SuperMotocross Weekly presented by Kawasaki: Detroit
Follow along with the biggest stories in SuperMotocross every week with SuperMotocross Weekly presented by Kawasaki!
This Week: Detroit, MI, Ford Field
When to Watch: Saturday, 3PM ET, NBC/Peacock
Last Year’s Winners: Chase Sexton (450), Hunter Lawrence (250)
Ready for a day race and a fresh group of riders to watch? Round 5 of the 2024 Supercross season doesn’t just trade in the darkness for an afternoon race, it also sends the series east to Detroit’s Ford Field for the first round of the 250SX East campaign. Detroit has typically been a later round in the season in recent years, but moves up from late March to the first weekend of February this year.
A dramatic first month of the season has seen quite a few surprises, but perhaps the biggest is Aaron Plessinger’s reign atop the 450 standings. He took his first career victory in San Diego, and coming off a third place finish at Anaheim 2, he’s got a four-point advantage on defending champion (and last year’s Detroit winner) Chase Sexton, his new-for-2024 Red Bull KTM teammate. But none of this year’s 450 winners have taken a second victory just yet, and past champions like Eli Tomac and Jason Anderson are still looking for win number one on the season after finishing second and fourth to Cooper Webb at A2.
After Jett Lawrence’s domination of the outdoor season and SMX playoffs last summer, it’s perhaps a surprise to see him fourth, eight points off the lead. But he hasn’t been on the overall podium since winning out of the gate Anaheim 1 and his recent altercation with Jason Anderson may have exposed some cracks in the facade. It’s the closest thing to true adversity that the wunderkind has faced since he moved onto the big bike—and it’ll be interesting to see if he can break out of the slump here, where he took 250 a victory in his last visit two years ago.
In 250 East, SMX playoff champion Haiden Deegan is back to settle some unfinished business, as he finished second to Hunter Lawrence in last year’s standings. He’ll be up against some of the usual East veterans like Austin Forkner, Cameron McAdoo, and Jeremy Martin, Pierce Brown, Max Anstie, Jalek Swoll, and Tom Vialle, among many others. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen and Monster Energy Star Yamaha’s Jordon Smith are tied for the West points lead, but which of their East counterparts will take the holeshot on the championship this weekend?
Find your new tire with General Tire: Home | Tire Search | Dealer Locator