Wednesday. Anderson now trails Barcia by nine points with two rounds to go.
The 250SX West class was exciting all night with plenty of close racing and elbow-rubbing. In the end, Auston Forkner (Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki) emerged on top, but not before punting series leader Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy/Star Racing Yamaha) off the track to get the lead, something he’s familiar with but the other way around. Forkner and Ferrandis have had a number of run-ins this season.
The win narrows the gap between leader Ferrandis and Forkner to just seven with one race left next Sunday.
The 16-year-old from Australia, Jett Lawrence (Geico Honda), finished on the podium in third for the first time of his career, and he, too, was involved in some paint trading along the way.
Cameron McAdoo (Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki) and Michael Mosiman (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), who came close to finishing on the podium, rounded out the top five.
Justin Cooper, Ferrandis’ teammate, and Hunter Lawrence (Geico Honda), Jett’s older brother, finished sixth and seventh, respectively.
Brandon Hartranft, Derek Drake and Christian Craig completed the top 10.
2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, an FIM World Championship
Round 15 of 17
Rice-Eccles Stadium
Salt Lake City, Utah
Results: June 14, 2020
2020 Salt Lake City Supercross Rnd 15 450SX Results
1. |
Ken Roczen |
(Hon) |
29 laps |
2. |
Cooper Webb |
(KTM) |
03.140 |
3. |
Eli Tomac |
(Kaw) |
17.844 |
4. |
Zach Osborne |
(Hus) |
29.584 |
5. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hon) |
32.389 |
6. |
Dean Wilson |
(Hus) |
40.473 |
7. |
Blake Baggett |
(KTM) |
40.865 |
8. |
Justin Brayton |
(Hon) |
42.677 |
9. |
Justin Barcia |
(Yam) |
44.729 |
10. |
Aaron Plessinger |
(Yam) |
28 laps |
2020 Salt Lake City Supercross Rnd 15 250SX West Results
1. |
Austin Forkner |
(Kaw) |
22 laps |
2. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Yam) |
01.751 |
3. |
Jett Lawrence |
(Hon) |
23.510 |
4. |
Cameron McAdoo |
(Kaw) |
24,946 |
5. |
Michael Mosiman |
(Hus) |
27,654 |
6. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
28.046 |
7. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
28.841 |
8. |
Brandon Hartranft |
(KTM) |
37.584 |
9. |
Derek Drake |
(KTM) |
38.306 |
10. |
Christian Craig |
(Hon) |
42.8600 |
2020 450SX Point Standings (After 15 of 17 rounds)
1. |
Eli Tomac |
(Kaw) |
343/7 wins |
2. |
Ken Roczen |
(Hon) |
319/4 wins |
3. |
Cooper Webb |
(KTM) |
318/3 wins |
4. |
Justin Barcia |
(Yam) |
255/1 win |
5. |
Jason Anderson |
(Hus) |
246 |
6. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hon) |
217 |
7. |
Dean Wilson |
(Hus) |
208 |
8. |
Zach Osborne |
(Hus) |
205 |
9. |
Justin Brayton |
(Hon) |
199 |
10. |
Justin Hill |
(Hon) |
188 |
2020 250SX West Point Standings (After 8 of 9 rounds)
1. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Yam) |
181/3 wins |
2. |
Austin Forkner |
(Kaw) |
174/4 wins |
3. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
164 |
4. |
Brandon Hartranft |
(KTM) |
141 |
5. |
Michael Mosiman |
(Hus) |
118 |
6. |
Alex Martin |
(Suz) |
117 |
7. |
Luke Clout |
(Hon) |
106 |
8. |
Derek Drake |
(KTM) |
106 |
9. |
Mitchell Oldenburg |
(Hon) |
96 |
10. |
Jacob Hayes |
(Hon) |
89 |
QUALIFYING
2020 Salt Lake City Supercross Rnd 15 results are complete from this afternoon’s qualifying, and familiar names are again at the top of the leaderboard, and they are both the current points leaders in the 450SX and 250SX West Championships. Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki) knocked Benny Bloss (Rocky Mountain/WPS/KTM) off the top with his final heater in the 450SX class, and Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy/Star Racing Yamaha) topped the 250SX West class, his best time coming in the first session. Jett Lawrence (Geico Honda) was the top qualifier in the second session but his best wasn’t enough to top Ferrandis in the combined results.
Tomac edged out Bloss by two-10ths of a second, followed by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna teammates Jason Anderson and Dean Wilson, and Ken Roczen (Honda HRC).
Ferrandis’ 43.890 was good enough to give him top honors in the 250SX West class. Jett Lawrence, Christian Craig, Austin Forkner and Michael Mosiman rounded out the top 10.
The fifth stop of the Salt Lake City tour sees another short track and a unique side-of-the-infield start straight, which is very long and fast. It leads the riders into a slick and flat left corner, which will most likely provide a lot of passing opportunities once racing begins, as will another flat corner two straightaways later. The whoop section isn’t quite as long as the past two races, but the track is again hard-pack and tricky. Weather is good and temperatures are expected to be in the 70s for this evening’s racing, which gets underway 5:05 p.m. local (Mountain) time.
The short track is also producing close lap times. The top eight riders–Tomac, Bloss, Anderson, Wilson, Roczen, Zach Osborne, Cooper Webb (Wednesday’s winner), and Martin Davalos–are all within a half-second of each other.
The big news going into today’s race, once again, involves Roczen, who revealed more than a week ago that he’s been dealing with a respiratory virus since last year, and now he’s been told he has shingles, a type of virus that causes a painful rash. “As everyone knows,” he said via Instagram, “I have been dealing with the virus for a while now, and it also turned out I tested positive for shingles last Sunday.”
So, things just keep getting worse for the title contender. At the start of the seven-round swing in Salt Lake City, Roczen was right behind Tomac in the race for the 450SX Championship but now, four races laters, he is 29 points back in third, two points behind Webb. Webb passed Roczen in the championship after last Wednesday’s win.
“Unfortunately, those are things I can’t control,” Tomac added. “I can assure you I am doing my part to be ready and live healthy and doing all the things I can control.”
In the penultimate round of the 250SX West class, Ferrandis leads Forkner by 10 points, and Justin Cooper is another point back. CN
2020 Salt Lake City Supercross Rnd 15 450SX Qualifying Results
1. |
Eli Tomac |
(Kaw) |
43,557 |
2. |
Benny Bloss |
(KTM) |
43.704 |
3. |
Jason Anderson |
(Hus) |
43.788 |
4. |
Dean Wilson |
(Hus) |
43.824 |
5. |
Ken Roczen |
(Hon) |
43.860 |
6. |
Zach Osborne |
(Hus) |
43.902 |
7. |
Cooper Webb |
(KTM) |
43.973 |
8. |
Martin Davalos |
(KTM) |
44.013 |
9. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hon) |
44.142 |
10. |
Justin Brayton |
(Hon) |
44.206 |
2020 Salt Lake City Supercross Rnd 15 250SX West Qualifying Results
1. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Yam) |
43.890 |
2. |
Jett Lawrence |
(Hon) |
43.909 |
3. |
Christian Craig |
(Hon) |
44.187 |
4. |
Austin Forkner |
(Kaw) |
44.373 |
5. |
Michael Mosiman |
(Hus) |
44.677 |
6. |
Alex Martin |
(Suz) |
44.696 |
7. |
Cameron McAdoo |
(KTM) |
44.791 |
8. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
44.843 |
9. |
Brandon Hartranft |
(KTM) |
44,924 |
10. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
45.026 |
Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series Updated 2020 Schedule
Round 1 |
January 4 |
Anaheim, California |
Round 2 |
January 11 |
St. Louis, Missouri |
Round 3 |
January 18 |
Anaheim, California |
Round 4 |
January 25 |
Glendale, Arizona |
Round 5 |
February 1 |
Oakland, California |
Round 6 |
February 8 |
San Diego, California |
Round 7 |
February 15 |
Tampa, Florida |
Round 8 |
February 22 |
Arlington (Dallas), Texas |
Round 9 |
February 29 |
Atlanta, Georgia |
Round 10 |
March 7 |
Daytona, Florida |
Round 11 |
May 31 |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Round 12 |
June 3 |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Round 13 |
June 7 |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Round 14 |
June 10 |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Round 15 |
June 14 |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Round 16 |
June 17 |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
Round 17 |
June 21 |
Salt Lake City, Utah |