AMA Supercross Points Leaders Unable to Clinch at Salt Lake City

Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT – April 24, 2021

The 2021 Monster Energy AMA Supercross series winds up with its final two events from Salt Lake City. The 250 SX East riders are back on the track to sort out their points championship. Cooper Webb tries to lock up the 450 SX class over Ken Roczen.

250 SX

With their final ride before next week’s East/West Showdown, the East Championship is still up in the air with Colt Nichols(64) leading Christian Craig(29) by 8 points.

Nichols took care of business in Heat 1 pulling away from the field. Craig came to the gate in Heat 2 hurting from a brutal crash during qualifying earlier in the day.

Craig rolled through the gate drop, but it was obvious he would not be able to ride competitively. Pulling off the course, Craig’s title hopes disappeared when his team announced he would not report for the start of the LCQ as he was done for the evening.

Jett Lawrence(18) rode to the win in Heat 2. Unfortunately for Lawrence, he trails Nichols by too wide a margin and is out of contention for the title.

250 SX East Main Event

Colt Nichols played it super safe at the start of the 250 SX Main, checking up in the first corner and starting in 10th position. Joe Shimoda(30), who will inherit 2nd place in the points with Craig out of this event, took the early lead.

Shimoda fought off a challenge from Michael Mosiman(42) mid-race, while Lawrence ran 3rd and Nichols had worked his way up to 4th. Lawrence joined the battle for the lead with under five minutes to go passing Mosiman, Nichols also got by when Mosiman hit a Tuff Block.

Joe Shimoda got his first career Supercross win, Lawrence finished 2nd, and Nichols 3rd. Shimoda’s win kept Nichols from clinching the East Championship, at least until next week.

250 SX East Main Event Results

250 SX East Points Standings

450 SX

Points leader Cooper Webb(2) easily took the win in Heat 1, setting up his confrontation with Ken Roczen(94) to settle the 450 SX championship points race. Roczen trails by 16 points and can’t afford to give away any more points with just two races to go.  Ken Barcia crashed and damaged the radiator forcing him out and into the last chance qualifier. Michigan’s Broc Tickle finished in 6th, qualifying for the Featured Main.

Heat 2 was not as easy for Roczen, bottled up with a bunch of riders in the first corner he was 8th at the start. Eli Tomac(1) grabbed the lead early and held it to the finish. Roczen recovered to finish 3rd.

Barcia got the job done in the LCQ leading from start to finish to avoid missing out on the 450 SX Main.

450 SX Main Event

Ken Roczen shot out of the starting gate to grab the early lead in the 450 SX Main Event. Cooper Webb could only manage a 10th place start. Roczen built a three-second lead over Marvin Musquin(25) as Jason Anderson(21) ran 3rd.

By the 10 minute mark, Webb had moved up to 4th and was putting pressure on Anderson. Facing a challenge himself from Malcolm Stewart(27), Webb managed to get make the pass into 3rd and give himself some room.

Roczen went down in the corner entering the whoops section and dropped to 5th place. Webb closed on the new leader Musquin, his teammate.

Musquin fought off the challenge to take the win, Webb ran 2nd, and Malcolm Stewart earned the first podium of his 450 SX career in 3rd.

Roczen finished a disappointing 6th, losing more points to the Championship leader. He now sits 22 points behind Webb. Defending Champion Eli Tomac finished 10th and was officially eliminated from any chance at a repeat. Broc Tickle finished in 12th place.

450 SX Main Event Results

450 SX Points Standings