Assorted racer comments following the 11th round of the season.
In Quotebook, a selection of riders detail how their races played out in the 11th round of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross Championship at Indianapolis.
450SX
Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM) – Third:
I love these conditions and I love this place but I knew coming in that this year in Indy it was going to be tough. It was a tough day, I’m not going to lie, but I was there when it counts. In those conditions, you have to be smart and you can’t override this track. I was being so patient, while trying to be consistent, precise and not make any mistakes, and I was able to pass Malcolm and get third tonight. It was awesome, I’m really happy.
Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM) – Fifth:
Today wasn’t great feeling-wise, I’m in a lot of pain but just getting through it. I kind of saved it all for that main event and I’m glad I was able to get through it. I had a good ride but I wish I would have had a better start to be in the mix. It was tough riding and not being able to do some obstacles but we fought in there. My goal was top-five tonight and I achieved that. I was right there for fourth and it felt good. We were close to that podium, which is all I can ask for.
Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Sixth:
I came into the weekend feeling ready to fight for a win and had a solid day going, especially after the heat race win and first gate pick. Come main event time, I had to do some serious defending early to stay in second and have a chance at the win. We lost some points this weekend but there’s still plenty of fight left in me. I’m here to win and that’s going to remain my main goal for the rest of the season.
Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas) – Second:
Today wasn’t great feeling-wise, I’m in a lot of pain but just getting through it. I kind of saved it all for that main event and I’m glad I was able to get through it. I had a good ride but I wish I would have had a better start to be in the mix. It was tough riding and not being able to do some obstacles but we fought in there. My goal was top-five tonight and I achieved that. I was right there for fourth and it felt good. We were close to that podium, which is all I can ask for.
Dean Wilson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – Seventh:
Indianapolis was definitely a step in the right direction. I’m definitely getting closer to the guys up front but tonight was a very, very technical track. In the main, I just kind of struggled with the ruts and the whoops were really tricky. P7 is my best finish yet but I’m not real stoked on it because my riding wasn’t very good, but definitely some positives that we’ll take to Seattle next weekend.
Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – Eighth:
I feel like Indy actually treated me well. I’ve always liked this track and the atmosphere here has always been good. In the main event, I was sitting in fourth and I didn’t feel bad at all. The track was tough for everybody and I made one big mistake that kind of cost me but honestly, I’m just thankful that I’m okay. I’m a little bummed and irritated but it actually motivates me a little bit more to get back up there and get ready for Seattle. Let’s go get ‘em!
Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) – First:
It was another great night! It’s kind of unbelievable to have four in a row now. We’ve been tested by all kinds of conditions, so it’s cool to win in all of these different ones. I just have to give it up to the team, the crew, and everyone that has put me in this position. This is one of the hardest tracks to ride because the ruts get so deep here. You have to manage your race well, and try to figure out where to really push and where not to push. I was able to do that tonight, so it was another great night for us, and I look forward to next weekend.
Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC) – Fourth:
Overall, Indianapolis was a nice race for me to build on after Detroit, especially because I had good speed throughout the day. It was also fun to race close to where I’m originally from, and to get to see some family and friends. The lap times were super-short, so the track got to be pretty tricky over the course of the day, but I handled it well and stayed on two wheels. A podium would’ve been good, but I wasn’t far back at all. Now we’ll take what we’ve learned, do some testing this week and come back ready in Seattle.
Brandon Hartranft (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – 15th:
The track was very soft and pretty sketchy all day. In the main event I just dumped it in the sand on the second lap, so that did not help me. I was in last place but caught up to 15th. The track was brutal. I’m bummed because I could’ve gained a lot of points for top 11 in the standings. But it happens, and I’m safe. I’m going to keep working and I just want to be the best I can be every weekend.
Justin Bogle (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – 13th:
I had a very interesting crash in the first qualifying session. Super early in the session I was riding next to the track and another rider got sketchy and crashed in the whoops. His bike ended up just slapping me in my back and the back of my head. I was very lucky to escape that with being only super sore and a little beat up. I got taped up, then it became time to man-up and ride. In my heat race, I didn’t feel great, just okay, and ended up with a P5. Then the main was kind of a disaster. I fell on the first lap so was back in last. I salvaged what I could. It was not a great night, but I’m extremely thankful to get out of this weekend healthy and live to fight another day.
250SX
Cameron McAdoo (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Second:
Overall, we had another solid weekend. I was feeling really good in practice and enjoyed the track a lot all day. It felt nice getting my first heat race win of the season and battling for the main event lead. The track was super tight and developed deep ruts as the night went on, which I think was a benefit for me as I was able to use my experience on rough tracks to make the pass for the lead. Unfortunately, I missed my line going through the whoops one too many times while trying to cut through lapped traffic and got passed back. The good news is we still finished second and are in the title fight. Now it’s time to let the west coast guys race next weekend before we come out swinging in full force at St. Louis.
Pierce Brown (TLD Red Bull GasGas) – Fourth:
It was a somewhat tough day for me. The heat race was going really well, I was in the lead, and then had a pretty big fall in the whoops that shook me up. I went to the medical unit rig and they checked me out to make sure my head was good and my body was okay. I went out for the LCQ and got it done there, and then ended up fourth in the main. It was a tough night but I’m just happy to be somewhat healthy.
RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – Third:
We made progress tonight. It’s been a struggle and I haven’t been comfortable at all. When the main event came, I just kind of managed my race and didn’t try to push anything and we had our best result of the season so far. So, I can’t be too bummed on the night. It’s a good way to end this little stint and we’ll go into the break and get some time on the bike that I’ve been racing. Hopefully we will have a new guy when we come back in a couple weeks for St. Louis.
Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) – First:
Cameron [McAdoo] was on a lot faster pace after the start, and every turn I could feel him there. I was like, ‘Okay, he’s obviously doing something,’ and it was pretty clear he was skimming the whoops; I was very scared and was jumping the whoops at the beginning. Cameron got me and gapped me a little bit, and I didn’t like that; I followed his line through the whoops and then started skimming. We had a really good battle, and I had fun with that because we both had the respect for each other to race clean. The lapped riders were pretty gnarly tonight, and I think we both had some good luck and bad luck with that. The track was so rutted, and we were following each other in a couple of the turns. I think going down in my heat race earlier and coming through kind of helped me find different lines and learn the track more. I like it with the track changing like that because it makes you think a little bit. Cameron rode phenomenal, and I think I’d have had fun even if I’d gotten second.
Kyle Chisholm (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) – Seventh:
The track in Indy gave us a tough challenge, being very soft and rutted, but we made some really good improvements on the bike this week, which made the tough track easier for me. The changes the team made were great, and the bike was awesome! Overall, it was a good night with almost winning the heat race and finishing seventh in the main. I’m looking forward to getting back to work at the practice track and will keep working on getting into the top five and hopefully a podium!
Derek Drake (BarX Chaparral Suzuki) – 11th:
I’m becoming more comfortable every week. It was great to qualify P7 and then have a strong heat race, even though my riding wasn’t the best. Once the main event came around, the track was pretty beat up. I had a terrible start and just picked people off one by one and finished as far up as I could. I’m looking forward to these next few weekends off, and we’ll come out swinging in St. Louis!