Image: Octopi Media.

Damage sustained to his motorcycle after a late-race fall through the whoops saw Chase Sexton ruled out of podium contention during Tampa’s 450SX main event, but still managing to retain the red plate in a chaotic night of competition.

Red Bull KTM’s Sexton assumed control of the night’s main event from the outset, setting sail after capturing the all-important holeshot. 

Controlling the race from the front, what the current premier class points leader had probably not anticipated was a charge from Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart, who reeled former champion Sexton in during the race’s latter stages.

With pressure mounting, Sexton eventually went down through the whoops, damaging his front brake lever and throttle in the impact, and meaning he’d limp home for a fifth-place finish to salvage championship points.

“Not the way I wanted to end my night after a good day in Tampa,” Sexton recounted. “On a bad lap in the main event, I went down in the whoops while leading, and damaged my front brake and throttle. I basically had to salvage what I could, limping it home to finish out the race – not an ideal way to finish out the weekend.”

It’s often said that championships are won on a rider’s bad nights, and although Tampa didn’t end as Sexton had planned, a P5 finish and 16 points could prove invaluable by the time the championship concludes in Utah.

With his result from round five, Sexton built upon his Monster Energy Supercross points advantage, now leading Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) by five points entering Detroit this coming weekend.