Image: Octopi Media.

With back-to-back podiums, Chase Sexton is beginning to find form in his debut season in the 450SX class, feeling more and more confident as he continues to learn the ropes of the premier class.

After a crash in the second round as he led the main event saw him sidelined with an injury, and a handful of crashes upon his return to Monster Energy Supercross, the Team Honda HRC rookie seems to be coming to grips with his CRF450R.

Following his podium performance on Tuesday night, Sexton reflected on the ebbs and flows of his season so far.

“It’s been a bit of a struggle this year,” Sexton explained. “Obviously I’ve had some crashes and haven’t been too nice on my face and the crash in Houston while leading, it was just pretty mentally defeating going and getting those hits week in and week out.

“I’m not really used to it, I don’t usually crash that much and I’m usually a pretty smooth rider. So for that it had knocked my confidence a little further down and I feel like Dallas I started to click off better rides, obviously, I had a crash again.”

Building on the momentum he found in Arlington, his podium performances in the opening two rounds of the Atlanta residency this week have come as a welcome confidence boost, as he continues to figure things out and learn everything he can in the closing stages of the season.

“I feel like I was in a better headspace coming into this residency, and it’s paying off. Two second [place finishes] like I said on the podium, seconds only going to make me happy for so long. So looking obviously to win.

“Tonight was a good night for Kenny [Roczen] and I, but yeah definitely mentally and with the bike. Learning the 450 is a whole different game with how rough the track gets and the races are longer.

“So it’s just been a really big learning stage and like I’ve said before, if I can learn something every weekend I think we’re going in the right direction for next year.”

Sexton and the rest of the Monster Energy Supercross riders will return to action tomorrow for the final round of the series residency in Atlanta.