2024 Nashville Supercross Photo Gallery

2024 Nashville Supercross Recap

Nashville. Home to Country music and the obliteration of Supercross title contenders.

Not one, not two, not three, but four riders endured brutal crashes on Saturday for Round 14 of the 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Season on Saturday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville ultimately leading to major point swings and for some maybe the end of the road.

In the 450 class, Eli Tomac charged out front grabbing the Holeshot and leading for much of the race holding off Ken Roczen and Jett Lawrence on a track that failed to lend much passing. Tomac's up-and-down season coming on the heels of a ruptured Achilles looked up again and possibly en route to his second win of the year.

With about 14 minutes on the clock Roczen's dirt bike made like a Blue Angels F-18 leaving a smoke trail during an airshow. Coming into the whoops off a jump his bike exploded white smoke as Roczen maneuvered through the whoops only to get bumped off at the end leaving him holding on to the handlebars flying like Superman before getting violently tossed off the bike. Turns out his shock busted. Wow, never seen that before!

Roczen needed assistance to get off the track and no word yet on the extent of his injuries. His race craft up until then kept Jett Lawrence honest behind him and prevented Tomac from checking out. With Roczen finished, Lawrence settled in behind Tomac and Cooper Webb, whose Championship aspirations ended last year in Nashville of all places, took over third.

A much-awaited dogfight between two-time Champ Tomac and 11 years the senior to the rookie phenom Lawrence never ensued. Instead, with about 11 minutes left, two downed riders split the track as Tomac went wide and Lawrence took the cleaner inside propelling into the lead and heading to the checkers from there. Some riders get all the luck, and get to race against a much older field of riders on the tail end of their careers. So, let's keep things in perspective. Anyway...

Meanwhile, defending champion Chase Sexton who entered the night in third-place, just 15 points from the lead, went down hard after pulling a Ronnie Mac approved air-wheelie about four minutes in. He was unable to resume, finished last and took no points for the round. That result puts Tomac into third for the standings though he remains 33 points behind Lawrence who now holds a five-point advantage over Webb thus breaking the tie in points.

"I hate losing, that bit of a losing streak really sucked," Lawrence said. "I'm really pumped to come out and get it done here. Felt good out there, hit my marks. A bit bummed for Kenny. Looked like it was pretty bad. This is leading in a good direction so hopefully we keep it going."

You think the 450 class carnage was bad. The 250 class brought both coasts together for the first of two East/West Showdowns and in the words of Harry Carey, "Holy Cow!"

RJ Hampshire proved Rambo right in that nothing is over when he grabbed the Holeshot and checked out for his third win of the season in an attempt to close his second-place 15 point gap behind Levi Kitchen with three rounds remaining entering the night. He got some help, too.

On the opening lap, East points leader Cameron Mcadoo cross-jumped in front of Kitchen, also his teammate, taking them both out then Max Anstie ran over Kitchen while he lay motionless on the ground. Kitchen and his bike indeed looked down for the count like the scene in Rocky 2 when both fighters hit the canvas. Shockingly, a few minutes later Mcadoo and Kitchen returned to action albeit in 21st and 22nd place, respectively.

A minute or so later it was Kitchen in 21st place, showing some life, and finally at the eight-minute mark, Mcadoo who hurt his shoulder in a qualifying crash, officially pulled off, getting no points on the night, losing the Red Plate and dropping to third. Kitchen, however, worked his way to 14th place salvaging valuable points and though he lost the Red Plate, falls just two points back of Hampshire instead of a possible 10.

Hampshire, who won the opening round at Anaheim but finished outside the Top 5 the following two rounds, now has reached the podium in four of the last five rounds including two wins. He takes the lead for the first time since his Round 1 win.

"It was that break, that long six-week break. I had a couple big crashes, just kind of dragged me down," he said. (I) executed my start in the main event, I feel like I always have the speed just executing my start (to) give myself a chance. A big weight on my shoulder. I knew I could close the points lead tonight didn't expect to get the Red Plate back."

Elsewhere, Haiden Deegan had a rough night, qualifying 15th, went down in the sand early but salvaged sixth after a dominating win last time out. And, thanks to Mcadoo's no points finish, Deegan moves into second and Tom Vialle, who finished third for his sixth straight podium gets the Red Plate back (after losing it to Mcadoo in Indianapolis) and holds a commanding 13 point lead with two rounds left.

Jo Shimoda finished second for the second straight race and his fourth straight podium. He has finished 4-4-3-3-2-2 in the last six races. If the pattern continues expect Shimoda to win the final two rounds.