Chase Sexton Racks Up the Win at Birmingham Supercross and Narrows Points Gap

Nate Thrasher Becomes Fifth Winner in Eastern Divisional 250SX Class

After a two-week break, the intense racing of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship is back and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton earned the win inside Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama with (1-1-2) Race results in the third Triple Crown-formatted event of the season.

Protective Stadium hosted Round 10 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. The final Triple Crown event thrilled the Birmingham crowd with great battles that included lead changes in nearly every Race.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart gritted out three incredible finishes (3-2-3) after a crash in qualifying left him in severe hip pain throughout the night. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger led laps and earned his second podium of the season with (2-3-5) Race finishes. The Birmingham Supercross capped off the Triple Crown championship; Sexton earned that title with 1-3-1 finishes at the Glendale, Arlington, and Birmingham Supercross events. In the Eastern Divisional 250SX Class, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher took the win and became the fifth different winner in the first five rounds, something that hasn’t happened in the class since 2016.

First place 450SX Class

“Triple Crowns are tough because even if you win the first two Races, just like what happened to RJ [Hampshire in the 250SX Class], something can go wrong in the first turn. Thank God my starts were good tonight; I got the holeshot. I rode pretty solid. I wasn’t doing the [triple jump] in the last Race, just being a little conservative. It was a good race, Coop rode good, and I’m stoked to get that monkey off my back and get another win and get this season going in the right direction finally… This is my favorite part of the season, these last seven or eight rounds. It seems like it’s where I really shine… Coop is riding really good, he’s a fighter, so it should be a good fight to the end.” – Chase Sexton, after the overall win which moved him from 15 points down to within 8 points of the title chase.  

Second place 450SX Class

“I just made a mistake in practice and caught Justin Hill’s front wheel [in mid-air]. I hit my hip pretty good. The good news is I’ve got a solid group with my team. They just said, ‘Just go out there and give it everything you’ve got.’ Huge shout out to Doctor G for getting me back in [shape] to go out there and do these three Races… It’s awesome and I’m so blessed to get back up on here [on the podium]. Yeah, baby, maybe I’ve earned a little bit of fishing money now!” – Malcolm Stewart, who rode through intense pain.

Third place 450SX Class

“I just feel like I’m on a roll, like I’ve found another gear, found a good groove. The boys at the practice track, they’re keeping me on my toes. The Baker’s Factory [Training Facility] is a riot right now; we’re going off. Aldon’s keeping us in shape… It was just a good night. Good starts, good riding, I led a lot of laps, and then just couldn’t seal the deal. But we’re up on the podium… all these fans out here in Alabama, they were insane. We’re going to keep it up and hopefully podium the season out.” – Aaron Plessinger 

Fourth place 450SX Class

“You just can’t make that mistake like I did in the first Race. That pretty much dictates your night. I had luck at Dallas, and tonight [I didn’t]. You just can’t put yourself in that position. Obviously that last one was a great ride for me. I finally applied myself well. It’s a bit of a bummer to get fourth [overall], but I feel like I was riding good, that first one really cost me… they say all good things come to an end, so the podium streak’s gone… We’ll regroup and come back swinging, that’s for sure.” – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb, who went (7-4-1) due to a first-lap crash in Race 1.   

In 250SX Class racing, Nate Thrasher took the event overall through consistent (3-3-2) Race scores. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire (1-2-5) was in good position going into Race 3, but after being slowed by another rider’s crash in the first turn he found himself well outside of the top 15. Hampshire raced his way up to fifth place, one spot shy of a finish that would have given him the overall. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle, the points leader entering the event, finished on the podium with (2-5-3) Race results. Vialle extended his points lead due to a DNS from Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Max Anstie who crashed out of the event during daytime qualifying. The winner of the previous round, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker, crashed on the opening lap of Race 1 and could only recover to ninth. He took the win in Race 2 and Race 3, but his (9-1-1) was only enough to earn him a fourth place overall in Birmingham.

First place 250SX Class

“I really felt coming into this season that this was going to be my year. Tampa went okay, I ended up crashing on the first lap. But then we just kept fighting every round. I just knew that I’m tough enough to be out there. This week I was finally able to do two days [of practice] before coming to this race and those two days were great. I’m super excited and I’m just ready to get the ball rolling. We’re not out of [the championship] yet!” – Nate Thrasher

Second place 250SX Class

“You could tell, even the first two races, I just didn’t have the spark. I felt good in practice and then was just flat. I don’t know if it’s things catching up to me or what, but I just didn’t have that intensity. And then I butchered the start in my last Race. My starts were saving me [in Race 1 and 2]… We’re still in this thing and looking forward to Boston in a couple weeks [for the next 250SX East race].” – RJ Hampshire

Third place 250SX Class

“I’m happy to survive that Triple Crown. It’s always a pretty sketchy race. In the second moto I finished fifth; I made a lot of mistakes and lost some ground and that might have put me out for the overall tonight. But I want that win really bad. I’m working for it and hopefully in the next few races I can do it.” – Tom Vialle

Fourth place 250SX Class

“The night that could have been… but I’m healthy, that’s a lot of what we’re working on this year. That first Race, just gotta learn from it and be better the next time. If you learn off of your mistakes that’s the best thing you can do. Those were good performances in the last two Races, I’m proud of that.” – Seth Hammaker

The future stars of sport delivered one of the wildest races of the night. The SMX Next riders returned for their third race of the year, giving the world’s top amateur racers another opportunity to compete on a professional Supercross track in front of a packed stadium. With three race leaders crashing out of the top spot, Team Green Kawasaki’s Enzo Temmerman took the win through speed and composure. Orange Brigade KTM’s Luke Fauser earned the second-place spot, and Phoenix Racing Honda’s Tiger Wood rounded out the podium. The SMX Next schedule will host one more round, at the Foxborough Supercross, then line the young racers up to compete in the SMX Next – Supercross AMA National Championship at the Pittsburgh Supercross.