Image: Octopi Media.

Placing first in the initial timed session and third in the rainy second outing, Ken Roczen delivered the top combined 450SMX qualifying time to Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki as Chicagoland Speedway’s turn for a SuperMotocross World Championship round began, while RJ Hampshire started the day off on a similarly strong foot in 250SMX.

At 1:51.562s, Roczen’s lap of the unique Chicago track in the first premier-class session of Saturday was 0.42s quicker than Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence’s best, earning the German rider the first pick at a gate for the opening 450SMX moto.

The second factory-prepared Honda CRF450R qualified third with Chase Sexton aboard as the Charlotte SMX winner came within 0.758s of Roczen’s pace on their respective best laps.

Garrett Marchbanks gave Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha representation near the top of 450SMX qualifying with the fourth-fastest lap on the combined timesheet, lapping quicker than factory riders Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas), Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki), Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM), Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki), and Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) in positions five through nine.

Privateer Ty Masterpool (HBI Racing Kawasaki) completed the top 10.

In the 450SMX LCQ, tight racing through and outside of the left-handed first turn after the mostly grass start on the Chicagoland Speedway infield between Jerry Robin (Estenson Racing/FCC Motosports Yamaha) and Phil Nicoletti (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha) led to Nicoletti coming away with the lead after a few more corners.

Robin settled into second, with TPJ Racing’s Romain Pape running a close third and attempting to qualify for his first SuperMotocross motos. Jeremy Hand (Hand Racing/Valley Motorsports Honda) pressured Pape until the French rider made a mistake and lost third place — the final transfer spot — to Hand, along with the fourth position to privateer rider Kevin Moranz.

Pape would finish a frustrating fifth after running in the final transfer spot for much of the race, while Nicoletti, Robin, and Hand punched their tickets to the motos.

Image: Octopi Media.

Justin Cooper and his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing-prepared Yamaha YZ250F set the quickest lap in Chicago’s rain-affected second unseeded 250SMX qualifying session.

However, RJ Hampshire of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna earned the distinction of the fastest 250 rider entering the motos on the strength of his first-session effort.

Hampshire was four-tenths of a second off Cooper in the second session with a 1:53.628s to land second, but his 1:52.205s from earlier stood as the fastest time in the class on the combined timesheet.

Similarly, Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) was near the top of the second-session results in third, but his best lap from earlier in the afternoon earned him second behind Hampshire with all best laps combined. Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) was third, followed by other contenders Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) and Cooper to complete the top five.

Fresh off his success in the first SMX round a week ago in Charlotte, Jo Shimoda was fifth aboard his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki ride, followed by Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM), Dilan Schwartz (Toyota of Redlands BarX Suzuki), Jalek Swoll (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), and Pierce Brown (TLD Red Bull GasGas) in the top 10.

Winner of the first moto in Charlotte, Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) will go to the gate 13th as he only came within 2.112s of Hampshire’s class-leading time.

The start of the 250SMX LCQ saw Joshua Varize (AEO Powersports KTM Racing) secure the holeshot, after which the battle for the final transfer position was on as the day’s first last chance qualifier race progressed.

Luke Neese (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha), Hunter Yoder (Partzilla PRMX Racing), Chris Blose (Phoenix Racing Honda), and Derek Kelley (AEO Powersports KTM Racing) eventually found positions five through eight — with six transfer positions available — and garnered the most attention as the checkered flag neared, especially after an unfortunate fall for Kelley while running inside the top six.

Blose and Kelley ultimately fell short by finishing seventh and eighth, with Varize leading Preston Kilroy (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha), Coty Schock (Phoenix Racing Honda), Cullin Park (Phoenix Racing Honda), Neese, and Yoder in successfully transferring to the two-moto main event program.

Detailed results