Southwick, MA SouthwickAMA Pro Motocross Championship
Welcome to the Race Day Feed, coming to you from The Wick 338 in Southwick, Massachusetts. From practice reports to the blow-by-blow from this afternoon’s points-paying motos, you’ll find it all right here on the Racer X Race Day Feed. Updates are posted in chronological order, so be sure to scroll down for the latest info. For even more updates be sure to follow us on Twitter, @Racerxonline.
After our first weekend off since Pro Motocross began in late May, we are back in action. The Wick 338 facility is hosting today’s fifth round what is going to be a difficult day as riders navigate the Massachusetts sand. We are expecting a high of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity around 70 percent, although no rain is expected.
In terms of the championship, Haiden Deegan has a commanding lead in the 250 Class, as he enters up 32 points on Chance Hymas. Deegan has hands down been the top rider this summer, winning five of the eight motos so far and three of the first four overall wins. Ty Masterpool earned his first career overall Pro Motocross win at the round four High Point National and looks to continue his success as a fill-in rider for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team. Tom Vialle, Levi Kitchen, and Jo Shimoda have all had success here in the past and are looking to join Hymas, Masterpool, and the rest of the field to slow down Deegan.
In the premier class, Hunter Lawrence has a slim six-point lead over Chase Sexton and an eight-point lead over his younger brother Jett Lawrence as the trio are clearly the top riders in the field at the moment. Hunter Lawrence won his first 250 Class Pro Motocross overall here in 2021 but remember had that bike malfunction here last summer that cost him a big championship lead. This go round, the #96 has the 450 Class points lead for the second straight race. Who comes out on top step and with the points lead at the end of the day?
On the injury front, Garrett Marchbanks is making his 2024 Pro Motocross debut after suffering a thumb injury in the press day riding session ahead of round one. View our full injury report for more updates.
View the full race day schedule and check out the TV broadcast/streaming schedule below.
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Motocross
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June 29 – 10:00 AM
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June 29 – 10:00 AM
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June 29 – 1:00 PM
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June 29 – 1:00 PM
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Motos (Re-Air)
July 1 – 2:00 AM
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Southwick isn’t considered one of Haiden Deegan’s better tracks, but you wouldn’t know it by watching this first round of qualifiers in Massachusetts. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider set a fast time (2:05.228) early on and nobody was able to get close. Joey Savatgy was second-fastest, and set his fastest lap late in the session, but it was still about half a second slower than Deegan’s hot lap. Ty Masterpool, after winning High Point two weeks ago, was fourth-fastest in this one with a 2:06.177.
Max Anstie, in his debut with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing, is credited with 13th with a 2:08.247, but his actual fastest lap was 2:06.870. That time was taken away due to exceeding sound limits. Benji Robinson also had his fastest time taken away due to a sound violation. Interestingly enough, his fastest lap would have been the fastest in the session, but his second-fastest lap, which counts as his fastest due to penality, was 20th! Daxton Bennick and Ryder McNabb saw their fast times get stricken as well, for jumping in a red cross flag section.
The real story from this first set of 250 qualifiers is Tom Guyon. The Frenchman has the Southwick track dialed, and was able to turn in a 2:05.091 in the 250 B group, which, so far, is the fastest 250 lap of the day. We’ll see how he does when the second round of qualifiers rolls around.
Jason Anderson was quick right out of the gate in the first 450 qualifier of the day, posting a 2:07.858, but after seeing the 250s get into the 2:05 range, you knew Anderson’s time wouldn’t last long. Before long a host of riders, including Anderson himself, would best that time and after three laps Chase Sexton was on top of the board with a 2:06.683. Jett Lawrence was just behind with a 2:06.703. Those times would hold for a few laps, but then Justin Cooper smashed the door down with a 2:05.228, the same exact time set by his 250 teammate, Deegan. Lawrence wasn’t having it though, and quickly shot to the top with a 2:04.507 at the very end of the session. With the checkered flag out it looked like Lawrence’s time would hold, but Sexton snuck in a heater on his final lap to log a 2:04.370. If we’re lucky, we’ll see these two duel it out later in today’s motos.
The track was slower for the second round of qualifying sessions, which made times inconsequential in terms of overall lap times. That didn’t prevent Tom Vialle from putting in an outstanding effort though! The Red Bull KTM rider was fast immediately and continued to pour on the speed throughout the session. When it ended, his 2:08.105 was the fastest lap of the qualifier. Deegan came close, recording a 2:08.309, and Julien Beaumer was great in this one too, turning a 2:08.931 on his fifth lap.
If you’re following the qualifying efforts of 52-year-old Tony Lorusso, his fastest time was fortieth overall, which means he’ll head to the consolation race. If he finishes in the top four there, he’ll transfer to the motos and become the oldest rider in history to qualify for Pro Motocross.
[Update: Lorusso took eighth in the 250 consolation race.]
In 450 action Justin Cooper was hot early in the second round of qualifiers, turning a 2:06.202, and nobody else would approach that time. Sexton was the closest, but his fastest lap was still about half a second slower. Jett Lawrence, who nearly collided with another rider in this session, only rode three laps before heading back to the pits. The track was much rougher than it was in the first session, which made improving your time nearly impossible, so Lawrence probably didn’t like the risk/reward of hammering down for very little payoff. In the end, Sexton’s time from the first session was the fastest lap of the day, a feat Sexton hasn’t accomplished since 2022.