Image: Octopi Media.

450SX rookie Chase Sexton opened up in the press conference about what went on in the closing laps Saturday’s main event, as late-race confusion on the number of laps left cost him a shot at the win.

The first of three Monster Energy Supercross races at the Atlanta Motor Speedway saw quite a bit of action in the 450SX main event. The race eventually came down to the wire between Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki) and Team Honda HRC rookie Sexton.

Sexton was leading the race as the duo caught a lapped rider in the corners before the final lap. The rookie made a bit of contact with the lapper and it appeared that it cost him the race as Tomac went by and Sexton failed to complete the jumps in the next section of track.

Sexton clarified what went on in the final laps just hours later in the post-race press conference, saying it was confusion on his end that put a stop to his shot at a maiden 450SX victory.

“My mechanic Jade [Dungey] put on the pit board two laps to go,” Sexton explained, “and I was like ‘okay I thought I saw the white flag’ and so I thought the race was over, then I saw Eli [Tomac] keep going and I was like ‘uh-oh the race isn’t over’, so I rolled the next jump and obviously the race was over after that.”

While the mishap might have cost him the shot at the win, the rookie was happy with his performance and his first 450SX podium after missing much of the season due to injury.

“Yeah it was not the best ending,” he continued, “but first 450 podium which was a positive, and after the year I’ve had it’s nice to be [in a press conference] again and back on the podium. Yeah, it was a really good night for me, the track kind of suited me. Obviously, it was tough but looking forward to Tuesday and try to keep this train going.”

The series gets back on track tomorrow with the second of three races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.