Features 3 Feb 2025

Reaction: 2025 Supercross Rd4 Glendale

Assorted racer comments following this year's fourth round.

Glendale marked the first round of Triple Crown racing for the new season – and like always – it delivered its shakeups in the championship standings with mixed results and storylines to watch for moving forward. We’ve gathered the direct takes from riders for this Reaction feature from round four of the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross Championship.

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Image: Octopi Media.

Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – First:
The track was really gnarly and dry, but I had fun racing with the guys tonight. In the first two races, I really made it hard on myself with terrible starts, and that made my life difficult – especially with the short races. I finally got a start in the last final when I needed it and finished that one in second. I feel like I rode really well tonight apart from a mistake in the final race, but other than that, it was solid. I’m pumped to get the overall and to get the red plate back!

Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – Ninth:
Glendale was a step in the right direction. I was struggling in practice, but in qualifying I figured a little something out. I got a decent jump off the gate to the first race, but went off the track on the first lap and had to come back from last up to 10th. In the second final, I was up there battling with everyone for seventh, which was better. In the last one, I got a decent start, but I didn’t really capitalize on it and got shuffled back early on. Overall, I finished the night, but I’ve got some more work to do before Tampa and we’ll come out swinging.

Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Fourth:
We had a very strong finish. It’s just unfortunate that I had two bad starts on the day. I made a ton of passes and had some really good riding once again – I just have to fix these starts. That’s all it comes down to. Otherwise, I’m super comfortable. I’ve been making a lot of great passes, and my speed is outstanding. So I’m just moving forward to next weekend and going to get these starts dialed in.

Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Second:
It was a great night. We were able to get a main event win and I was able to get on the podium in second place, which was amazing. I just rode great all night. Although qualifying wasn’t great, it was good to get some laps in and get some mojo here. This place historically has been a rough time for me, so I’m stoked with second on the night. We’re right in the points and heading to Florida, which is home for me.

Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 13th:
The day was tough. I kind of hovered around 10th and didn’t get the starts tonight. I made a lot of passes, but I literally started from around last in all of them. That’s how it goes sometimes. All we can do is keep our heads up and move on to next weekend.

Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC Progressive) – Eighth:
It was looking to be a pretty decent day today. I had two really good, consistent mains. I kind of slacked on the first few laps with missing a few rhythms, but I was able to recover and get close to first, but never was able to make a pass. But with two second places, it was looking good for the last one–I just had to clean up a few things. I got sort of pinched with my front end and had nowhere to go and ended up getting off balance and dabbing my leg–just a bummer of a situation. It felt like I hyperextended it, but we’re going to do some therapy, get an MRI on Monday, and just go from there.

Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC Progressive) – Fifth:
I was happy with my fifth tonight. I gave it my all, it definitely wasn’t from a lack of trying. I’m knocking on the door, getting closer and closer, so that’s promising. It was a bummer with my second start – I kind of stuffed myself up on top of my start block, and I just went straight off, like if a sidestand was still out. But the first-moto start and third-moto start were good – I just needed one more of them bad boys! [laughs] Triple Crowns are wild, I’m happy to be leaving in one piece.

Justin Barcia (Rockstar Energy GasGas Factory Racing) – 12th:
Glendale was a rollercoaster and I don’t like rollercoasters [laughs]! I actually felt really good in qualifying, but was slower than I was hoping, and that set me up for a bad gate-pick in the first race. I got an average start and had to charge through the pack from last up to 12th. The second race I got a better start, but rode a little tight and finished 12th again. That wasn’t much fun, but I almost holeshot the last race and mixed it up with the guys I belong with, so came home with a sixth. It definitely wasn’t the weekend we wanted, but we’re moving forward and know what we need to work on before we head to the East Coast.

Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – 10th:
Glendale has always treated me well and I had a really good qualifying session. I got off to a great start to the first race and I just tried to hang with those guys, but got shuffled back, and ended up seventh. I got another start in the second final, but it was a tougher one for me. The intensity was really high and if you’re not feeling it, things can happen really quick. I didn’t get the best start to the last one, but I was trying to come through the pack before I went down. I got back up and just tried to salvage what I could, so ended up 11th. I learned a lot in that race and we’re going to bring that energy to my home round at Tampa – let’s get this 27 back up on the podium.

Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Seventh:
We pulled through and made the best of a less-than-ideal night. I qualified fifth, but the first main didn’t go my way, and I ended up 11th. In the second race, I had a stronger start inside the top five and battled up front before finishing sixth. In the final race, I was running fourth early on, but a few mistakes late in the race dropped me to eighth, which put me sixth overall for the night. The track was technical, and the conditions wore on me as the night went on, but we’re taking the positives and looking ahead to the next round.

Joey Savatgy (Quad Lock Honda) – 15th:
I’ve raced against these guys before, and I should be further ahead. Finishing 15th tonight was terrible. My starts in races two and three were as bad as they could be. I have work to do to close the gap to the front. We’ll go back to basics this week and start fresh.

Shane McElrath (Quad Lock Honda) – 14th:
The results don’t reflect it, but I felt more in sync with the bike. Now, I need to focus on putting together consistent laps during the week. That’s the only way I’ll improve. My lap times are still inconsistent, but we have a plan, and we’re sticking to it. Over the next four to five rounds, I expect to be racing inside the top 10.

Ken Roczen (Progressive Ecstar Suzuki) – Third:
Last night was some good racing. The track was awesome. It got more and more difficult toward the end of the night. I made the pass on Barcia in the third race for the podium. I am stoked to be back on the box and am looking forward to Tampa this weekend.

Colt Nichols (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – 16th:
Glendale was a tough weekend for me. I had a big crash in the last qualifying session, so it was a little bit of just playing survival, but it happens like that sometimes. I fought hard in all three races, I just need to get out of the gate better. I’m excited for Tampa.

Kyle Chisholm (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – 18th:
With the Triple Crown format, getting into the races comes down to doing one fast lap in qualifying. I got out there, I felt really good, and I threw down – for me – a really good time. I qualified 15th and straight to the night show. I might be 37 years old, but I’m always trying to get better, and you can always be better at anything. I was happy, kind of proud of myself on that one. After my big crash last weekend in Anaheim, I was sore and didn’t get to ride very much this week. So, just to qualify straight out of the daytime qualifying, be healthy, and not aggravate any of my current injuries was a win. We’re in a good place, and we’ve got my hometown race of Tampa coming up this weekend.

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Image: Octopi Media.

Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – Fourth:
It was a tough night. I made too many mistakes at the start of the first two finals and found myself on the ground. I’m frustrated to say the least, but we salvaged a lot of points tonight and we still have the red plate. I’m happy to still have the series lead coming out of this one and to salvage as many points as I did.

Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Second:
I struggled a little bit with the track today. I just couldn’t find a flow. We made the best of it and I was pretty consistent in the mains. We had a 3-2-4 score for second overall on the day and we closed the points gap, so we’re feeling good.

Cole Davies (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Third:
My first ever Triple Crown and I’m stoked with how I rode. I went 1-1-8 for third overall. I got unlucky, landing on a tuff block on the first lap of the last race. but I came back to eighth with some good riding. I’m going to work hard during the break and come out swinging in Arlington.

Michael Mosiman (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Fifth:
It was quite an eventful weekend. I had a practice crash on press day and hurt my shoulder, and I wasn’t sure how it was going to handle. I didn’t feel that great at the beginning of the day in free practice, but I just continued to push through. We got better starts this week, and I think that was the difference. I think that the quality of riding and pace has been there since the first round, it was just a matter of getting up there with the starts. I’m super excited. We have some good building blocks. I nearly hit the podium. It was just a small tip-over in the first one that cost me, but I’m happy to have a little bit of momentum going into the break and to just continue to build. It’s a long-play outlook, and I think the growth is right on track. I look forward to Arlington.

Jo Shimoda (Team Honda HRC Progressive) – 10th:
I haven’t been riding for two, two and a half weeks now, so I kind of started my day slow. In moto 1, someone endo’d into me, resulting in a bike issue, but I was good in moto 2 and moto 3. Today I had good starts, so that’s an improvement. There’s a lot of positives, but just the hand is holding me back; so it’s nice to have a break now, and hopefully it heals.

Garrett Marchbanks (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Sixth:
It was a solid day, considering my shoulder injury. I felt pretty good in both qualifying sessions and ended up sixth overall. Going into the Triple Crown, I was feeling pretty good. Race one went well with a solid finish. In race two, I got a great start, running in fifth or sixth, but unfortunately, I had a small tip-over in the sand. I did my best to recover and worked my way back up to 10th. Race three didn’t start great, so I had to fight through the pack. I made some good passes early on, but it was just a little too late. Overall I’m just happy to be back racing after the shoulder injury and we’ll take the next couple weeks to come back stronger in Arlington.

Jordon Smith (Triumph Factory Racing) – First:
This is unbelievable, man. Huge thanks to the whole team – everyone – as we made great decisions all day. Everything was just perfect. It was a flawless day. It feels incredible to get the first win for Triumph and we are only just getting started. The only way is up from here.

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