Supercross Arlington Round 12 TV times, schedule, info

Cooper Webb can close out a three-race residency in Arlington, Texas, in style after taking control of the AMA Monster Energy Supercross Series championship entering Round 12.

With consecutive victories in the Lone Star State, the KTM rider has opened a 12-point lead on Ken Roczen and 36 points on Eli Tomac — the top three finishers in Tuesday night’s second race at Arlington.

With a series-high five victories this season (including consecutive victories at Orlando, Florida, and in the year’s third event in Houston, Texas), Webb has moved into a tie with Jean-Michel Bayle for 16th on the all-time career wins list with 16.

Here are the pertinent details for watching Round 12 of the 2021 Supercross season Saturday:

(All times are ET)

BROADCAST/STREAMING SCHEDULE: TV coverage of Round 12 will be shown on same-day tape delay at 10:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The event will be streamed on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App.

Live coverage is available via the exclusive streaming coverage formerly on NBC Sports Gold’s Supercross and Pro Motocross Pass. That has moved in 2021 to Peacock Premium, which is available for $4.99 per month.

The Supercross and Pro Motocross packages will have live coverage of all Supercross heats, qualifiers and races and Pro Motocross main practice, qualifiers and motos. On-demand replays (including the full 2020 season) are available without commercial interruption.

SEASON SO FAR: Recaps of the first 11 rounds of the 2021 season:

Round 1: Justin Barcia makes it three consecutive victories in the season opener

Round 2: Eli Tomac improves his start, wins first Supercross event on a Tuesday

Round 3: Cooper Webb makes a last-lap pass to beat Ken Roczen

Round 4: Ken Roczen rebounds for first victory of season

Round 5: Two consecutive in Indy for Ken Roczen

Round 6: Ken Roczen completes the sweep of Indianapolis

Round 7: Cooper Webb dominant in second victory of season

Round 8: Cooper Webb completes Orlando sweep

Round 9: Eli Tomac wins as Cooper Webb, Ken Roczen spar

Round 10: Cooper Webb takes points lead with victory

Round 11: Cooper Webb holds off other title contenders

ENTRY LISTS: Click here for the 450 riders l click here for 250 West riders

EVENT SCHEDULE (all times ET):

8:06 p.m: 250SX Heat #1 – 6 Minutes/Plus 1 lap – 20 riders (Finishers 1 – 9 advance to Main)
8:20 p.m.: 250SX Heat #2 – 6 Minutes/Plus 1 lap – 20 riders (1 – 9 to Main)
8:34 p.m.: 450SX Heat #1 – 6 Minutes/Plus 1 lap – 20 riders (1 – 9 to Main)
8:48 p.m.: 450SX Heat #2 – 6 Minutes/Plus 1 lap – 20 riders (1 – 9 to Main)
9:11 p.m.: 250SX Last Chance Qualifier – 5 Minutes/Plus 1 lap – 22 riders (Finishers 1 – 4 to Main)
9:22 p.m.: 450SX Last Chance Qualifier – 5 Minutes/Plus 1 lap – 22 riders (1 – 4 to Main)
9:50 p.m.: 250SX Main Event – 15 Minutes/Plus 1 lap – 22 riders
10:28 p.m.: 450SX Main Event – 20 Minutes/Plus 1 lap – 22 riders

TRACK LAYOUT: Click here for the Round 12 course.

COVID-19 CROWD PROTOCOLS: Arlington will have limited attendance and “pod”-style seating for the event with face coverings required and social distancing observed.

STANDINGS: 450 points standings | 250 West points standings

HOW TO WATCH SUPERCROSS IN 2021: Full NBC Sports schedule

COVERAGE ON NBCSPORTS.COM:

Aaron Plessinger collects the finish he was due in Daytona

Ken Roczen angry with Cooper Webb: “I think he’s scared of me”

Four-time champion Ryan Dungey has a new passion brewing

Chase Sexton back, Adam Cianciarulo out

Ken Roczen comfortable with a new attitude on bike

Colt Nichols, Christian Craig share the 250 points lead

Chase Sexton will miss at least two rounds in Indianapolis

Eli Tomac overcomes “scary” deficit to re-establish bid for title

Christian Craig motivated by chip on shoulder

Ken Roczen ‘disappointed’ in penalty that costs him points lead

Roczen, Marvin Musquin knock off the rust

Malcolm Stewart hooks a big catch with Yahama ride

Adam Cianciarulo has unfinished business in Year 2

Sexton, Ferrandis, McElrath headline stellar rookie class

Cooper Webb feeling extra motivation for 2021

Media and fan attention focused on a controversial run-in between Haiden Deegan and his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Jordon Smith during Round 10 of the Monster Energy Supercross race at Detroit, after which the 250 East points’ Hunter Lawrence defends the young rider in the postrace news conference.

Deegan took the early lead in Heat 1 of the round, but the mood swiftly changed when he became embroiled in a spirited battle with teammate Smith.

On Lap 3, Smith caught Deegan with a fast pass through the whoops. Smith briefly held the lead heading into a bowl turn but Deegan had the inside line and threw a block pass. In the next few turns, the action heated up until Smith eventually ran into the back of Deegan’s Yamaha and crashed.

One of the highlights of the battle seemed to include a moment when Deegan waited on Smith in order to throw a second block pass, adding fuel to the controversy.

After his initial crash, Smith fell to seventh on the next lap. He would crash twice more during the event, ultimately finishing four laps off the pace in 20th.

The topic was inevitably part of the postrace news conference.

“It was good racing; it was fun,” Deegan said at about the 27-minute mark in the video above. “I just had some fun doing it.”

Smith had more trouble in the Last Chance Qualifier. He stalled his bike in heavy traffic, worked his way into a battle for fourth with the checkers in sight, but crashed a few yards shy of the finish line and was credited with seventh. Smith earned zero points and fell to sixth in the standings.

Lawrence defends Deegan — *Jordon Smith failed to make the Detroit Supercross Main and fell to sixth in the points. – Feld Motor Sports*

“I think he’s like fifth in points,” Deegan said. “He’s a little out of it. Beside that it was good, I don’t know. I wasn’t really paying attention.”

Deegan jokingly deflected an earlier question with the response that he wasn’t paying attention during the incident.

“He’s my teammate, but he’s a veteran, he’s been in this sport for a while,” Deegan said. “I was up there just battling. I want to win as much as everybody else. It doesn’t matter if it’s a heat race or a main; I just want to win. I was just trying to push that.”

As Deegan and Smith battled, Jeremy Martin took the lead. Deegan finished second in the heat and backed up his performance with a solid third-place showing in the main, which was his second podium finish in a short six-race career. Deegan’s first podium was earned at Daytona, just two rounds ago.

But as Deegan struggled to find something meaningful to say, unsurprisingly for a 17-year-old rider who was not scheduled to run the full 250 schedule this year, it was the championship leader Lawrence who came to his defense.

“I just want to point something out, which kind of amazes me,” Lawrence said during the conference. “So many of the people on social media, where everyone puts their expertise in, are saying the racing back in the ’80s, the early 90s, when me were men. They’re always talking about how gnarly it was and then anytime a block pass or something happens now, everyone cries about it.

“That’s just a little bit interesting. Pick one. You want the gnarly block passes from 10 years ago and then you get it, everyone makes a big song and dance about it.”

Pressed further, Lawrence defended not only the pass but the decision-making process that gets employed lap after lap in a Supercross race.

“It’s easy to point the finger,” Lawrence said. “We’re out there making decisions in a split millisecond. People have all month to pay their phone bill and they still can’t do that on time.

“We’re making decisions at such a fast reaction [time with] adrenaline. … I’m not just saying it for me or Haiden. I speak for all the guys. No one is perfect and we’re under a microscope out there. The media is really quick to point a finger when someone makes a mistake.”

The media is required to hold athletes accountable for their actions. They are also required to tell the complete story.

Saturday’s Supercross Round 12 in Arlington: How to watch, start times, schedule, TV info

Hunter Lawrence defends Haiden Deegan after controversial block pass at Detroit

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