The Monster Energy AMA Supercross delivered a night of big thrills to the restricted-capacity in-person fans inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis at the weekend.
Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen grabbed the 450SX Class victory at this fourth round of the series, his first win of 2021, with Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac right behind and the round three winner, Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb, fighting his way to third.
In the Eastern Regional 250SX Class, Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha’s Colt Nichols became the first repeat winner of the season in either class, backing up his round three win with a dominating wire-to-wire victory.
Round two 450SX class winner Tomac grabbed the holeshot and looked to have the speed to run away with the win, but, when he washed out in a corner and hit the ground, his Monster Energy Kawasaki team-mate Adam Cianciarulo took over the lead spot.
The three top runners – Cianciarulo, Roczen, and Tomac – fought an exciting race, with the three riders competing within a second of each other. After multiple attacks, and often getting his front wheel past Cianciarulo’s rear wheel, Roczen made a clean pass into the lead right before the race clock ticked down to ten minutes in the 20-minute plus one lap event.
Tomac got around Cianciarulo in the following corner and resumed chase of the Honda rider, but Roczen inched out a gap that reached three seconds before a mistake sent Roczen off the track. He re-entered just behind Tomac and in short order got back into the lead. The riders hit the finish line marker with a single second on the clock, extending the race by an additional lap. Tomac remained right on Roczen but never got close enough to make a pass.
Behind them, Cooper Webb moved through the field after a mid-pack start, nabbing the final podium spot from Cianciarulo in the whoops with under two minutes left on the race clock. Maybe the most impressive charge of the night, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne, moved up to finish in fifth after getting stuck in the starting gate and starting the race in last place.
The return to Indianapolis marks the series’ impressive response to the pandemic shutdowns; last year’s Indy round was the first postponed and re-scheduled to Utah. With the safety efforts taken by Feld Entertainment the Indy race fans, seated in pod-style arrangements, will enjoy three rounds this year, including the second-ever SuperTuesday round on February 2, and the final Indy event on Saturday, February 6.
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RESULTS & STANDINGS:
450SX Class Results:
- Ken Roczen – Honda
- Eli Tomac – Kawasaki
- Cooper Webb – KTM
- Adam Cianciarulo – Kawasaki
- Zach Osborne – Husqvarna
- Dylan Ferrandis – Yamaha
- Jason Anderson – Husqvarna
- Joey Savatgy – KTM
- Aaron Plessinger – Yamaha
- Marvin Musquin – KTM
450SX Class Championship Standings:
- Ken Roczen – Honda (86)
- Cooper Webb – KTM (80)
- Eli Tomac – Kawasaki (77)
- Adam Cianciarulo – Kawasaki (70)
- Justin Barcia – GASGAS (69)
- Dylan Ferrandis – Yamaha (67)
- Malcolm Stewart – Yamaha (63)
- Justin Brayton – Honda (62)
- Marvin Musquin – KTM (61)
- Zach Osborne – Husqvarna (58)
250SX Class Results (Eastern Regional):
- Colt Nichols – Yamaha
- Michael Mosiman – GASGAS
- Jo Shimoda, Menifee – Kawasaki
- Jett Lawrence – Honda
- Christian Craig – Yamaha
- Mitchell Oldenburg – Honda
- Thomas Do – KTM
- John Short – Suzuki
- Joshua Osby – Honda
- Grant Harlan – Honda
250SX Class Championship Standings (Eastern Regional):
- Colt Nichols, – Yamaha (96)
- Christian Craig – Yamaha (88)
- Jett Lawrence – Honda (83)
- Jo Shimoda – Kawasaki (77)
- Michael Mosiman – GASGAS (76)
- Joshua Osby – Honda (56)
- John Short – Suzuki (54)
- Mitchell Oldenburg – Honda (51)
- Thomas Do – KTM (47)
- Max Vohlan – KTM (46)