In Quotebook, a selection of riders detail how their races played out at round 12 of the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross championship, the last of three races at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

450SX

Image: Octopi Media.

Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM) – First:
I was just focusing on being consistent. I rode terrible in that heat race and didn’t like being put on the ground – that fired me up and got me going for the Main Event. To ride with Kenny that whole race and make a late charge was awesome, I felt really good out there. It’s incredible to get three here in Dallas, it’s unheard of for me. I’m pumped!

Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM) – DNF:
Going through the sand section, I made a mistake and another rider behind me jumped and landed right behind me, hit me and I went down. I landed wrong on my hand and tweaked my wrist. With the pain and having no strength, I couldn’t keep going. I wanted to gain more riding out of it, considering I didn’t race Tuesday and even Saturday, but now we are going into a break so we’ll do our best to recover and get better for Atlanta.

Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – Fifth:
It was kind of a mediocre night for me, nothing too crazy. I feel like today was my ‘slower’ day on the track, so I’m hoping that we can get a little bit better so we can be on the podium.

Dean Wilson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – 10th
My qualifier was pretty good and I felt really good on the bike. My end result is a little disappointing because I feel like I rode good earlier in the day but I just need to have better racecraft. We’ll try again at Atlanta and just keep pushing to be better.

Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas) – Fourth:
This was one of the hardest fourth-place finishes I’ve ever gotten. I charged so hard and was so close to the podium, it was a little bit frustrating. It was definitely one of the more intense races I’ve ever had and with such an aggressive track, the top four of us were just on top of each other the whole race trying as hard as we could. All-in-all, it was a great race but I definitely wanted to be on the box. We’re going to be working hard going into Atlanta, wanting more – to be on the podium, up front and getting wins.

Malcolm Stewart (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) – Sixth:
We rode well all day. We didn’t get the best start in the Main Event, but we made it work and made a few passes during the first couple of laps. The track was pretty intense just because of all these big jumps. It’s been a while since we’ve had some big jumps, so it’s always fun to bring that back. Even though there wasn’t that much sand, it was actually really tough. I will say, Arlington kicked my butt. Man, the first two rounds were pretty rough. Usually, I go really well at this track, but I was hitting the ground left and right. I’m happy that we rebounded with a sixth-place finish and left here on a better note than what we started with. I’m looking forward to this three-week break, and hopefully, we will start riding a little bit of outdoors. Before you know it, we’ll be right back at it and getting ready for Atlanta.

Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) – Seventh:
We made some improvements today. The team did a good job on the bike, and they made it a little better for me. I keep learning and keep trying to do better, but today I was honestly really tired all day. Physically it was just not a good day. I tried the best I could and finished seventh in the Main Event. It’s not too bad, but not what I’m looking for. I think we made a good step in the right direction with the team on the bike, so now I need to work on myself and try to get back in shape. The last few weeks, I’ve been up and down with a lot of crashes and some small injuries that I’ve had to deal with, so now I need to heal up and get back to work and try to be more fit for the last five rounds.

Aaron Plessinger (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) – Ninth:
I kind of struggled all day from the first practice on. We had an issue, and I didn’t really get to do the free practice. Then I went back out and tried to learn the track quickly, but I wasn’t really gelling with the bike that well. Even in the heat races, it was just a tick off. In the main, I got it to where I liked it, but I was too aggressive and gave myself arm pump about halfway through and it kind of deteriorated after that. The track broke down a lot. The whoops got really slick, the sand was gnarly, and there were a lot of ruts jumping in there. If you didn’t gel with this track, it beat you up, so it was definitely a tough one. I’m going to go back and do my homework and come out swinging for Atlanta. We have another three races in a NASCAR stadium, so I’m ready for it!

Mitchell Oldenburg (Muc-Off Honda) – 14th:
This is only my sixth time riding this bike and my third race on a 450 so to finish 14th is awesome, I am pretty pumped with how the night turned out. I made a few passes, which was great and I am getting more comfortable on the 450 with each ride. I am not sure if Justin [Brayton] will be back for Atlanta, but I will be better prepared if he isn’t.

Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC) – Second:
We had a really good practice and I felt comfortable on the track. There were a lot of big rhythms and overall it was a much better supercross track. My heat race went well; I started in third and worked my way up to first, giving me a good gate pick. In the main event, I got the holeshot, felt really good, and led for most of the race, with most of the fast guys behind me. I’m guessing they were studying me, and Cooper made the pass happen. I tried to keep on his wheel all the way until the end, which is what I did, and we ended up in second. This finish was a lot better. The dream is still alive, and we have five races to go. I’ve been getting better and better, and I’m not going to give up. We’ll take a couple of weekends off and come back to Atlanta with hopes of continuing to improve through the end of the season.

Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC) – DNF:
I felt so good on the bike all day. It was nice to finally see me getting my speed back, qualifying first. My heat was a solid race; I started out slow and got passed by Ken [Roczen], but managed to find a flow mid-race. During the last lap made an aggressive move on Cooper Webb, but by no means did I mean to take him out—that’s not how I ride and I have a lot of respect for him. I got a good start in the main event and was riding okay until a good crash in the sand ended my night. Overall I feel okay—just looks like I got in a UFC fight! See y’all in Atlanta!

Max Anstie (Twisted Tea HEP Suzuki) – 13th:
We had a good three races here in Arlington. Today, we had our best heat race. I had a really good start and ended up seventh. I battled with some really good guys. And then in the main I was strong. I kept pushing and I probably had some of the best rhythm section technique that I’ve had for a while: We made progress, I learned a lot in these last three races and I’m looking forward to going back and doing some work for the next three weeks and getting ready for Atlanta.

Brandon Hartranft (Twisted Tea HEP Suzuki) – 18th:
I had a fun day and definitely felt [more] like myself a little bit. I was kind of messing up in the whoops a little bit, I was trying to jump ’em in the LCQ, but then I figured it out so we got a solid race there. I had a good start in the main, I think I was around 14th for a few laps and then I ‘endoed’ in the sand, and then, it was my fault, but [Tyler] Bowers had nowhere to go and he jumped on me. It definitely hurt, but I got up and didn’t quit; I want to take as much advantage as I can in these mains and learn from them.

250SX West

Image: Octopi Media.

Jalek Swoll (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – Fourth:
I felt like the riding was good but the lapped riders didn’t play out in my favor tonight. I’m looking forward to the two-week break and we’ll come out swinging in Atlanta.

Cameron McAdoo (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Second:
It’s good to get a good result, but every point counts and we need to win. There are plenty of positives to take away from the race and we’ll take advantage of these two weeks off to come back out fighting for this championship in Atlanta.

Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Third:
It was a hectic first few laps and I was mostly just trying to find a good flow. It was a tough track and with all things considered, I’m happy that we were able to make it back on the podium. I’m looking forward to finishing out the season strong after our break.

Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) – First:
It was a great night. It kind of gave me flashbacks to the first round in Orlando. I was first in every practice, won the heat race, and won the main. It was nice to get two holeshots tonight. We’ve been working to get back to that. It’s been a tough road this season with being on the ground and working my way from last in the main. I’ve had to fight for every position, so this was the kind of race I’ve been looking for. You can take it for granted when it comes so easy. I definitely showed myself what can happen at these last couple of races, so it was really good to have some clean air again, and it was nice to click off laps like I was at the practice track. I had a good flow and was just managing the gap the whole race. It feels good to be back on top and to leave with the red plate. I’m looking forward to the Atlanta rounds.

Nate Thrasher (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) – Ninth:
It was a good night at Arlington 3 after a tough start to the day. In the first timed qualifying, I had a pretty big crash and hit my jaw pretty good. I thought I broke it. I finished up the session and just pushed through it to end up seventh. I missed the second qualifying and went to go get an x-ray at the hospital. We got back here probably 30 minutes before I had to go out. So we got dressed, got ready, took a little medicine, and then we went out and rode the best we could. Ninth was the best we had tonight, but we had the speed to be up there in the top five for sure. We have got to keep pushing and keep getting a little bit better on the weekend. We’ve got a three-week break, so the plan is to just get healthy and come back in Atlanta.

Jarrett Frye (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) – Tenth:
Arlington 3 was a better day for me. I qualified 10th and pulled the holeshot in the heat race. It was pretty cool to lead a lap and then finish second after some tough races. In the main, I didn’t get the start I needed. On the second lap, I had a big moment and almost went down, so I just tried to finish the best I could. I ended up 10th, which is not what I’m looking for, but it was a better day, so we’re going to go back to work and get ready for Atlanta.

Mitchell Harrison (Muc-Off Honda) – DNS:
One rider jumped across the track and hit me and another rider. I had nowhere to go and I crashed out pretty hard. I damaged my bike and didn’t feel 100% so I rode back to the track to straighten the bike out and prepare for the last chance qualifier. I can’t believe the turn of events. I know we are getting better and the bike feels amazing. The crash in the heat was unavoidable and really took its toll on me. I will focus on recovery and getting ready for Atlanta.

Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) – Fifth:
I had a bittersweet ending here in Dallas. It was a pretty good weekend, getting second in the heat race, but a bit of an unfortunate ending in the main. I was riding well in third, pushing and pushing, but I kept getting caught up with lappers. I felt like I was catching the guys just inch by inch, and I pushed myself but made a mistake. I landed on the far righthand side of the berm, where they built a little lip into it. It was a pretty harsh landing, as I’m sure the videos show, with me ending up in the net. I’m so thankful that the nets were there to save me and the bike so we could finish and bring it home in fifth. It was good considering what it could have been with the crash. Coming into Arlington, we were in fourth and 16 points down, but now we’re only six points behind. Having the red plate and then passing it on is a bit of a bummer, but we’re still in it. I’m looking forward to two weeks off now to regroup and come back swinging in Atlanta. I can’t thank the team and everyone enough!