Features 3 Feb 2025

Debrief: 2025 Supercross Rd4 Glendale

Triple Crown winners Sexton and Smith discuss fourth round.

Becoming the first two-time winner of Monster Energy Supercross 2025, Red Bull KTM’s Chase Sexton pulled through for the Triple Crown victory with a consistent 3-3-2 scorecard in Glendale. Plus, a clutch win in the final race of the night in 250SX West saw Jordon Smith give Triumph Factory Racing its first-ever Supercross win. Both riders spoke to media following the races for these Debrief interviews.

450SX

Image: Octopi Media.

Chase, back on top here in Glendale and back in the points lead. Talk about the sense of urgency that it appeared you had throughout tonight.

Yeah, the first two races, I really made it hard on myself. I got terrible starts and then just made my life really difficult, especially in a short race. So last main event, I got a good start finally when I needed it. And yeah, I feel like I rode really well tonight, minus that one mistake where Eli [Tomac] got me. That kind of was a little thorn in my side. But other than that, it was a solid race, I’m pumped I got the overall and the red plate back.

When you’re in a position to win the overall without one of the race wins on the night, what’s the communication and strategy like during that final race of the night? Is it just a matter of racing forward?

I didn’t know where Jett [Lawrence] and Kenny [Roczen] were, but I knew Cooper [Webb] and I were close on points. I knew if he got me, I would lose, so obviously, the goal was to win the race, and then when I got passed by Eli, I was pushing, but I wasn’t going to do anything stupid to throw it away. I kind of had the math down. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing but I kind of knew where I was at. The speed was high, Eli was riding really well, and obviously, Cooper was keeping me very honest in that third main, so I had to ride good and just try to keep it on two wheels and ride solid. I feel like my slowest main event was the third one, but I got a good start, so it just goes to show that getting up the front can make your life a lot easier.

It’s about 9:30 right now, we got here very early today because it was a stacked day with SMX Next and KTM Juniors and Triple Crown format, so how is it for you to go out there and be mentally on all day?

Well, compared to last week I feel superhuman because I felt like absolute crap last weekend, so actually my energy and stuff today was really good and I felt like I was just kind of playing around and making jokes all day. The day is super long, like, after free practice, we had around a two-hour break until the next qualifying. I feel like for the Triple Crowns especially, they throw in the SMX Next and all that stuff on top of it, it’s already a lot of riding and a lot of schedule in one day. I feel like they do that a lot so I think it’s too long of a day just to be at your A game from 10 o’clock in the morning until, obviously, what is it 9 o’clock? But yeah, obviously practice doesn’t matter as much, but you still want to go out there and qualify [well]. You’re locked in and there are a lot of risks at hand too, so the days are very long. I think the Triple Crowns weekends could shorten up, and even regular race days – make them a little shorter so we’re not here so long. Maybe they could cut a practice. We don’t need three practice, we’re pros, and at this point, we’re very seasoned. Maybe two or something like that, but that’s my little rant. But yeah, I don’t know that’s up to them.

Kenny said he felt like the inside before the whoops was a little slower, and you kind of laughed. Tell us why you chose the inside and why you thought it was faster.

Well, the second race, I was doing the quad, and well actually, the first race I saw Kenny jump it and I was like, ‘dude, did he really just jump that jump?’ I hadn’t seen anyone do it all day and I’m like, ‘gosh darn it, I’m going to have to do it.’ So, I did it and it was actually pretty easy in the first race, and then it kind of got harder. In the second race I was doing it and Eli almost passed me a few times going to the inside. So, the third race, the inside rut actually got pretty gnarly and I actually missed the three [on the] second to last lap, so I probably should have gone back to the outside. I went on off on the first lap and passed Hunter [Lawrence] in the whoops. I don’t know what I was thinking, I went back to the inside like an idiot. So, it was slow, but it was faster in the second main, but then it kind of went back to the outside for the last main.

You guys were pushing back and forth really hard in qualifying. Just talk about that battle, navigating and finding the lines that are going to work later, but also getting in a good position because the starts at these Triple Crown races are so important.

Yeah, I mean it’s no secret. I like to qualify first if I can. It’s just a good way to start the day for me. I came off the track after the third qualifying. I’m like, ‘dude, there’s no way, he’s gotta be doing something different because, in the turns and stuff, I felt like I rode pretty well and I nailed the rhythms. And then I go back and watch the Dartfish and the wall jump after the mechanics are he was launching. And I was losing a lot of time there. So, I picked that up for the race. Obviously, you just find still little stuff like that in practice, especially when you’re trying to qualify fast. It’s high-intensity. And yeah, for me, it’s just a good way to start the day. I guess tonight the ruts were a little bit gnarly off the gate, but they weren’t too bad. There are always like three or four good gates.

250SX

Image: Octopi Media.

Jordon, this is not your first win, but this one has to be special, not just for you, but [Triumph’s] first Supercross win. Congratulations.

Yeah, very special. Very cool to get Triumph’s first win. They’ve been telling me there’s bricks in the UK that has all their accomplishments on them, so there’s one for the first win. So, it’s pretty cool to put my name on that yeah, very special.

I noticed all day long that your bike was a little bit on the soft side, which I thought worked really well on this hard-packed track. Was that something that contributed to this win tonight or what do you think got you over that hump to get onto the top step of the podium?

I think just in general, we’ve been getting better with the bike set-up all year, just learning at each race we go to. You can be very prepared, or you feel prepared at the practice track, but once you get on the racetracks, they’re always different. So tonight, even though it was really hard-packed, it had more ruts than what we have seen at Anaheim and stuff in the turns. And yeah, my bike was handling really good. We’ve made a lot of good changes for the whoops this year, or so far, through the four rounds. So, I’m feeling more like myself in those. And overall, just from where we started in October to where we’re at now, so just a huge shout-out to everyone on the team, it’s unreal.

You were in the mix [all day], from good qualifying laps to just being in the mix, and then consistency paid off, especially in the 250 class at a Triple Crown. How was today from your standpoint?

Like you said, I had pretty good practice times. I was really struggling in the sand section in practice, and that’s nothing new. I’ve been doing it a long time, and can’t figure out the sand section. So, I figured it out for the night show and then the rhythm section after the whoops. I was struggling there in practice as well, and we figured out a different rhythm that I was able to nail every time in the mains, and it worked out good. I mean, my confidence on the starts has definitely gone up this year. My bike’s coming out of the gate really good, so I was feeling good with that coming into the Triple Crown. So yeah, we really just executed everything we talked about all day with the starts and the rhythm and getting through the sand every lap without falling. So yeah, it was just good execution and working together as a team all day.

You were two points behind heading into that last race. At what point in that last one did you realize that you had the overall victory secured?

I wasn’t 100 percent sure. I kind of was getting the vibe from my mechanic with the pit board the last few laps. He didn’t really say anything, but just from his facial expression kind of coming by, I thought that I may have been in position for it. I was trying to look at the board. I knew that I just needed to beat Haiden [Deegan] straight up, and then if Cole [Davies] finished fourth and I won, then I would get it, so I was trying to check the board, but I never really got a good look at it. I wasn’t really sure until I came around the last lap, and he had it on the pit board, so it was pretty cool.

You’ve been around for a while. Looking at the first four tracks of this season, they seem very technical compared to years past. Does it feel like the tracks this year have had a lot of opportunity for separation and just a lot more uniqueness compared to years past, or does it feel like normal?

I would say the first two tracks felt a little bit more normal. These last two tracks, I think, have definitely had a lot more options, a lot more rhythms that were pretty technical to try and get every lap, which I like. I mean, that just gives an opportunity for someone to make a mistake and try to make a pass on them. But overall, I don’t really see a big difference in how they’re building the tracks right now compared to years past.

We’re now four rounds into this. Can you reflect on how different it is, obviously, with Triumph Factory Racing and the differences between [Triumph and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing]?

Yeah, it’s a lot of similarities. I mean, on both teams, we all expect to win. We put the work in to win. Everyone at Triumph has won with other teams in the past. So it’s a very good crew of people over there. From day one, whenever we got there, we just started with a clean slate. Myself, the team, the bike, everything. We just have worked hard on each aspect of racing. The starts, the bike, my riding technique, it has been awesome training with [Mike Brown], he’s awesome. And yeah, like I said, there’s a lot of similarities. We all show up to win every weekend. But just the teamwork that everyone puts in at Triumph is kind of unlike any other team that I’ve been on. Just everyone works really well together, doing their job, and each person trusts in the other person to do their job.

There’s a break coming up for you guys. How important is that break for regrouping, resting the body, maybe changing some things on the bike, whatever, just getting ready to kick back off again in a few weeks?

It’s going to be good. We’ve been flying back and forth to Georgia every week, so doing those cross-country flights are pretty tough, especially with a two-year-old. She gets a little off of her time schedule, so yeah, it’s pretty tough. But it’s going to be a good two weeks. We have more stuff to try on the bike that we think should be pretty good. Hopefully we make some headway there and come into the next round in Arlington even stronger.

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