Follow the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Championship opener with direct updates from round one of the season at NRG Stadium in Houston through Racefeed.

Image: Octopi Media.

250SX East qualifying:
Fastest in qualifying to open the 250SX East season was new Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing signing Christian Craig, his 43.765s lap-time the class benchmark. Craig led Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC), who had topped the opening session earlier, by 0.820s, with Colt Nichols (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha third, but a second away from his teammate. Nichols, Austin Forkner (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) and RJ Hampshire’s (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) were all within the same tenth of a second in that order. Positions six through 10 featured Jo Shimoda (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), Michael Mosiman (TLD RedBull GasGas), Thomas Do (KTM), Mitchell Oldenburg (Muc-Off Honda) and rookie Max Vohland (Red Bull KTM).

450SX qualifying:
Rookie Chase Sexton proved that he will be a factor in the premier class by qualifying quickest in his 450SX debut with Team Honda HRC, recording a 44.006s to edge defending champion Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki). The top 14 riders all lapped within the 44s bracket, setting up a spectacular opener tonight at NRG Stadium. In third it was the returning Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM), directly ahead of first session leader Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC), Malcolm Stewart (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) and Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas). Roczen was P6 in the final session, however. On combined times, Barcia was followed by another current 250 champion in Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha), Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki), Joey Savatgy (Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM WPS) also on return and outdoor champion Zach Osborne (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna). There were a host of name riders beyond the top 10, including 2018 champion Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), Dean Wilson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), 2019 title winner Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM) and Justin Brayton (Muc-Off Honda) – all within a second of Sexton’s top time of the session.

250SX East heat one:
There was a share of action in the opening heat of the year won by Forkner, who was fifth at the end of lap one and worked his way to the lead with two laps to run. That’s where he would remain as he overcame new Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammate Jo Shimoda, who controlled the race’s opening portion, while Lawrence was third after an eventful outing. An early off-track excursion was reviewed by officials without penalty, then his first battle of the year with Forkner came in the mid-stages until it appeared he stalled and lost ground. Fourth was Vohland, the newcomer impressive already, while the fast-starting Logan Karnow (Kawasaki) took P5. Final transfer positions belonged to John Short (Suzuki), Lorenzo Camporese (Kawasaki), Do, Kevin Moranz (KTM) and Curren Thurman (Husqvarna).

250SX East heat two:
The second heat displayed just how strong top-qualifier Craig will be this season riding the YZ250F after so many years aboard Honda machinery, leading from the outset, going down on lap three and dropping to third, then managing to claw his way back into the lead with two to go and that’s where he would remain. Second was Hampshire after leading his share of laps, comfortably ahead of Mosiman in the Supercross debut of GasGas, with Nichols and Oldenburg filling the top five. Also going through to the main were Grant Harlan (Honda), Hunter Sayles (KTM), Joshua Varize (KTM) and Tj Albright (Kawasaki).

450SX heat one:
GasGas is officially a winner in a Supercross heat race after Barcia delivered for the TLD team on debut, leading all laps after holding out Roczen as he debuted the new CRF450R. Both of these guys will be in contention later on for the main event victory. Third was Cianciarulo, a solid result considering his recent elbow surgery, followed by number one plate-holder Tomac and Brayton, who gave the Muc-Off Honda team a solid first showing in 450SX. Next up came Wilson, Martin Davalos (Team Tedder Monster Energy KTM), Savatgy and Broc Tickle (Smartop Bullfrog Spas MotoConcepts Honda), all of whom transferred directly through to tonight’s final. While Tickle went through, teammate Benny Bloss went down on the final lap, credited 15th on the results sheets.

450SX heat two:
It was Webb who led the opening seven laps until the ever-gritty Osborne pushed his way by, despite that huge crash during yesterday’s media session. In the end it was Osborne who picked up where he left off last year to take P1 from Webb – vastly better than in qualifying – and with Stewart making a solid Yamaha debut in third. This afternoon’s pace-setter Sexton worked his way through the order from seventh to fourth, ahead of a seemingly-improved Plessinger. The final bunch of riders to go through to the main event out of heat two were Anderson, Vince Friese (Smartop Bullfrog Spas MotoConcepts Honda), Musquin after he went down in the whoops and Ferrandis, who steps up to the 450 class for the first time this season.

250SX East LCQ:
First up was the 250SX East, where Jeremy Hand (Honda), Joshua Osby (Phoenix Racing Honda), Dylan Woodcock (Kawasaki) and early leader Max Miller (KTM) earned positions one through four, transferring through to the main in the process.

450SX LCQ:
Four familiar names went through for the first 450SX main event of the year, as Kyle Chisholm (Yamaha), rookie Brandon Hartranft (Twisted Tea Suzuki), his teammate Adam Enticknap and Alex Ray (SGB Racing/Maxxis/Babbitt’s Kawasaki) took the first four places in the LCQ. Unfortunately for Bloss, he went down early and his night in Houston is over.

250SX East main event:
It was a perfect debut for Craig in his maiden outing with Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha, converting his heat race win to victory in the 250SX East main event. An emotion-charged Craig won his first final in five years, finishing 5.057s clear of Forkner, as Nichols on the second of the Yamahas completed the podium. While Craig controlled proceedings from the front, the battle for second intensified as the 15-minute plus one-lap final wore on, Forkner moving into the runner-up position by midway and Nichols benefiting from a late error by Hampshire when he went down while in P3. A consistent ride meant fourth belonged to Shimoda, Hampshire remounted for fifth and Lawrence – who also crashed in the closing stages on the final lap – ended the opener in sixth. Another who recovered from a fall was Mosiman for seventh, the top 10 also featuring Oldenburg, Vohland in his first-ever Supercross and Osby.

450SX main event:
Last week it was a marketing stunt at ‘A1’, this time it’s the real thing as Barcia powered to a first-time win by TLD Red Bull GasGas, making it three opening round wins in a row. On debut with the factory MC 450F, a composed Barcia kept Roczen at bay to win by 1.015s after 20 minutes plus a lap, that duo untouched as Monster Energy Supercross took off tonight with Houston 1. A mid-race surge by Roczen wasn’t enough to deliver the new CRF450R a winning debut, but on a night where some of the best in the business faltered, second position was a satisfying start to the 17-round series. Rounding out the podium was Musquin after getting the holeshot in his first 450SX since 2019, but 20 seconds outside of the victory. He was ahead of Cianciarulo and Stewart, while Brayton was quick out of the gates and put in a solid effort for P6 in what was the premier class debut of Muc-Off Honda Racing. Despite missing much of the pre-season with a hand injury, last year’s 250SX West champion Ferrandis rode to seventh, directly in front of teammate Plessinger, while title threats Webb and Osborne overcame a challenging affair for top 10 finishes. Of the top riders that were further back, defending champion Tomac salvaged 13th following multiple run-ins with Friese, as top qualifier Sexton had to settle for 14th after being caught up in a major crash involving Davalos. Former champion Anderson was inside the top 10 for much of the final, however, he dropped down to 15th position in the closing laps.