Aaron Plessinger secures his inaugural 450 win, maintaining parity in 2024

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In the muddy yet navigable conditions of the track in San Diego, Aaron Plessinger seized the lead after Ken Roczen’s early crash during Round 3 of the Monster Energy Supercross season. Plessinger then successfully fended off a challenge from Cooper Webb to secure his first-ever victory in the 450 main event.

With consistent performances, including back-to-back top-five finishes leading up to San Diego, Plessinger also claimed the red plate.

Cooper Webb made a late charge in the final laps, but his attempt to lap Chase Sexton caused him to lose valuable ground, preventing him from overtaking Plessinger.

Justin Barcia secured the final spot on the podium, while Jett Lawrence, who had a slow start, finished in fourth place.

Jason Anderson secured the fifth position in the race. Unfortunately, both Chase Sexton and Malcolm Stewart experienced early crashes, putting them at a significant disadvantage. Eli Tomac also faced a crash, damaging his clutch and dropping him to 20th place.

With 12 minutes remaining in the race, Ken Roczen encountered trouble, crashed, and relinquished the lead to Aaron Plessinger. Plessinger managed to build a seven-second lead midway through the race.

In the 250 West division of the 2024 Supercross championship, Nate Thrasher took the lead from Garrett Marchbanks amidst traffic and held on to claim his first victory of the season. Marchbanks, who held off a determined charge from RJ Hampshire, secured the second position, while Hampshire’s late crash pushed him down to sixth. Thrasher’s Yamaha teammate secured the third spot, allowing him to retain the red plate for another week.

Despite facing challenges in his heat, Jo Shimoda earned a top-five finish, securing the fourth position, with Levi Kitchen rounding out the top five.

RJ Hampshire initially got the holeshot and led early, replicating his performance in the heat. However, a muddy jump caused Kitchen to fall, altering the dynamics of the race.

As the rain fell towards the end of qualification and before opening ceremonies, the Dirt Werx crew coped admirably with the challenging conditions. Although the rain ceased about an hour before the opening ceremonies, the ground retained significant moisture. The ongoing races have seen unique winners in both mains and all heats, and the question remains whether this pattern will continue or if a repeat winner will emerge.

Last Chance Qualifiers:

450 LCQ:

In the 450 division, all riders make it through Turn 1 smoothly. Despite an incident with Justin Barcia in their heat, Adam Cianciarulo leads early and secures the win. Shane McElrath challenges but finishes second, followed by Justin Rodbell and Dean Wilson.

250 LCQ:

A big wreck occurs in Turn 1 of the 250 LCQ, but Joshua Varize and TJ Albright navigate through. Josh Greco and Max Sanford secure the two transfer spots. Lance Kobusch overtakes Sanford for fourth place, but Varize holds on for the win, followed by Albright, Kobusch, and Sanford securing the last transfer position.

250 West LCQ Results

450 Heat Races:

Heat 2:

Chase Sexton faces challenges in the land rush and is initially 16th. Ken Roczen takes the lead over Aaron Plessinger and Dylan Ferrandis. In an exciting battle, Plessinger wins over Roczen, and Cooper Webb secures third. Christian Craig and Ferrandis round out the top five.

Heat 1:

Jett Lawrence takes an early lead but crashes, allowing Eli Tomac to secure the win. Malcolm Stewart finishes second, with Lawrence rounding out the podium. Benny Bloss falls to fourth, and Justin Barcia completes the top five.

250 Heat Races:

Heat 2:

RJ Hampshire initially leads but goes off the track, maintaining a transfer position. Garrett Marchbanks wins the heat, followed by Jordon Smith and Phil Nicoletti. Hampshire finishes sixth.

Heat 1:

Levi Kitchen leads after a complete restart, securing a substantial lead over Nate Thrasher and Jo Shimoda. Despite a crash, Kitchen maintains the lead, winning the heat. Thrasher and Shimoda round out the top three.

Qualification:

In 450 Group A, Qualification 1, Ken Roczen posts the fastest time, followed by Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton, Jason Anderson, and Dylan Ferrandis. Jett Lawrence is sixth. In the 250 class, Jordon Smith is the fastest in Qualification 1, with Jo Shimoda in second and RJ Hampshire in third.

In 450 Group B, Qualification 1, Max Miller tops the board, followed by Talon Hawkins and Billy Laninovich. In Free Practice, Roczen sets the fastest time in 450, and Jordon Smith leads the 250 riders.

Tomac initially cracks the 50-second mark in practice, but Roczen surpasses him. Anderson takes second, with three riders under 50 seconds. In the 250 class, Jo Shimoda leads Group A, and Jordon Smith is the first to break the 50-second mark. In Group B, Talon Hawkins initially leads, and Laninovich sits third.

The weather is unpredictable, so practising in the dry proves beneficial.