AMA Supercross Visits Atlanta Motor Speedway for the 1st Time

Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, GA — April 10, 2021

After a three-week break, Monster Energy Supercross returned to action at Atlanta Motor Speedway with the first of three events during their weeklong residency. It was the inaugural visit of AMA Supercross to the NASCAR track on the Southside of Metro Atlanta.

Rain moved through the area and soaked the racecourse just before live coverage began on NBC. Riders were unsure how the track would respond to the drenching.

250 SX

A slippery track is just an added factor when the tension of a points race is putting pressure on the leaders. Justin Cooper(32) led the 250 SX West standings by just two points over Cameron McAdoo(31) and was six points ahead of Hunter Lawrence(41). In Heat 1, Cooper went down on the 1st lap and dropped to the rear of the pack.

Keeping his cool, Cooper worked his way through 20 riders to finish on the rear wheel of Seth Hammaker(150) as he took the checkered flag.

In Heat 2, McAdoo led early until Lawrence began challenging for the top spot. McAdoo crashed off a jump and went down hard knocking his handlebars askew. He was able to recover and stay in the top 9 to qualify for the main event. While Lawrence took the Heat win.

After the Heats, the track crew moved a lot of dirt and improved the racing surface considerably. Still, Lawrence slipped on the first turn of the Main Event and went down. By the time he remounted the entire field passed.

The start at Atlanta featured a short sprint into a banked left-hand turn. Lawrence’s trouble stacked the field up and Nate Thrasher(91) was able to escape the melee with the lead. Nate who? The 18-year old rookie from Livingston, TN had to win the Last Chance Qualifier just to make it to the 250 SX feature.

Thrasher quickly built a lead and held on for his first Main event win. The first time an LCQ winner backed it up with a Main Event win in over four years. Garrett Marchbanks ran 2nd for most of the race but fell with just a minute left on the clock. Points leader Cooper moved into 2nd and McAdoo, despite falling again in the Main, took the final podium spot in 3rd.

Lawrence fought back to finish 7th and dropped 13 points behind the leader Cooper, who increased his points advantage to four over McAdoo.

250 SX West Main Event Results

250 SX West Points Standings

450 SX

The 450 Heats featured some of the same slipping and sliding as the track was still slick as the sun began to shine through the clouds. In Heat 1 Marvin Musquin(25) was out fast but went down in the 1st corner. Justin Barcia(51) took the lead with Eli Tomac(1) in 2nd. Barcia got cross-rutted and dropped his bike at Tomac drove off for the Heat win. Michigan’s Broc Tickle(20) placed 5th.

Heat 2 saw Aaron Plessinger(7) out to the early lead. Cooper Webb(2), the points leader, was slow out of the gate and started 11th. Ken Roczen(94), 2nd in the points faired better running in 4th. Jason Anderson(21) passed Plessinger on the final lap to take the win, Dylan Ferrandis came in 3rd. Roczen finished where he started, in 4th with Cooper working his way to 5th.

In the 450 SX Main, Plessinger again rode to the lead. Webb started in 3rd, Tomac sat 7th, while Roczen was mired back in 19th. Rookie Chase Sexton(23), coming back from an early-season injury, rode to the front when Plessinger laid his bike down in a corner. Tomac moved to 2nd ahead of Webb who was riding safely to protect his points lead.

Coming to the white flag, Sexton got caught up behind a lapper allowing a closing Tomac to grab the lead as the pair began their final lap. Tomac pulled away for the win, Sexton held 2nd and Webb finished a comfortable 3rd. Roczen had to settle for a 9th place finish and now trails Webb by 22 points. Tomac remained 3rd but sits 36 behind the leader.

Both classes will be back in action at the Speedway on Tuesday evening.

450 SX Main Event Results

450 SX Points Standings