The Monster Energy Supercross series heads to Glendale, Ariz.’s State Farm Stadium for Round 4 and they are still looking for a repeat winner in either the 450 of 250 class. The first three rounds of the 450 class have gone to Justin Barcia, Ken Roczen and Eli Tomac.
Last year Blake Baggett stood on the top step of the podium. Last week he led for about a foot before crashing and could provide another unique winner.
In 250s, Justin Cooper, Austin Forkner and Dylan Ferrandis have shown a ton of aggression in route to the top spot of the first three races.
The question that remains to be answered is whether Glendale will provide a new winner, or be the rubber match that allows one of the top riders to establish dominance.
With a win in St. Louis and a second-place finish last week at Anaheim 2, Roczen snatched the red plate from Barcia.
Cooper’s consistent top-fives in the first three weeks have made him the points’ leader in 250s.
But this week could go to any of the top riders. This is Supercross’ first Triple Crown format weekend with three races contributing to the overall victory. The three events will be shorter than the typical feature and there is less time to get to the front of the pack. Riders in both classes have already shown a high degree of intensity. If they crank it up another notch, the races will be filled with excitement and possibly carnage from start to finish.
A long opening stretch followed by an 11-jump rhythm section will separate the meek from the bold. Any rider who manages to quadruple part of this could have a distinct advantage. State Farm Arena is a big venue that provides for high-speed straights and challenging turns.
In 450s, Dylan Merriam sustained a broken collarbone and ribs at Anaheim 2 and will be off the bike for the next three weeks at least.
In 250s, Jett Lawrence went from the lead of the race at Anaheim 2 to the care center with a broken collarbone last week. He is out for the foreseeable future.
Schedule:
Qualifying: 2:00 p.m. on NBC Sports Gold
Race: 8:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Gold with a replay on NBCSN January 26, 2 p.m.
Last Week:
Eli Tomac beat Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb in the 450 class.
Dylan Ferrandis beat Justin Cooper and Brandon Hartranft in the 250 class.
Last St. Louis race (January, 2019):
Blake Baggett beat Jason Anderson and Ken Roczen in the 450 class.
Adam Cianciarulo beat Colt Nichols and Shane McElrath in the 250 class.
Points Leaders
450s:
Ken Roczen (66)
Justin Barcia (63)
Eli Tomac (61)
Jason Anderson (57)
Adam Cianciarulo (56)
250 West:
Justin Cooper (72)
Dylan Ferrandis (60)
Brandon Hartranft (58)
Austin Forkner (50)
Alex Martin (50)
Wins
450
(1) Justin Barcia (Anaheim 1)
(1) Ken Roczen (St. Louis)
(1) Eli Tomac (Anaheim 2)
250 West
(1) Justin Cooper (Anaheim 1)
(1) Austin Forkner (St. Louis)
(1) Dylan Ferrandis (Anaheim 2)
Top-5s
450
(3) Jason Anderson
(2) Justin Barcia
(2) Eli Tomac
(2) Ken Roczen
(2) Cooper Webb
(2) Zach Osborne
(1) Adam Cianciarulo
(1) Blake Baggett
250 West
(3) Justin Cooper
(2) Austin Forkner
(2) Dylan Ferrandis
(2) Brandon Hartranft
(2) Michael Mosiman
(2) Alex Martin
(1) Christian Craig
(1) Jett Lawrence