Denver, Colorado serves as round 16 of the Monster Energy SuperMotocross World Championship at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium. Today is the penultimate round of the Supercross Championship and things are coming down to the wire as Ken Roczen leads the championship by four points over Hunter Lawrence. In 250SX, the Western Divisional Championship is back on track with Haiden Deegan looking to close out his season on top. Let’s get into the action!
At the end of the night, Haiden Deegan and Hunter Lawrence scored wins in their respective main events. Another win for Deegan further solidifies his name in the 250 record books while Lawrence closes the 450SX points gap to just one going into the season finale next weekend.
450SX MAIN EVENT
Hunter Lawrence put himself in a must-win situation as he trailed Ken Roczen in the series standings. Well, the Honda HRC Progressive rider delivered. He rocketed off the line and started second behind Jorge Prado but made an aggressive move for the lead shortly after on lap two. From there, Lawrence put the hammer down and opened up a gap over the rest of the field. He dominated the main event and led the remaining laps to cross the line 12 seconds clear of Ken Roczen. Hunter’s fifth win of the year brings the points down to just one between the two rivals going into the season finale.
Ken Roczen took second on the night, finishing behind his title rival Lawrence. Roczen started fifth and looked stuck while Lawrence moved to the lead early in the race. He quickly turned up the heat and passed into second but was unable to close the gap to Lawrence up front. Roczen didn’t looked to have the same pace as Lawrence marched away. Still, a second keeps Roczen in the points lead going into Salt Lake City.
Eli Tomac returned to action and scored third on the night. The hometown hero got off to a slow start and event stalled the bike early in the sand section. He then found himself battling teammate Jorge Prado and eventually passed the Spaniard for the final spot on the box. Tomac held tough through the rest of the race but couldn’t get close enough to Roczen in second. Another podium finish, his 111th, sees Tomac tie Jeremy Mcgrath for second on the all time podium list.
Malcolm Stewart qualified through the LCQ and battled through the chaos to finish fourth with Chase Sexton rounding out the top five.
450SX OVERALL RESULTS (Top 10)
| 1. | Hunter Lawrence | (Hon) | 25 Laps |
| 2. | Ken Roczen | (Suz) | 12.314 |
| 3. | Eli Tomac | (KTM) | 19.466 |
| 4. | Malcolm Stewart | (Hus) | 23.442 |
| 5. | Chase Sexton | (Kaw) | 26.148 |
| 6. | Jorge Prado | (KTM) | 28.406 |
| 7. | Garrett Marchbanks | (Kaw) | 30.897 |
| 8. | Justin Barcia | (Duc) | 33.887 |
| 9. | Dean Wilson | (Hon) | 36.810 |
| 10. | Dylan Ferrandos | (Duc) | 42.632 |
250SX MAIN EVENT
Haiden Deegan is just padding his numbers at this point. The reigning number-one started first and led every single lap of the 250SX main event. Deegan made things look easy on the hard-packed track as he managed the race from the front and set the fastest lap of the moto. Another win solidifies his name in the record books as he closes out his 250 career with just one race left.
Levi Kitchen matched his season-best result with a second place finish. The Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider made his way to second early in the race and held the spot during the 19-lap main event. This is Kitchen’s best finish since round six in Seattle and shows he’s recovered from the lingering back injury that plagued his recent results.
Ryder DiFrancesco rounded out the podium in third. The Rockstar Husqvarna pilot worked his way up from a fifth place start and passed his championship rival Max Anstie for the final spot on the box. For DiFrancesco, the third place finish marks his third podium of the season and puts him just one point out of third in the championship standings.
Max Anstie took the holeshot and finished fourth ahead of teammate Kayden Minear who rounded out the top five in his first professional Supercross race.
250SX OVERALL RESULTS (Top 10)
| 1. | Haiden Deegan | (Yam) | 19 Laps |
| 2. | Levi Kitchen | (Kaw) | 3.529 |
| 3. | Ryder DiFrancesco | (Hus) | 19.299 |
| 4. | Max Anstie | (Yam) | 32.014 |
| 5. | Kayden Minear | (Yam) | 44.213 |
| 6. | Lux Turner | (Yam) | 51.116 |
| 7. | Hunter Yoder | (Yam) | 54.634 |
| 8. | Robbie Wageman | (Yam) | 1:01.976 |
| 9. | Joshua Varize | (Kaw) | 1 Lap |
| 10. | Max Vohland | (Yam) | 1 Lap |
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450 QUALIFYING
Ken Roczen is turning up the heat late as he leads the 450SX points for the first time ever in the second-half of the season. The Progressive Suzuki rider set the fastest lap in the 450’s and posted the fastest time of anyone on track with a 50.103. He was only two-tenths quicker than Hunter Lawrence who took second overall with a 50.314. Chase Sexton looked fast all morning and clocked the time to beat in Q1 before taking third overall.
450SX OVERALL QUALIFYING RESULTS (Top 10)
| 1. | Ken Roczen | (Suz) | 50.103 |
| 2. | Hunter Lawrence | (Hon) | 50.314 |
| 3. | Chase Sexton | (Kaw) | 50.392 |
| 4. | Justin Hill | (KTM) | 50.532 |
| 5. | Dylan Ferrandis | (Duc) | 50.771 |
| 6. | Eli Tomac | (KTM) | 51.010 |
| 7. | Jorge Prado | (KTM) | 51.039 |
| 8. | Justin Cooper | (Yam) | 51.054 |
| 9. | Garrett Marchbanks | (Kaw) | 51.350 |
| 10. | Christian Craig | (Hon) | 51.524 |
250 QUALIFYING
With 250SX West back on track today, it’s no surprise to see Haiden Deegan as the fastest qualifier. He’s already clinched the 250 title so there’s no real pressure other than closing out his 250 career with a win. Deegan heads to the line first going into the night show and was the only 250 rider in the 50-second range. Levi Kitchen was a close second and looks up to speed after a mid-season back injury. Ryder DiFrancesco rounded out the top three after setting the time to beat in the first qualifying session.
250SX OVERALL QUALIFYING RESULTS (Top 10)
| 1. | Haiden Deegan | (Yam) | 50.981 |
| 2. | Levi Kitchen | (Kaw) | 51.348 |
| 3. | Ryder DiFrancesco | (Hus) | 51.562 |
| 4. | Max Anstie | (Yam) | 51.750 |
| 5. | Lux Turner | (Yam) | 52.196 |
| 6. | Max Vohland | (Yam) | 52.692 |
| 7. | Joshua Varize | (Kaw) | 52.696 |
| 8. | Cameron McAdoo | (Kaw) | 52.759 |
| 9. | Carson Mumford | (KTM) | 52.829 |
| 10. | Hunter Yoder | (Yam) | 52.939 |
Denver Notes
- Eli Tomac returns to action today after crashing in Cleveland and missing the last two rounds
- Joey Savatgy crashed in 450 Q1 and injured his wrist. He’s out for tonight’s racing
- Cameron McAdoo is back on track after recovering from a fractured humerus in Seattle
- Kayden Minear makes his pro debut today with the Star Racing Yamaha team
- Gage Linville starts his time with the Triumph Factory Racing Team today
