In Quotebook, a selection of riders detail how their races played out at round 17 of the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross championship, the final round of the series at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

450SX

Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM) – First:
It’s been a heck of a year with everything in the world going on but we dug deep this year and stayed the course. It’s been an incredible journey, a hard-fought season with a lot of hard races but this is all worth it right here. Being a two-time champion is incredible and to get the win tonight is the cherry on top. I’m speechless, this is incredible.

Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM) – Second:
I’m happy to finish this season on a very high note, going 1-2 in Salt Lake City. The chase was really fast and we are super high in altitude so the breathing was tough, but it felt so good to give my best like that. I’m really happy to give good results right now because it’s been a tough season but I’m showing that I’ve still got some speed and endurance. I’m excited, we’ll be back next year!

Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas) – Seventh:
I felt good all day and was comfortable on the bike and the track, but finishing seventh wasn’t the way I wanted to end the season. All-in-all it was a solid year, I ended up fourth in the championship. Next year we’ll have some improvements to make but for the first Supercross season with the team, it was really enjoyable and fun and we have a lot more to show for next year, so we’ll keep on plugging along!

Dean Wilson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – 11th:
It wasn’t the greatest night, to be honest. For the Main Event, I was in a decent position but I struggled at the beginning. On a positive note, at the end of the main, I felt like I got into a decent flow out there. I’m happy to be healthy and now we can focus on outdoors.

Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – DNF:
The night was going pretty good – practice was alright, the heat race was a good result even though I didn’t feel like I rode the best and then the Main Event didn’t go so well. I think I ended the season in eighth overall but we’ll work on it for next year.

Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing) – Fourth:
The race was extremely difficult. I don’t know why but I felt a little more tired compared to last week. The track was really tricky and I made a couple of mistakes, but I gave everything I had. I’m a little disappointed to not finish on the box, but it’s still a good result, and it was a good end to the season with two fourths.

Malcolm Stewart (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing) – Fifth:
I struggled a little bit at the start of the day but the team worked hard and we turned it around when it came to the Main Event. Looking back at the season as a whole – I had a great run and I’m more than blessed to have this team to support me. We got a podium and checked that off the list, and we ended the season with a top-five and had a solid run. We’ve got some things to work on but I feel really good overall about the year.

Aaron Plessinger (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing) – Eighth:
My night started off a little slow. Qualifying didn’t go the way I wanted, but we made some changes and that seemed to help a lot. I got a pretty good start in the main, but my body kind of stalled out during the middle of the race. Compared to the last two years, this season has been way better. I think last year I was 11th overall and this year I was 5th, so it’s been a great turnaround. I can’t thank the whole team enough because they’ve put the work in and it showed. I’m ready for what’s next with the outdoors and to show everyone what we’ve got.

Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC) – 10th:
Round 17 was a tough one again. I just seemed to struggle with the altitude. After getting the holeshot in the main, the first little bit of the race looked promising, but I really let go and dropped way back. Overall, I’ve had a good season. I’ve never stayed in the game for so long—making it all the way to the last round being in the championship hunt. Last year I was third, this year I was second—at least we’re going in the right direction. We had some really good battles, and I learned a lot about myself this year. I’m looking forward to the outdoor season now, and the supercross season next year.

Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC) – Third:
I started off really good and qualified first and was feeling good on the bike all day. In the heat race, I didn’t get the best start and rode in fifth and had a battle with [Justin] Barcia and those guys. In the main event, I came out and felt really good. I got a good start from being pretty far outside and then kind of just put my head down and did some pretty good laps. I could put it all on the track tonight and obviously got a little tired, but we got to put ourselves out there. I feel like we’re knocking on the door and I’m looking forward to supercross next year.

Max Anstie (Twisted Tea HEP Suzuki) – 12th:
It was awesome to end my first 450 SX season with a 12th in the main at the second Salt Lake City race! We made progress at each race this year and I’m happy with where we ended up. I’m looking forward to changing things up now and getting back to the outdoor series!

Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Ninth:
The track was a lot slicker in the morning than it seemed, but it got a lot better as the day went on. I got off to a good start in my heat race which ultimately helped me run away with the win and gave me loads of confidence going into the main event. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the best start in the main and was cut off by the riders up front, forcing me to have to battle my way through the pack. Although winning is always the goal, I’m very proud to walk away with third overall in the 450SX championship standings and I am looking forward to the first outdoor race at Pala, California.

Justin Brayton (Muc-Off Honda) – DNS:
The team went above and beyond this year! Getting injured really dampened things but that is racing. I have an event coming up where I will be riding and possibly racing and I hope to race overseas. This injury really set me back, I need my hands to ride and breaking them both has been challenging.

250SX Showdown

Pierce Brown (TLD Red Bull GasGas) – Seventh:
It was a quiet day for me. I didn’t get the start I needed for the Main Event and it showed in the results, I was just mid-pack the whole race. For the last round, I’m super stoked to get out healthy and ready to go for outdoors.

Michael Mosiman (TLD Red Bull GasGas) – 15th:
What a close to the 2021 Supercross season. It was going well but I had a pretty rough crash yesterday during press and I was a little stressed how I was going to ride today. Thankfully I had an awesome heat race but too bad it wasn’t the main because that’s when it all went wrong. I was in there up front in the turn and just got sandwiched and slingshot, which is a terrible feeling of hitting the ground and getting run over. But that’s part of it and we’ve got another series coming up, so chest up, we’ll start fresh and be in it.

Jalek Swoll (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – Eighth:
My heat race was solid but the Main Event was iffy, I couldn’t find a flow out there. No excuses though, we finished out the season fifth in points, so I’m happy to come away with a lot of progression and experience after two years of SX and I’m happy to be healthy at the end of the day and continue this momentum into outdoors. Next year is really time to buckle up and battle from start to finish.

Colt Nichols (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing) – Second:
It would have been nice to get the win, but I can’t complain about second place. I think I might be the only person to be on the podium at all nine rounds so I’m happy about that. I was off all day. I couldn’t really loosen up, but kudos to the team because they knew exactly what to do with the bike to get me comfortable. I was able to get a good start and lead some laps and had a fun battle with the Lawrence brothers. It’s an amazing feeling (to win the championship). I haven’t really ever been in a position to be a contender in the past and this year I put myself in a good spot. It’s a dream come true.

Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing) – Ninth:
It honestly didn’t go that well tonight and the night show felt a little like a disaster. I just stayed mid-pack and knew what I had to do to bring it home. It was a long 15 minutes. I knew where I was. I had won races, but it felt so different. I didn’t really know what to feel. It’s going to sink in over the next few days and I know it will be good.

Cameron McAdoo (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Fourth:
We didn’t finish where we wanted to in the race, but it was still a good day overall. My KX250 was hooking up well and I felt like my riding was improving throughout the night. I qualified fourth overall and then went on to win my heat race. Heading into the main event, I felt like momentum was on my side, but as I began making my way towards the front, minor mistakes in the rhythm sections ended up costing me the podium finish and second overall in the points. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but I have a great team behind me, and we’ll be ready to take on the outdoor season in full force.

Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Fifth:
I felt great aboard my KX250 all day today. My riding was consistently on pace with the top guys in practice and the heat. I believe I got out to a second-place start in both the heat and main today, which is always a positive. This has been an incredible rookie season so far and to be recognized as the 250SX Rookie of the Year is an absolute honor. I want to thank the entire Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team for sticking by my side. Without all of their constant help, none of this would be possible.

Jo Shimoda (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Sixth:
The morning got started on a solid note. I was fastest in the 250SX East free practice session and held pole position in the first qualifying session for a moment too, which was awesome. I know I have the speed to compete with the lead riders and I would’ve loved to be battling with the top-3 guys in the main event, but a poor start forced me to work my way through the pack. I still managed to finish high enough in the race to maintain second overall in the 250SX East points standings, which was the goal for today. Thank you to everyone on the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team for believing in me and supporting me this entire season. Time to rest a little and get ready for the outdoor season.

Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) – First:
Coming into the weekend, I was excited for the Showdown with my brother Hunter and couldn’t wait for the main event. In the first qualifier, I got P1 and was feeling a little better on the track and started to get a good flow. The second qualifier was pretty good also; I had a little mistake in a rhythm lane but nothing crazy. Going into the heat race I was pretty excited to get it underway, and it went pretty good. I got second in the heat and ended up getting the third gate pick for the main. I was throwing up all through the break to the main, so I was a little nervous and didn’t know how I’d do, but I was able to dig deep and kind of focus and came out with a win. I was super-pumped from how I was feeling before the race, and to top it off Hunter got third; it was awesome for both of us to be on the box, so the last round ended pretty well, I think.

Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) – Third:
Awesome weekend in Salt Lake City to finish off the season. I got P2 in the West class championship, so that was really cool; I’m stoked on that. I was pretty good throughout the day and was happy with qualifying and felt really good. In the main event, I was in a really good position and just rushed a pass for third and washed the front end out. I dropped back to fifth and took a lap to regroup and breathe, and then put on a push and got myself into third on the last lap. The track wasn’t something you could really send it on, so it was definitely about patience and a lot of corner speed–you had to execute your corners really well. Obviously, Jett and myself both getting on the podium was really special. What a way to finish out the supercross season! The team and everyone was really happy with that, and I can’t thank the team enough; they’re like a family and they’ve been awesome, so I’m looking forward to the outdoors and just happy to end it on a solid note. Obviously, we would’ve loved to win, but I’m looking forward to going racing again shortly.

Mitchell Harrison (Muc-Off Honda) – DNS:
I qualified well but made a mistake in the heat race and in the last chance qualifier. It was a disappointing way to finish a season full of many positives. I achieved my best overall result this year in a single round and my confidence soared as I improved each week. I am not sure what the summer holds for me but I hope we can race some outdoors, the bike and team are awesome and I have enjoyed this season.

Mitchell Oldenburg (Muc-Off Honda) – DNS:
The team gave their all, my results on the 250 were good and we were looking at a possible top-five overall but sadly I got injured and we finished the season out in 9th overall. I can’t thank the team enough for giving me the opportunity to race the 450 too, my 13th is a career highlight.