Round 11 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross hit Detroit’s Ford Field on Saturday night, delivering a high-stakes night of racing in the Motor City.
With the championship battles heating up, the weekend featured dramatic comebacks, career-best rides, and plenty of crashes that shook up the standings. Fans were treated to a full card of racing action as the season heads toward its final stretch.
In the 450SX class, Ken Roczen stormed to his second victory of the season, capitalising on chaos in the whoops and crashes by some of the championship’s biggest names. Chase Sexton made a strong return after missing three rounds, finishing second, while Malcolm Stewart earned his first podium of the season. Points leader Hunter Lawrence suffered a costly crash and limped home 18th, allowing Eli Tomac to take over the championship lead.
Meanwhile, in the 250SX East division, Cole Davies was in dominant form, charging through the field to claim a commanding victory. Seth Hammaker finished second after leading early, and Jo Shimoda rounded out the podium. Davies’ win not only extended his championship advantage but also highlighted his speed over Detroit’s technical whoops and rhythm sections.
450SX
450 Qualifying had plenty of drama. Lawrence crashed in the first session after overjumping a berm and landing in the safety net, but he bounced back to put down a 51.546 s lap for pole. Ken Roczen was just 0.019 s off with 51.565 s, while Malcolm Stewart clocked 51.894 s. Justin Cooper posted 51.945 s, and the returning Chase Sexton crossed the line at 52.332 s, though his fastest lap was later voided due to a sound test issue. Eli Tomac struggled with a 52.405 s lap, marking his lowest qualifying of the year, while Ferrandis matched the same time as he eased back into racing.
Heat Race One saw Jordon Smith lead early but crash once Sexton took over. Sexton quickly opened a gap, showing he hadn’t lost a step after his time away. Smith had to fight back into the transfer spot. Roczen charged into second, Tomac third, and Stewart maintained a solid heat finish, with Savatgy seventh.
In Heat Race Two, Lawrence grabbed the holeshot ahead of Justin Cooper. The race pace was intense as Cooper Webb battled alongside, while Stewart, Jorge Prado, and Ferrandis stayed in close contention before gradually separating from the pack. Savatgy finished seventh, McElrath climbed to eighth, taking the final transfer spot over Kevin Moranz and Vince Friese.
The 450SX Main Event was chaotic from the start. Prado and Sexton shot out front, but Cooper Webb immediately went for a move on Prado, and both went down, dramatically impacting their results. Lawrence went after Sexton for second but crashed in the whoops, damaging his bike with what looked like a brake issue, losing significant time. Out front, Roczen had pulled away and never looked back, cruising to a commanding race win. Sexton rode a strong second-place finish in his first race since Arlington, while Stewart scored his first podium of the season despite being caught in a first-lap crash at the opener. Justin Cooper finished fourth, with Tomac recovering to fifth, only 17.135 seconds back, which was enough to take over the points lead.
Lawrence’s night ended in frustration as he limped home 18th—his first finish outside the top five since Anaheim 1 in 2025. Dylan Ferrandis earned a Ducati-best seventh, Justin Hill eighth, Savatgy ninth, and Garrett Marchbanks rounded out the top ten. Prado came through 13th after his crash, showing how quickly fortunes can change in Detroit.
A dramatic shakeup in the championship has moved Tomac back atop standings for the first time since the fourth race of the season, as he now holds a four-point lead over Lawrence with six races remaining. Roczen’s win moved him to within 14 points of the lead to establish a three-rider battle for the championship’s stretch run.
After capitalising on the chaos and managing the deteriorating Ford Field circuit to perfection, Ken Roczen admitted the win was as much about patience and smart riding as outright speed, especially as he worked to silence any doubts about his ability to still get it done at the front.
“I don’t know what to say, but this is exactly what I was talking about [people overlooking my ability to win]. This was a tough Main Event. I was definitely not the fastest in the beginning. I was playing a little bit with the track. I knew they were gaining on me, so I switched up my rhythms slightly. It was tough, because I wasn’t necessarily lighting the world on fire [with my speed] but the track was so tough. The whoops were a 50-50 chance you were going to make it through or end up on your back. I am so excited, you have no idea. We closed up some points, but we still have a lot of racing to go.”
Making an impressive return after three rounds on the sidelines, Chase Sexton showed both speed and resilience to finish second, later admitting the physical toll of his time away became evident as the race wore on.
“Those weeks at home watching the races, there were some dark times. Obviously, I didn’t want to get injured and didn’t want to sit on the couch, but I wanted to come back when I was ready. I felt pretty good tonight, but I also felt that couch about 10 minutes into the Main Event. I felt good in the beginning and got a little tight and a little winded. We’ll go back to work but definitely a great start to the comeback. It’s been a long year for the team and me, but we want to go up from here.”
After delivering a consistent ride to secure his first podium of the season, Malcolm Stewart admitted the result was a rewarding turnaround following a tough start to the year and a boost in confidence built within the team.
“It’s been tough after we had that unfortunate situation in Anaheim to start the season,” reflected Stewart. “After that, I was like, ‘I don’t know if I am going to get on the podium,’ and that’s just part of not believing in yourself. But I had to pull myself out of that and I want to give it up to Nathan Ramsey and the team – they’ve been in my ear all year long saying, ‘Hey, you can do this!’ So, a huge shoutout to the whole Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team, and just everyone who is behind me… I’m stoked with this result! The track was really tough tonight and it could bite you if you weren’t paying attention. I had a lot of trust in my motorcycle, which made a huge difference, and having now popped some champagne again, we want more.”
250SX East
Qualifying in the 250SX East was dominated by Davies’ whoop speed and technical precision. He posted a 51.837 s lap, ultimately dropped to second after a sound check penalty promoted Seth Hammaker to pole with 51.762 s. Devin Simonson (52.464 s), Caden Dudney (52.819 s), and Nate Thrasher (52.913 s) completed the top five, highlighting the depth of the East field.
Heat Race One saw Caden Dudney grab the holeshot, but a late crash handed the lead to Nick Romano, only for Davies to quickly take control. Jo Shimoda recovered from a poor start to finish third, Dudney remounted to finish fourth, and Casey Cochran celebrated his first heat of the season in fifth—a strong debut ride.
In Heat Race Two, Nate Thrasher took the holeshot and opened a gap early, while Hammaker bobbled off the start and went down. Coty Schock recovered to second, Devin Simonson fourth, and Daxton Bennick fifth, marking two solid heat finishes for Rockstar Husqvarna riders.
The 250SX Main Event delivered an intense showdown. Thrasher initially led but crashed in the whoops, handing the lead to Hammaker. Davies charged from outside the top five, methodically working through the field, and eventually passed Hammaker to take the lead. Coty Schock ran third until a crash in the whoops briefly shook up the order, but he recovered to fourth. Jo Shimoda inherited the final podium spot, while Henry Miller recorded his first career top-five finish with fifth. Davies crossed the line 12.196 seconds ahead of Hammaker, showing his championship form is in full swing. Bennick and Romano finished sixth and seventh, respectively.
Charging from outside the top five and piecing together a commanding ride through the field, Cole Davies said the performance was a reflection of the high standards he sets for himself after bouncing back from earlier frustrations.
“When I don’t perform, I’m pretty hard on myself. Me, my family, and all the people around me put in so much hard work, so when I don’t perform like I know I can I’m pretty hard on myself. But I’m stoked with that Main Event. I know that’s how I can ride. I just put everything together well. I didn’t have a good start, but I made it happen, so I’m stoked with that.”
After leading early and ultimately settling for second, Seth Hammaker took a measured approach to the result, acknowledging Davies’ pace while banking valuable points in the championship.
“That was a tough race. I got myself off to a pretty good start and was riding okay in the beginning. I knew Cole [Davies] was in the back of the pack but man, he was riding good. Gotta give it up to him. A solid second on the night. I’ve learned from the past not to throw the races away that aren’t there for me. I want to win more than anybody, but you’ve got to know when to pull back and second is what we had tonight.”
After working his way onto the podium despite struggling to find comfort on the Detroit circuit, Jo Shimoda was candid about his performance, admitting it was far from his best despite the result.
“Honestly, I was just so bad all day. I just couldn’t figure it out. I just have to do better. Nothing was really good for me today, so I’m sorry to my team. We tested all week and I think we’re stepping in the right direction, so we’ve got to keep chasing. We’ll see next weekend.”
Detroit delivered a full night of Supercross drama, with comebacks, career-best rides, and unexpected crashes shaking up both the 450SX and 250SX East standings. Championship battles remain tight.
The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, April 4, with Round 12 from The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis
| 450 Main Event Results – R11 Detroit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | No | Rider | Nat | Bike | Gap |
| 1st | 94 | Ken Roczen | Suzuki | 0.000 | |
| 2nd | 4 | Chase Sexton | Kawasaki | +7.797 | |
| 3rd | 27 | Malcolm Stewart | Husqvarna | +11.260 | |
| 4th | 32 | Justin Cooper | Yamaha | +16.086 | |
| 5th | 3 | Eli Tomac | KTM | +17.135 | |
| 6th | 1 | Cooper Webb | Yamaha | +18.265 | |
| 7th | 14 | Dylan Ferrandis | Ducati | +36.618 | |
| 8th | 46 | Justin Hill | +40.159 | ||
| 9th | 17 | Joey Savatgy | Honda | +43.673 | |
| 10th | 36 | Garrett Marchbanks | Kawasaki | +49.241 | |
| 11th | 20 | Jordon Smith | Triumph | +54.193 | |
| 12th | 28 | Christian Craig | Honda | +1 Lap | |
| 13th | 12 | Shane McElrath | Honda | +1 Lap | |
| 14th | 41 | Mitchell Harrison | +1 Lap | ||
| 15th | 719 | Vince Friese | Kawasaki | +1 Lap | |
| 16th | 45 | Colt Nichols | Suzuki | +1 Lap | |
| 17th | 96 | Hunter Lawrence | Honda | +2 Laps | |
| 18th | 78 | Kevin Moranz | KTM | +2 Laps | |
| 19th | 711 | Tristan Lane | +2 Laps | ||
| 20th | 891 | Justin Bogle | Suzuki | +3 Laps | |
| 21st | 66 | Cole Thompson | +8 Laps | ||
| 450 Championship Standings After Round 11 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | No | Rider | Nat | Gap |
| 1st | 3 | Eli Tomac | 229 points | +0 |
| 2nd | 96 | Hunter Lawrence | 225 points | -4 |
| 3rd | 94 | Ken Roczen | 215 points | -14 |
| 4th | 1 | Cooper Webb | 203 points | -26 |
| 5th | 32 | Justin Cooper | 176 points | -53 |
| 6th | 4 | Chase Sexton | 144 points | -85 |
| 7th | 17 | Joey Savatgy | 138 points | -91 |
| 8th | 27 | Malcolm Stewart | 127 points | -102 |
| 9th | 26 | Jorge Prado | 113 points | -116 |
| 10th | 46 | Justin Hill | 109 points | -120 |
| 11th | 14 | Dylan Ferrandis | 102 points | -127 |
| 12th | 7 | Aaron Plessinger | 99 points | -130 |
| 13th | 28 | Christian Craig | 96 points | -133 |
| 14th | 12 | Shane McElrath | 85 points | -144 |
| 15th | 21 | Jason Anderson | 84 points | -145 |
| 16th | 45 | Colt Nichols | 81 points | -148 |
| 17th | 36 | Garrett Marchbanks | 66 points | -163 |
| 18th | 719 | Vince Friese | 46 points | -183 |
| 19th | 41 | Mitchell Harrison | 44 points | -185 |
| 20th | 20 | Jordon Smith | 43 points | -186 |
| 21st | 24 | R.J. Hampshire | 38 points | -191 |
| 22nd | 62 | Grant Harlan | 31 points | -198 |
| 23rd | 78 | Kevin Moranz | 19 points | -210 |
| 24th | 63 | Freddie Noren | 16 points | -213 |
| 25th | 33 | Austin Forkner | 12 points | -217 |
| 250 East Main Event Results – R5 Detroit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | No | Rider | Nat | Bike | Gap |
| 1st | 37 | Cole Davies | Yamaha | ||
| 2nd | 10 | Seth Hammaker | Kawasaki | +12.196 | |
| 3rd | 30 | Jo Shimoda | Honda | +25.511 | |
| 4th | 22 | Coty Schock | Yamaha | +38.833 | |
| 5th | 53 | Henry Miller | +41.726 | ||
| 6th | 58 | Daxton Bennick | Husqvarna | +44.150 | |
| 7th | 141 | Nicholas Romano | Kawasaki | +48.626 | |
| 8th | 148 | Kyle Peters | +1 Lap | ||
| 9th | 77 | Derek Kelley | +1 Lap | ||
| 10th | 95 | Luke Neese | Honda | +1 Lap | |
| 11th | 751 | Evan Ferry | Honda | +1 Lap | |
| 12th | 65 | Marshal Weltin | +1 Lap | ||
| 13th | 101 | Luke Clout | +1 Lap | ||
| 14th | 73 | Gavin Towers | Honda | +1 Lap | |
| 15th | 87 | Jeremy Hand | +1 Lap | ||
| 16th | 174 | Luca Marsalisi | Triumph | +1 Lap | |
| 17th | 775 | CJ Benard | Yamaha | +1 Lap | |
| 18th | 82 | Caden Dudney | Yamaha | +2 Laps | |
| 19th | 89 | Devin Simonson | Yamaha | +11 Laps | |
| 20th | 59 | Casey Cochran | Husqvarna | +12 Laps | |
| 21st | 25 | Nate Thrasher | Yamaha | +12 Laps | |
| 22nd | 492 | Landon Hartz | +18 Laps | ||
| 250 East Championship Standings After Round 5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | No | Rider | Nat | Gap |
| 1st | 37 | Cole Davies | 114 points | +0 |
| 2nd | 10 | Seth Hammaker | 105 points | -9 |
| 3rd | 30 | Jo Shimoda | 100 points | -14 |
| 4th | 58 | Daxton Bennick | 87 points | -27 |
| 5th | 22 | Coty Schock | 77 points | -37 |
| 6th | 163 | Pierce Brown | 63 points | -51 |
| 7th | 89 | Devin Simonson | 57 points | -57 |
| 8th | 25 | Nate Thrasher | 51 points | -63 |
| 9th | 49 | Cullin Park | 40 points | -74 |
| 10th | 77 | Derek Kelley | 39 points | -75 |
| 11th | 53 | Henry Miller | 38 points | -76 |
| 12th | 82 | Caden Dudney | 38 points | -76 |
| 13th | 148 | Kyle Peters | 36 points | -78 |
| 14th | 56 | Jalek Swoll | 27 points | -87 |
| 15th | 95 | Luke Neese | 25 points | -89 |
| 16th | 65 | Marshal Weltin | 21 points | -93 |
| 17th | 101 | Luke Clout | 21 points | -93 |
| 18th | 141 | Nicholas Romano | 19 points | -95 |
| 19th | 91 | Izaih Clark | 19 points | -95 |
| 20th | 87 | Jeremy Hand | 19 points | -95 |
| 21st | 35 | Drew Adams | 16 points | -98 |
| 22nd | 73 | Gavin Towers | 13 points | -101 |
| 23rd | 751 | Evan Ferry | 9 points | -105 |
| 24th | 39 | Valentin Guillod | 8 points | -106 |
| 25th | 832 | Leum Oehlhof | 7 points | -107 |
