Image: Octopi Media.

On an increasingly rutted track inside Lumen Field, Chase Sexton and Jett Lawrence prevailed for Team Honda HRC during qualifying for the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross round in Seattle.

With a 50.704s trip around the rain-affected track, Sexton was the only rider to reach the 50s range heading into the night show.

Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo backed up his third-place speed from the first session in the early moments of Q2, but came 0.487s short of Sexton’s pace.

Cianciarulo held on for second and was 0.43s clear of his Kawasaki stablemate Jason Anderson.

Justin Barcia gave TLD Red Bull GasGas representation in the top five with the fourth-best time, just over a full second in arrears of Sexton on their respective quickest laps.

After an initial slow start to the session, reigning 450SX champion Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) executed a late effort to land fifth and avoid a poor gate pick for his heat race.

Christian Craig (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), Ken Roczen (Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki), Justin Hill (Team Tedder Monster Energy Mountain Motorsports), Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM), and Dean Wilson (Fire Power Honda) comprised the remainder of the top 10.

Last week’s near-winner Aaron Plessinger was notably outside the top 10 in both sessions for the premier class. In the second outing, he was 12th and 2.309s off Sexton.

Image: Octopi Media.

Returning to action after a five-week break, the 250SX West division was paced by series points leader Jett Lawrence.

Lawrence improved upon his Q1 lap time by 1.23s to secure top qualifying honors entering the Seattle night program.

Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) owned the fastest lap early before RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) and later Lawrence both went quicker. Lawrence’s final flier, a 51.027s, put 0.812s between himself and Hampshire at the time of the checkered flag.

Kitchen, Cameron McAdoo (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), and Enzo Lopes (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha) filled the top five, with Lopes 1.35s back from Lawrence’s chart-topping pace.

With Mitchell Oldenburg (Smartop MotoConcepts Racing Honda), Pierce Brown (TLD Red Bull GasGas), Maximus Vohland (Red Bull KTM), and Hunter Yoder (Partzilla PRMX Racing) next on the group A timesheet, nine different teams earned representation in the top nine.

Stilez Robertson (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) was 10th in group A but was pushed out of the combined top 10 by Carson Mumford. Making his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki debut, Mumford was fast enough in group B for fourth on the combined timesheet.

Detailed results