In Quotebook, a selection of riders detail how their races played out in round 15 of the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross Championship at Nashville.

450SX

Image: Octopi Media

Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Second:
We had a very solid day. I had great starts for the heat race and the main event, and I got out to the lead early. I was setting a good pace, and then I made one or two mistakes in the whoops. I backed down my pace a little bit, and then Chase was able to slide right by me. Overall, I was really happy with my riding, and the motorcycle on the starts has been awesome. It was a very tough track, too, because it went from a soft surface and then it turned into a dry surface, so that’s what made it hard. The transitions were soft, but at the same time, you had to manage traction. It was tough. It ended up biting quite a few guys, and I’m just happy to get out of here safe.

Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Sixth:
Today was a tough day, but I didn’t let the earlier setbacks get to me and I knew I had to give it my all in the main event. My body was sore heading into the main event, but I raced with everything I had, and I’m happy to have salvaged a top-10 finish for the team. It’s not the result I wanted, but sometimes it’s just about picking yourself up and pushing through no matter what. I’m proud of the effort we put in, and we’ll come back stronger next race.

Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Eighth:
I was feeling great in qualifying and happy with how I was riding, but unfortunately, I made a small mistake entering the first turn during the main event and had to battle my way through the pack. I found a good flow early in the race and managed to get into the top-10 and put on a good battle for the fans against my teammate. As the track continued to deteriorate, I made a couple of mistakes that cost me some time. Overall, I’m proud of how I was able to fight back and salvage some points with an eighth-place finish. We’ll regroup and come back stronger next race.

Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC) – First:
You really have to be on your game on tracks like this – you have to approach everything with confidence. This track was so gnarly, especially towards the last couple of laps, and it forces you to keep your focus. Getting started on outdoor testing has been like a breath of fresh air, and I feel more confident in the rough stuff. Two more rounds to go, and hopefully we get some more wins under our belts and keep building momentum.

Colt Nichols (Team Honda HRC) – Fourth:
Nashville treated me better than the last few weekends have. The day didn’t start off that great – we had a so-so qualifying. The team made some changes, and that seemed to give me more comfort. I was able to get a good start in the main event and take advantage of some other guys’ mistakes. I just rode a smooth, steady race and got my best finish of the year. Overall, it was a really good weekend for us, and I’m leaving very happy.

Dean Wilson (Fire Power Honda) – Seventh:
Nashville was a blast! Seventh was the result and I will take that. I didn’t feel comfortable on the track all day – it was a bit sketch. I feel like I could get a better result with a better start, but I am healthy and ready to build on this.

Ken Roczen (Progressive Ecstar Suzuki) – Third:
We had two completely different conditions throughout the day, from pretty wet and super tacky to dry and rutty. It was a super gnarly, sketchy track that collected a lot of people tonight. My start in the main event was horrible. My first couple of laps were absolutely horrible. I made a lot of mistakes and I went backwards. Then I just worked my way up. I wasn’t really riding that well, to be honest. Once I found myself in third I had so far to go to the front and I had a gap on the rider behind me, so I was being smart. The track was sketchy and we brought it home in third with the team. A podium is great, especially with the circumstances; you have to keep it rubber side down. We may have been a bit lucky with some things tonight, but it was tough out there and we made it happen. We’re back on the podium, so we’re looking forward to the last few rounds to finish it out strong.

Shane McElrath (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – 20th:
Today was a pretty tough day, the track was a pretty straightforward build but the conditions were very tough. It was really hard-packed but at the same time, the ruts were super grabby. I raced pretty well in my heat race and came from behind. Then in the main I was struggling with the track then we had an issue and cut our race short. So we’ll regroup, work on a few things this week, and be ready for the last two.

Kyle Chisolm (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – Ninth:
I liked the track. I felt good on the track all day, my bike worked really well, and we really didn’t make any changes all weekend. A fifth in the heat race gave us a good pick for the main. I ripped my start, came out pretty strong then tried to push the first few laps to get myself in a good position. My riding was pretty solid; not my best, but it was pretty good. Mid-race I had some bad laps, but I was able to turn it around, find some better lines, and come out with a top ten. I got a ninth, so I’m pumped on that, and we’ll aim to do it again the next two weekends.

250SX

Image: Octopi Media

Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) – First:
I didn’t even dream of this as a kid, as I didn’t know it was possible. The sport isn’t that big in Australia, so you don’t realize you can have a career doing this. Funny that in 2020 in this same state, I was thinking seriously about quitting. Just being knocked down over and over again with injuries, at that point I figured I would get a normal job and just support Jett. This is definitely redemption, to have been at the lowest point I’ve been at, so close to where I captured my first championship. It’s so special to get this one, and I hope to get many more with this same group.

Max Anstie (Fire Power Honda) – Fifth:
Fifth was a solid result in Nashville and we stayed in contention for second in the points, so that is good. It has been a great season so far and I’m excited to end on a high when we arrive in Salt Lake City in a couple of weeks.

Jordon Smith (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Third:
We started bright and early this morning, but it was a good day for us. I was right there with the top times in each practice and won the heat race. Then I got off to a great start in the main, passed for the lead, and led the thing for maybe five or six minutes. I made a mistake and went off the track and got a little tight after that. The track was really gnarly. It was really hard to keep pushing all the way through the main event, especially with a little bit of arm pump. The track just broke down a lot. The track crew tried fixing it, but it was just soft and hard at the same time. One of the rhythm sections was already foot peg deep which they fixed before the main event, so it was constantly changing, and you had to stay on your toes the whole main. I’m happy to get my fifth podium of the season and battling for the win. It’s been a long time since I’ve been consistently on the podium, so I’m not taking that for granted. We’re just going to keep working.

Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Fourth:
It was a good day overall. Qualifying was alright, and then the heat race was good. I had good speed and got second. In the main event, I got a bad start and tried to push through, but I just didn’t have enough time at the end. I ended up getting close, which was good. It was the first time I was able to catch the front guys, so I’m happy with that. The track did break down a lot more than I thought it was going to, watching previous videos of this place. It had quite a bit of ruts, and it was hard-packed, dry, and sketchy. So fourth place on the day. We will just keep getting better.

Chris Blose (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Eighth:
I got a decent start in the main event, but some silly mistakes during the opening lap shuffled me back. I did my best to regain some positions once the race settled down, but I couldn’t find the right opportunity to attempt a pass. I’m proud of the effort I put in and that I was able to keep my consistent run of top-10 finishes intact. The team and I will do some extra work on the starts this week so we’re better prepared to battle up front during the final round in two weeks.

Jo Shimoda (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Second:
My jump out of the gate wasn’t the best, but I stayed focused and kept pushing forward. I made some great passes and was able to work my way up to second place. It feels amazing to have fought my way back to the front of the pack and earn a podium finish. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my team and my fans. I’m mostly happy to be back on the podium where I know I belong and I’m excited to carry this momentum into the final round.

Talon Hawkins (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – 12th:
The race had a lot of ups and downs, that’s for sure, but that’s part of learning and this is my first year doing this. We’re learning a lot and I’m glad I’m getting time to see time on the pro tracks. I went down in the heat. I came together with another rider. It happens. It’s racing. So, I had to go through the LCQ, and I ended up coming out with a win, and it was cool to be able to put my FC250 up on the podium and talk about it. In the main event, I was on my way to a good start, and unfortunately, I got pushed out wide and into a Tuf-Blox. I had to come from dead last to 12th. There were some good moments to take away from this race, and let’s get back to work.

Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM) – Seventh:
I crashed in practice, so the beginning of the day wasn’t as expected, but recovered well in the Heat race with a fourth before I was docked two positions because I didn’t see the red cross flag. That gave me a tough gate pick for the main, and I came around the first corner in eighth or ninth. I was close to sixth, although ended the race in seventh. The track was very sketchy and I lost a bit of time in the dragon’s back section, but overall, an average result here and one more chance to race Supercross for the season in two weeks’ time.

Marshall Weltin (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – DNQ:
This was a tough go today, I got into some crashes early on in qualifying. In the heat race, I got into it with a couple of riders. I struggled to get off the gate today, which put me in a bad position. I just have to be better at getting off the line and putting myself in a stronger position.