In Quotebook, a selection of riders detail round two of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship, at St. Louis in Missouri.

450SX

Image: Octopi Media.

Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – 12th:
Tonight definitely didn’t end up how I had wanted it to. I struggled all day to get comfortable and unfortunately, I was just not able to make it happen tonight. We are going to regroup, work on getting healthy and hopefully get back up on the podium next weekend in Anaheim.

Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – Third:
I’m just out here enjoying myself. I feel like I was riding pretty good in the main. I got off to a good start and I kind of let the battling happen in front of me and then I worked my way through the guys I could and settled into third.

Dean Wilson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – 13th:
Tonight was a small improvement for me. I had a good start and ran in the top 10 for a few laps but I’m just not prepared to be at that point. I just have to keep working and building from here.

Zach Osborne (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – Fifth:
All-in-all it was a good night and a good rebound from last weekend. It was good to get a solid finish and restart my season after being really ill last weekend.

Justin Barcia (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing) – Second:
It was a pretty tough day for me. I was really sick all week, and I just had to be mentally tough and push through the difficulties I was having today. My heat race went really well. I got a bad start, but I fought through the pack and got up to third. I made some really great passes, so that was awesome. In the Main Event, I got a much better start and quickly moved into second. I was pushing really hard, but tonight the best I had was second. I rode really well, considering. I felt like I rode better today than I did in Anaheim. I just unfortunately was a little under the weather. So, all in all, a really good day. The team did a great job with the motorcycle and setting it up. I’m really looking to get better this week and feeling better for Anaheim.

Aaron Plessinger (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing) – 10th:
Today was a little bit better than last weekend. I kind of struggled in the Heat race. I didn’t get the greatest start, but I still qualified pretty good. A 14th gate pick in the Main was tough. Then, getting a bad start and trying to work my way back up into the top 10, it was really gnarly. The track conditions were pretty challenging. It was slick in some spots and really rutted. So, you had to be on your toes at all times or the track was going to take you down. It took a lot of people down, and I’m glad I wasn’t one of them. It was tough day, but we’re making progress. We’ll go back this week, put some more work in and work a little bit more on the starts and sprint laps so I can get a better gate pick. I want to try and get up on the podium or at least in the top five.

Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Seventh:
Today was a really encouraging day. In the 450SX main event, despite my start, I felt like I was riding well and making good progress. Unfortunately, I turned a fourth into a seventh with a last lap mistake. I’ve been grinding on my starts trying to get them where they should be, but I obviously didn’t execute tonight. We’ll lock those in and be ready for A2.

Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Fourth:
Well we didn’t finish the night where we wanted or should be, but the team and I will get back to work this week and get everything dialed before Anaheim next weekend. I know we’ll be focusing on my starts, which have really been hurting my chances at finishing on the podium, but we’ll get those dialed and make any other minor adjustments that need to be made so we can get back on top.

Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC) – First:
This feels so surreal and is absolutely amazing. It’s been a long time coming with a lot of struggle in the process, so this is definitely one of the sweetest moments of my career. The emotions and joy from everyone is very special. I think tonight was just our night to win. The whole day was good, starting with feeling so much more comfortable on the bike than I did last week. We also grabbed a couple of solid starts in both races tonight. I rode really good in the heat race and even in the main. I’d say that I actually surprised myself and maybe the team a little with how the main event went; it was just our time to shine. I knew if I wanted to make it happen, I’d need to make my way to the front fast, so that’s what I did. I got around Zach [Osborne] quick and had a clear track, so then I just clicked off some great laps, putting a gap between myself and the field. At one point Justin [Barcia] seemed to close in a bit but I just focused on hitting my marks and managing my pace. The race felt really long because the lap times were fairly short, the tower was right after the finish so I could get a glance at the clock each lap—it seemed like it took forever! I’ve messed it up so many times in the last laps, so it’s not over until it’s actually over. I just tried to maintain a pace while also staying consistent and not making any mistakes. We’re going to enjoy this but then get back to work this week. This is a big confidence booster and really motivating for me to want to keep the momentum going.

Justin Brayton (Team Honda HRC) – Eighth:
Definitely a wild night. I never want to go to the LCQ, but I actually enjoyed it a bit. Under those circumstances, you just try to make the best of it and it was kind of nice to get out there and win it, plus get to ride the track so close to the main event. I hope I don’t have to go to another one though! I’m super proud of the team to be able to get me back out there. Main event-wise, I was still able to get a pretty good start from the far outside gate. I ran inside the top 10 for the whole race, finishing eighth, which isn’t where I would like to be by any means but still an overall good start to the season with the adversity both weekends. Hopefully another cleaner weekend next week at A2 and I’m really hoping to be in the top five, then build up to some podium finishes.

Fredrick Noren (JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki Racing) – DNS:
I was very excited coming into the weekend and had a good practice week. I was running comfortably in a transfer spot with a few laps left to go when I slightly overshot a triple in a rhythm section. When I landed I felt a snap in my leg. I had to pull off and have come to find out that I’ve injured my ankle. At this point, I’m unsure of the recovery but hoping for the best so that I can be back at the races soon.

Jimmy Decotis (JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing) – 20th:
I’ve been working hard during the week trying to improve myself, and at round two I felt like we made some positive changes. I’m enjoying the process of being back at the races and working with my team. Ready to improve on my mistakes this weekend and continue to progress and learn as a racer when we head back to Anaheim next weekend. I’m hoping for a speedy recovery for my teammate Freddie as well.

250SX West

Image: Octopi Media.

Michael Mosiman (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – 10th:
I actually felt pretty good, better than last weekend. There was carnage in the first rhythm section and I got bumped and then landed on and that was just kind of the beginning of the end. I’m pretty stoked to get out of St. Louis healthy and on to the next round.

Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing) – Second:
Last weekend I had it pretty easy. I was just out front clicking off my laps. This weekend was a different story. I felt good all day, but I didn’t put myself in the best positions in the races tonight. I just had to put my head down and take my time and come through the pack. Once you get the feeling of victory, you don’t want to lose it. But this feels like a win tonight. It was a good learning curve for me. We’re going to hold the red plate and we’re going to hold onto it tight. We’re going to fight for this championship.

Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing) – 12th:
I felt really good all day. The track conditions were good too. Unfortunately we didn’t get results we were looking for. I don’t understand what happened on the first lap. Someone crashed in front of me and I couldn’t escape it. After that, I just rode to try to save some points, but I’m pretty frustrated about that of course. It is how it is. We’ll go back to training next week and get ready for A2.

Austin Forkner (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – First:
I am really happy to get back up here. I started to ride tight halfway after I got to think about it. It’s been a long time coming with physically healing from the knee and mentally getting back knowing I can win. I could hear the fans and they pushed me through. I love being able to win in front of my home crowd.

Cameron McAdoo (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – DNS:
Man, what a tough day. It’s always a difficult pill to swallow when you end your day early, especially when you’re riding well and feeling good in the beginning. I made a small mistake in qualifying and just couldn’t really recover after that crash. I was hurting pretty badly, so the team and I all made the decision to call it a day and get checked out in hopes to recover quicker for the long season ahead.

Christian Craig (Geico Honda) – DNF:
Despite the ending of the main event, I’m pretty pumped on my weekend. The heat race went really good. I passed into the lead quickly and was able to just ride my own race and win. Going into the main I felt the best I’ve felt in awhile. I had a middle of the pack start and was able to make my way to about fourth in the first lap. Everything was going good honestly but with a couple laps to go as I was about to pass for third, I cross rutted and hit a tuff block. It was a pretty hard crash, I landed right on my ribs/lungs so I couldn’t breathe at all. Luckily I’m not injured any more than just being bruised up. I’ll be ready to go [next weekend] for A2!

Jett Lawrence (Geico Honda) – Fifth:
Weekend was up and down. Qualified good with fifth fastest, but the heat race was a complete disaster ride like a complete rookie! Thankfully I pulled it together somewhat in the main. I rode a good race and was ready to challenge for the win with three mins left in the main before I clipped a tough block which damaged my rear brake and locked it on forcing me to come in to the pits. Kind of a bummer to have that happen, but it’s okay because I learnt a lot and am ready to battle at the front this weekend in Anaheim!

Luke Clout (Penrite Honda Racing) – Seventh:
Coming away inside the top 10 is what I wanted, so I’m pretty happy with seventh. We are heading in the right direction and the weekend has been great. Now I’m looking forward to racing at Anaheim again next week. The bike is good, the team is working hard to make sure we have every chance to be up the front, so hopefully I can keep on improving each week.

Mitchell Oldenburg (Penrite Honda Racing) – Eighth:
My heat was good, even though I am still riding injured. Last weekend I hit the ground a lot and am still very banged up and sore. I only managed to ride once this week so I am really happy with my result in the heat race. St. Louis was a decent night, considering last weekend and the week I have had. I’ll take an eighth! Dr G helped me out a lot this week and got me comfortable, got my body working as best as it could. The little tip over in the main was unfortunate, but I put my head down and charged as hard as I could and came away with eighth, so I can’t complain.

Alex Martin (JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing) – Fourth:
It was nice to be back racing in the Midwest as St. Louis is the closest race to home for me. We made small changes for the main that seemed to help as it was the best I felt and rode all day, ending up three tenths out of a podium position with fourth on the night. And we’re two points out of third in the championship. Excited to keep the momentum going heading into Anaheim next weekend!

Brandon Hartranft (Troy Lee Designs Red Bull KTM) – Third:
Honestly, I’m still in shock about what happened tonight, this podium couldn’t have come at a better time for me. The team and I have put in a lot of work this off-season and I definitely couldn’t have done this without them!