Follow the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross Championship with direct updates from tonight’s eighth round of the season at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona through Racefeed.

Image: Octopi Media.

250SX qualifying one:
Team Honda HRC rookie Chance Hymas set the early pace in the first timed qualifying session of the 2023 Daytona Supercross. His initial 1:16.203s lap was soon eclipsed by Nate Thrasher (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) with a 1:15.473s time. Another factory-prepared Honda CRF250R with Hunter Lawrence at the controls took over at the top inside the final two minutes with the day’s first 1:14s lap at 1:14.599s. The older of the two Lawrence brothers then improved to 1:14.365s to secure the session’s fastest lap. Thrasher followed in second, 1.108s off Hunter’s chart-topping pace. Hymas maintained third over Max Anstie (Fire Power Honda) and Jeremy Martin (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha), who completed the top five. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing riders Jordon Smith and Haiden Deegan were sixth and seventh, with Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM), Michael Mosiman (TLD Red Bull GasGas), and Chris Blose (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) filling the final top-10 spots.

450SX qualifying one:
The qualifying prowess of championship hopeful Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC) returned in the first timed session of the event for the premier class. At 1:13.071s, Sexton overcame Ken Roczen (Progress Insurance Ecstar Suzuki) by just shy of half a second. Behind those two, Cooper Webb of Red Bull KTM turned in the third-fastest lap, two-tenths of a second in arrears of Roczen’s best time. Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas) and Christian Craig (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) were the last two in the top five. RJ Hampshire was seventh in his 450SX debut for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna. Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki), Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM), and Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) were the other riders to reach the top 10.

250SX qualifying two:
Lawrence topped his sixth consecutive qualifying session with a 1:13.286s lap despite dealing with a loose left-side number plate. Able to come within 0.616s of Lawrence’s time, Thrasher landed second on the Q2 and combined results. Thrasher’s Star Yamaha stablemate Smith had the third-best time in the second session over Mosiman, who led the field for several laps following the gate drop and practice start. Anstie, Vialle, Martin, Deegan, Hymas, and Blose comprised the remainder of the top 10, with 3.546s separating Blose from Lawrence on the unique Daytona circuit.

450SX qualifying two:
Sexton was the first to execute a 1:11.990s lap on the day. With a 1:12.306s moments later, Honda’s lead premier-class rider owned two laps faster than anyone else’s best. Like the first session, Roczen slotted into the second position aboard his Suzuki, 0.409s back from Sexton’s best. A further four-tenths off, Anderson completed the session in third, with Tomac 0.181s slower in fourth. Backing up his impressive speed from Q1, Husqvarna’s 450SX debutant Hampshire landed fifth. Barcia, Webb, Cooper, Craig, and Plessinger filled the rest of the top 10 in the final A-class session heading into the night show.

250SX heat one:
Strong starter Vialle rocketed to the early lead after the night’s first gate drop. Thrasher passed the Frenchman around the race’s midway point and built a lead of 4.574s by the checkered flag, winning comfortably. Vialle held on for second, 2s ahead of Deegan. Despite a quick fall, Mosiman finished fourth while Blose, Coty Schock (Phoenix Racing Honda), Jace Owen (Phoenix Racing Honda), Jack Chambers (Rocky Mountain ATV MC, Rides Unlimited Racing), and Marshal Weltin (Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki) claimed the remaining transfer positions. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Talon Hawkins notably fell short of transferring with his 11th-place result.

250SX heat two:
Aboard his Star Racing-prepared factory Yamaha YZ250F, Smith held off points leader and fastest qualifier Lawrence until the final minute. Lawrence broke away during the two laps that followed, securing the victory by 3.612s. Smith was followed to the checkered flag by Hymas, who kept these two in his sight from the gate drop on. Martin finished fourth in front of Hardy Munoz, Anstie, Cullin Park (Phoenix Racing Honda), Michael Hicks (TiLube Honda Racing), and Jeremy Hand in the transfer positions.

450SX heat one:
Tomac kicked off the night show successfully with his fourth heat race victory of the 2023 season, beating second-fastest qualifier Roczen to the checkered flag by just under 2s. A charging No. 51 GasGas MC 450F with Barcia at the controls was third ahead of Plessinger’s KTM and the new-for-2023 Yamaha YZ450F of Cooper. Justin Hill (Team Tedder Monster Energy Mountain Motorsports), Wilson, Josh Hill (Team Tedder Monster Energy Mountain Motorsports), and Cade Clason (Partzilla PRMX Racing) earned gates in the main event. John Short (MaddParts.com Kawasaki) and Josh Cartwright were notable riders outside of transfer positions and will take part in the night’s second LCQ.

450SX heat two:
The first gate drop in competition of Hampshire’s 450SX career culminated in a holeshot and an early lead of more than 2s. Sexton caught and passed Anderson for third while Webb chased Hampshire. A late-race push cut Hampshire’s lead in half, but the Husqvarna rider held on to win the heat race on debut. After Anderson in fourth, Craig, Shane McElrath (Twisted Tea Suzuki Progressive Insurance), Benny Bloss, and Grant Harlan (Rock River Yamaha) finished in the final direct transfer positions.

250SX LCQ:
Josiah Natzke (Partzilla PRMX Racing), Hawkins, Caden Braswell (Phoenix Racing Honda), and Brock Papi settled into the four transfer positions after the initial chaos at the start of the night’s first LCQ. An unidentified issue for Papi saw him drop to the bottom of the running order, promoting Devin Simonson (Partzilla PRMX Racing) into the final transfer spot. Hawkins challenged Natzke for the win in the closing seconds but came up 0.54s short.

450SX LCQ:
Logan Karnow darted to the early lead, leaving Chase Marquier, Kevin Moranz, and John Short 1.5s behind. Marquier, who had a fantastic start in his heat race and briefly ran third behind Tomac and Barcia, shot past Karnow into the lead at the beginning of the final minute. Short then swiped second from Karnow as this group entered the track’s rhythm section, where Moranz landed on tough blocks and went over the bars, ending his night. Cartwright found himself in the final transfer position and fended off a late effort by Max Miller, who crashed mere feet before the finish line. Marquier, Short, Karnow, and Cartwright were the final additions to the premier class main event.

250SX main event:
Anstie, Thrasher, Vialle, and Lawrence were out front as the field funneled through the first turn and rhythm section. Keen to take control, Lawrence was in second during the race’s first half lap and took out Thrasher’s front wheel in the sand section. From there, the points leader and east coast representative for Team Honda HRC grew a significant lead, ultimately capturing his eighth Supercross win by a margin of 9.127s. Facing reduced competition for the position after a massive get-off for French rookie Vialle, Anstie claimed second place. More than 15s further back, Deegan beat his Star Yamaha teammate Smith to the final podium position, capturing the first top-three result of his young career. After tangling with Deegan into a corner aboard his ClubMX Yamaha around the race’s midway point, Martin came home fifth. Hymas, Blose, Shock, and Park earned positions six through nine, while Thrasher recovered from his altercation with Lawrence and a heavier crash later to round out the top 10.

450SX main event:
The trio battling for the championship became the lead group when the gate dropped, with Webb leading the opening lap. As a light rain fell, Webb owned the points lead as they ran on track, with Webb surprisingly blitzing the whoops while Tomac jumped through them through the use of an inside line in the preceding corner. Tomac soon sped past Webb entering the high-speed finish line section. Webb rode hard to keep Tomac within range, but couldn’t come close enough to mount a challenge for the lead and ultimately settled for second, 1.791s back at the checkered flag. Sexton attempted to join these two in a battle for the win but fell into the clutches of Barcia. The two made repeated contact, with Barcia ending up off the track once and on the ground the second time. Despite their issues, Sexton and Barcia maintained third and fourth in the running order, 6s up the track from Anderson, who completed the top five. Cooper and Roczen were next in sixth and seventh, with Hampshire taking the checkered flag 2.295s in arrears of Roczen in his first 450SX main event. Plessinger and Craig completed the top 10.