ATLANTA, Ga. — It’s race day for Monster Energy AMA Supercross at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The 13th round of the season is set to begin at 3 p.m. (ET), with qualifying taking place late morning. This Saturday’s race brings the series to the second speedway-style track of the season — the first being Daytona Int’l Speedway — and marks the third consecutive year Supercross has raced on the in-field of Atlanta.
This story will be updated throughout the day with qualifying, heat race, LCQ and race results.
Emerging Storylines
Between the premier 450SX class and 250SX East championship, there are several storylines to follow.
Star Racing Yamaha’s Eli Tomac secured sole possession of the 450SX points lead with his win last weekend at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. — notching a record-breaking 51st career victory in the process. He is now the second winningest rider in Supercross history, while Jeremy McGrath remains first with an astonishing 72 victories.
As for the championship battle, things have tightened up in the 450SX class.
Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb is hot in the hunt, only seven points behind Tomac, while Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton is 25 points behind in third. Of the three riders, Tomac and Webb are the only ones who have reached victory lane in Atlanta — Tomac (2021), Webb (2019, ’21).
Also, the 250SX East series is back in action, meaning that Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence, Star Racing Yamaha teammates Nate Thrasher and Haiden Deegan, and Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha Jeremy Martin will be some of the key players to watch.
250SX East — Qualifying 1 Results
Defending Atlanta winner Lawrence dominated the opening qualifying session, with a fast lap of 1 minute, 31.461 seconds.
The No. 96 rider was over a second faster than Thrasher, who made a last-lap effort to secure second. Thrasher’s fast lap was 1 minute, 32.869 seconds.
Deegan finished in third place, half-a-second behind Thrasher.
Notably, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda is returning to competition this weekend after sitting out the early rounds of the season with a shoulder injury. He logged a solid fourth-place finish in qualifying.
Star Racing Yamaha’s Jordon Smith was fifth.
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