2024 Detroit Supercross Photo Gallery

2024 Detroit Supercross Recap

The 250 East class began the 2024 Monster Energy Supercross season on Saturday completely overshadowing the 450 class for on-track excitement, nudity, drama and middle fingers in Detroit at Ford Field.

A rack of contenders went down like bowling pins in a Main Event first turn crash that knocked over Seth Hammaker, Tom Vialle, Jalek Swoll, Haiden Deegan and Cameron McAdoo, among others. Guess who didn't hit the deck? The oft-injured Austin Forkner, whose season ended before the first turn last year, led all 21 laps and looked everything everyone thought he'd be when he first came on the scene, years ago. He was all smiles upon crossing the checkers, for the first time in nearly two years, with little effort needed and little fight from Max Anstie who finished second. Rookie Daxton Bennick perhaps benefited from the carnage and grabbed a third in his first pro race just six seconds behind Forkner.

Elsewhere, Swoll emerged mostly unscathed from the first turn crash, got up quickly and salvaged Triumph's first foray into Supercross fighting back to finish sixth. Mcadoo rode balls-out (yes, we have full frontal proof - smile face emoji) to get into 15th while Deegan cruised around on a damaged bike waving his middle finger at someone but no one in particular though maybe Vialle. Deegan, the reigning 250 class SuperMotocross Champion, finished 16th on mangled handlebars while Vialle took 18th. Hammaker did not finish and Evan Ferry, son of former pro Tim Ferry, also did not finish in his first pro race.

Rough night for veteran Jeremy Martin. The two-time 250 class Motocross Champion (it's been nine years if you can believe that) was knocked out, i.e. unconscious, in his Heat Race putting him well behind the 8-ball, again, in his quest for a first Supercross regional title. He keeps getting injured. Maybe the Man upstairs is trying to tell him something.

A 450 class race did happen but it mostly turned into what everyone feared was going to happen this season. The real Jett Lawrence stood up after a few weeks of rough social media weather. He grabbed the Holeshot and checked out but not nearly as swift as his opening round victory, becoming the first rider this year to win twice. Lawrence fell off the podium for three rounds after his opening salvo and last week crashed while, some might say, unnecessarily charging for the front on the last lap when he had second-place in the bag.

"The track was brutal. I'm just thankful I came out in one piece," Lawrence said post-race. When the NBC reporter danced around a question regarding the previous two weeks and his helmet grabbing confrontation with Jason Anderson in San Diego, he said, "I think Jett Lawrence has finally showed up to a race."

Chase Sexton managed to hound him in second, sort of, as he really never gained a footing and by the five minute mark it seemed clear he, and everyone else, was content to play ring around the race track for a second-place finish and live to fight another day. As a result, Sexton grabbed the points lead which he took from Aaron Plessinger, who finished sixth and gave up the Red Plate after two rounds. Ken Roczen rode on rails at times (you see that pass around Eli Tomac?) working his way up from ninth for a third-place, his second podium of the season.

The start showed some promise of a dog fight with Lawrence, Sexton and Tomac as the three took the first turn by storm and left the field behind. But after a few minutes, Tomac sank like someone tossed into the sea with a millstone around his neck. Roczen first passed him, then Ferrandis, then Webb. At one-point, Tomac was outside the Top 10 but managed to finish 10th. Despite his worst finish thus far this season, the two-time Champion, who ruptured his Achilles last year while leading in the standings with two races left, only sits 16 points back from first.

In fact, only six points separate the Top 4 with Sexton up front, Lawrence a point back, Plessinger two points out of first and Webb in fourth, six points back. Webb missed the podium, and a chance to extend his podium streak to three, by landing in fourth.

The 250 East class already gets a break as the series moves west for Round 6 on Saturday in Glendale, AZ.