Chase Sexton took the Round 15 win in a rare daytime Monster Energy AMA Supercross race in Nashville, Tennessee while Hunter Lawrence was picture-perfect for the race win and the points needed to seal his first Monster Energy AMA Supercross championship.
Eli Tomac led early but earned second at the checkered flag at Nissan Stadium. Ken Roczen delivered another podium performance.
Eli Tomac grabbed a clear Holeshot and sprinted early to establish some breathing room on the pack of Kevin Moranz, Colt Nichols, Chase Sexton, Kyle Chisholm, and Justin Barcia. Justin Hill got an incredible drive down the first rhythm lane and was in third place before the second corner. Absent was Cooper Webb, second in the championship points; Webb had been taken out of the event earlier by a tough crash in his Heat Race.
Tomac distanced himself from the pack as Sexton moved past Justin Hill to take over second just three minutes into the race. Sexton sat over four seconds back but set his sights on Tomac. A minute later Tomac had a near-crash in the whoops. The challenging track created a lot of crashes through qualifying and racing. Tomac’s scare convinced him to lower his aggression, as he reported on the podium after the race.
Just over five minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap race Barcia moved forward into third place. Up front, Sexton steadily cut down the lead. The next few laps shook up the race as Sexton made it to Tomac’s rear fender just as Barcia crashed hard off the Dragon’s Back. Barcia was out just as Roczen nabbed third from Justin Hill. From there the race leaders held their spots on the slick, dry track. Sexton earned his fourth win of the season and moved into second in the championship standings. Tomac lost three points to Chase but extended his points lead to 18 due to Webb earning zero in Nashville.
When the gate dropped for the Eastern Regional 250SX Class, Hunter Lawrence grabbed the Holeshot but Jordon Smith quickly charged up to him. In the third corner, Smith bumped his way past and into the lead ahead of Lawrence and Jeremy Martin. A minute and a half into the 15-minute plus one lap race Smith held first ahead of Lawrence, Smith, Jo Shimoda, and Haiden Deegan. With a 49-point lead and only one Eastern Regional 250SX Class round remaining after Nashville, Lawrence could finish as low as 20 and still claim the title. But Lawrence looked like he wanted to go out with a win, and hounded Smith up front. Shimoda moved into third behind them and Deegan fought to get past Martin for fourth.
With 9:30 remaining on the race clock Smith overcooked a turn in the sand section and went off the track and into the Tuff Blox. He didn’t fall, but the mistake and correction to get back on the track cost him two positions. Lawrence took over the lead but suddenly Shimoda was on a tear and looking like he might soon fight for the front spot. Max Anstie, the winner at the previous round, had made his way into sixth and reached Deegan’s rear wheel just before Deegan made his own move and passed Martin for fourth place.
Late in the race Lawrence had built a comfortable lead while Shimoda, Smith, and Deegan ran close enough that each of their positions were in jeopardy. The riders circled the final laps without major mistakes. Lawrence brought home the race win and with it his first Monster Energy AMA Supercross title. Shimoda earned his first podium of the season after missing most of it due to injury, and Smith took the final podium spot.
Only two rounds remain in the season. The 450SX Class racers line up again inside Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado next Saturday, May 6th before the 2023 Supercross Championship Final Presented by Utah Sports Commission at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 13th. Two champions remain to be crowned, one in the 450SX Class and one in the Western Regional 250SX Class.
450SX Class Results
1 Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda
2 Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha
3 Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki
4 Colt Nichols, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
5 Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM
6 Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki
7 Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Honda
8 Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki
9 Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Suzuki
10 Josh Hill, Huntersville, N.C., KTM
450SX Class Championship Standings
1 Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (338)
2 Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda (320)
3 Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (304)
4 Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki (280)
5 Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS (267)
6 Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki (242)
7 Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (213)
8 Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM (172)
9 Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki (170)
10 Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Honda (165)
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Results
1 Hunter Lawrence, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda
2 Jo Shimoda, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki
3 Jordon Smith, Ochlocknee, Ga., Yamaha
4 Haiden Deegan, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha
5 Max Anstie, Cairo, Ga., Honda
6 Jeremy Martin, Rochester, Minn., Yamaha
7 Tom Vialle, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
8 Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki
9 Henry Miller, Rochester, Minn., Honda
10 Cullin Park, Clermont, Fla., Honda
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
1 Hunter Lawrence, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda (224)
2 Haiden Deegan, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha (168)
3 Max Anstie, Cairo, Ga., Honda (166)
4 Jordon Smith, Ochlocknee, Ga., Yamaha (141)
5 Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Kawasaki (132)
6 Jeremy Martin, Rochester, Minn., Yamaha (128)
7 Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha (120)
8 Tom Vialle, Murrieta, Calif., KTM (111)
9 Cullin Park, Clermont, Fla., Honda (109)
10 Coty Schock, Dover, Del., Honda (89)
