Follow the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross Championship with direct updates from tonight’s 14th round of the season at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford through Racefeed.

Image: Octopi Media.

250SX East qualifying one:
Jordon Smith put his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machine atop the timesheet for the first qualifying session in the lead-up to the first 250SX East/West Showdown of the 2023 Supercross season. At 48.728s, Smith put a considerable 0.603s between himself and Fire Power Honda rider Max Anstie in second. With the knowledge that he can clinch his first Supercross title today, Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) landed third in this first timed qualifying session, just ahead of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammates Chris Blose and Jo Shimoda. Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), Cullin Park (Phoenix Racing Honda), Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM), Michael Hicks (Ti-Lube Storm Lake Honda Racing), and Henry Miller (Ti-Lube Storm Lake Honda Racing) filled the top 10.

250SX West qualifying one:
Going two positions better than his brother in the following session, Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) led the way in the first 250SX West region qualifying session with a 48.363s revolution of the MetLife Stadium track. Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha representative Enzo Lopes came within 0.877s of the younger Lawrence to place second, 0.221s clear of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki fill-in rider Carson Mumford. Two riders who have challenged Jett at points throughout 2023 thus far, RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) and Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), completed the top five. Pierce Brown (TLD Red Bull GasGas), Max Vohland (Red Bull KTM), Cole Thompson (Team Solitaire Heartbeat Hot Sauce Yamaha), Dilan Schwartz (Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki), and Derek Kelley (AEO Powersports KTM) filled positions 6–10.

450SX qualifying one:
The fastest premier-class rider as timed qualifying got underway was Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki’s Ken Roczen. The Indianpolis winner’s 48.08s best time put him 0.299s clear of Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson, with Justin Barcia a close third in the times for TLD Red Bull GasGas. Justin Hill impressed with the fourth-fastest lap aboard his Team Tedder Monster Energy Mountain Motorsports ride, with last week’s Atlanta winner Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC) landing fifth. Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM), Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki), Colt Nichols (Team Honda HRC), Dean Wilson (Fire Power Honda), and Josh Hill (Team Tedder Monster Energy Mountain Motorsports) completed the top 10. The main story of the first timed 450SX session was a very early crash for Eli Tomac. The points leader and reigning champion limped away from the track and into the tunnel, raising questions about his ability to race in New Jersey.

250SX West qualifying two:
Jett improved to 47.895s in the second session for his regional 250SX class, going 0.668s faster than Hampshire on their respective best laps. Hampshire was second fastest, putting his Husqvarna FC 250 RE above Vohland, Mumford, and Brown in the top five. Lopes, Kitchen, Thompson, Schwartz, and Hunter Yoder (Partzilla PRMX Racing) filled the rest of the top 10.

250SX East qualifying two:
A factory Honda-prepared Honda CRF250R found the top of the timesheet in the 250SX East session, with Hunter matching his brother’s feat and going fastest in his second timed session. Smith, Vialle, Deegan, and Anstie filled the rest of the top 10, with Anstie lapping within 0.97s of Hunter. Shimoda, Blose, Miller, Hicks, and Park comprised the remainder of the top 10, with 2.158s separating Park from Hunter.

450SX qualifying two:
Anderson found the top of the Q2 timesheet aboard his Kawasaki KX450SR. With a 47.707s trip around the East Rutherford track, the new father became the day’s top premier-class qualifier. Sexton turned in the second-fastest lap, holding off Justin Hill by 0.109s. Roczen and Barcia were fourth and fifth, while Webb, Tomac, Josh Hill, Nichols, and Wilson filled the rest of the top 10. Tomac was within 1.223s of Anderson upon his return to the track after his Q1 crash that seemed to injure his knee. Notably, privateer Justin Starling was 11th in this session, while Cianciarulo was only 12th after crashing heavily two turns into the session.

250SX West heat:
Hampshire grabbed the holeshot and attempted to speed away from Vohland as the evening’s first race began. However, an unideal start for Jett Lawrence prompted the points leader to charge forward to second, just behind Hampshire at the checkered flag. Vohland and Brown fell victim to Lawrence’s speed and settled for third and fourth, with Lopes finishing fifth. Kitchen, Mumford, Robbie Wageman (Bar-X Suzuki), and Thompson finished in the remaining transfer positions.

250SX East heat:
Shimoda’s return to competition took a significant step forward as he held off Hunter Lawrence in the heat race for the East region. Almost matching his brother’s deficit to Hampshire in the previous race, Hunter was 0.442s in arrears of Shimoda at the checkers — hardly a bike length. Star Racing teammates Deegan and Smith finished third and fourth. Blose was fifth and led Vialle, Anstie, Jace Owen (Phoenix Racing Honda), and Hicks in earning gates in the showdown race. Miller, Park, Weltin, and Schock notably missed out and will head to the LCQ.

450SX heat one:
An early battle between Roczen and Webb went the way of Roczen as he beat the KTM rider to the checkers by 3.093s. Continuing to back up his impressive qualifying speed, Justin Hill was third as time ran out. Nichols and Chisholm found the top five, while Fredrik Noren, Starling, Jeremy Hand, and Shane McElrath (Twisted Tea Suzuki Progressive Insurance) finished in transfer positions.

450SX heat two:
Sexton cruised to an 8.067s victory over Anderson in the night’s concluding heat race. Barcia recovered from a quick fall to finish third ahead of Tomac, who returned to the track for the second time since striking his knee in a qualifying crash. Bloss finished fifth, 5.755s in arrears of Tomac, while Grant Harlan, Kevin Moranz, Wilson, and Josh Hill filled the remaining direct main event transfer positions.

250SX LCQ:
Schock led the night’s first LCQ when it was red-flagged due to a high-speed solo crash for Joshua Varize (AEO Powersports KTM). Schock remained in control from the staggered start through the checkered flag during the final minute and a half of the race, securing his spot in the East/West Showdown. Luke Neese, Park, and Schwartz claimed the final transfer positions, with Schwartz sneaking in at the last moment thanks to last-turn drama that left Henry Miller on the ground and out of the showdown race.

450SX LCQ:
A straightforward final qualifying race of the 2023 East Rutherford Supercross saw Devin Simonson, Tristan Lane, Chase Marquier, and Cade Clason add their names to the starting lineup for the night’s 450SX main event. John Short and Yamaha YZ250 two stroke rider Jared Lesher came up short with fifth- and sixth-place results.

250SX East/West showdown:
Following a rain delay that lasted more than an hour, the riders and bikes that qualified for the East/West Showdown returned to the stadium floor as fans returned to their seats and final preparations were made for a shortened main event on a treacherous muddy track. Anstie left the soaked first turn in the lead and never relinquished it, leading all 14 laps en route to his first Supercross victory. Despite a last-turn attack by Hampshire that briefly put him on the ground, Jett Lawrence secured second, 0.733s ahead of his brother Hunter. A strong outing in the problematic conditions translated to a fourth-place result for Vohland, roughly 3s ahead of Lopes. Deegan, Mumford, Park, Shimoda, and Blose completed the top 10. Hampshire was stuck in the final turn as the race finished and is listed 13th on the results.

450SX main event:
Roczen began the grueling final race of the night inside a soaked MetLife Stadium in the lead, with Barcia and Sexton close behind. In the early moments, Barcia cut across a bowl turn to its exit, taking out Sexton’s front wheel just enough to put the Honda rider on the ground. Sexton crawled back to fourth but could only come within 42.642s of the win and 17.246s of Roczen, who ended up third. Barcia went on to collect his second Supercross victory aboard a GasGas. At the same time, Tomac earned second place, dealing with an injured knee earlier in the day and miserable track conditions, along with the 21 other riders, to end the night. Webb finished fifth ahead of McElrath, privateers Moranz and Bloss, Justin Hill, and Wilson in the top 10. Anderson could only reach 12th place after a fall in the whoops.