Good, Bad, 'n Ugly: Seattle 4

Welcome to the Good, Bad 'n Ugly, presented by Pro Taper, from Daytona! It's the tenth round of 2022 and we're here to give you our thoughts on who did good, who did...well, Bad and who had a night to forget forever (the Ugly). Staff member Grant Dawson is sharing his thoughts this weekend.

Do you agree with our picks and opinions, or do you have thoughts that differ? Let us know in the comment section below.

250 Supercross Class

Grant Dawson | The Good: Hunter Lawrence - 1st Place

This was exactly how Hunter Lawrence was hoping to bounce back after a rough end to the first stint of this series. He successfully kept himself within 26 points of Christian Craig, and there's no doubt that this win will provide a solid confidence heading into the final three rounds. Now, it is a bit odd for these guys to be off for five weeks, come back for one race, and then go back on break for a couple of weeks...but it's just something they'll have to manage as they also start to prepare for the outdoor series. There's also no doubt that despite still technically being in the title fight Hunter will need something big to go his way within the next few rounds. He could win the next three rounds and still fall quite a bit short of the lead if Christian stays consistent. Christian Craig's biggest threat right now is himself. 

Grant Dawson | The Bad: Michael Mosiman - 3rd Place

It's never a good look when a rider makes an aggressive move on a fellow rider and is then caught and passed by that same guy, but that's what happened to Michael Mosiman on Saturday. He put Christian Craig on the ground in what many would chalk up as a "rubbin' is racin'" move, but fast forward to later on in the Main Event and Christian was able to catch and pass Michael without much difficulty. It speaks both to the talent of Christian and the lack of depth in this class given how easy it seems to be for him to slice through this field, but that's something we've all discussed at some point this season. Anyway, we can't rag on Michael too much for fading back to third place as he did explain in the post-race press conference that he lost his rear brake during the race and was struggling to defend. I'm actually a bit relieved that he provided that explanation, because Michael is talented enough where he shouldn't be getting caught by a rider that he put on the ground earlier in the race. We'll see how he performs in Atlanta. 

Grant Dawson | The Ugly Jalek Swoll - 8th Place

Jalek Swoll didn't get a great start, which was definitely a factor in his eighth place finish, but it really feels like we just never know what to expect with him. There have been times where he definitely looks like he belongs on a factory bike and could develop into a contender at some point...and then there are times where he gets a so-so start and ends up finishing behind some non-factory guys. The bottom line is that he got beat by three non-factory guys Saturday in Vince Friese, Garrett Marchbanks, and Chris Blose. Are these guys super talented? Yes, but Jalek cannot have a factory bike and finish behind them, especially when he should be fighting with Jo Shimoda for fourth place. I hope Atlanta goes better for him.

450 Supercross Class

Grant Dawson | The Good: Kyle Chisholm - 11th Place

There aren't many certainties in this world, but one is that Chiz is always gonna Chiz. Every year this guy shows up, factory ride or not, and qualifies for nearly every Main Event and cashes those checks. He is the definition of a grinder, and that's why everyone is thrilled whenever he gets an opportunity like he got with Star Racing Yamaha this year in the 250 class. He's not flashy, he's not going to blow the doors off of the class with some crazy raw speed, but he'll get consistent results all season long. I don't know how much longer he plans on competing at the professional level, but he will go down as one of the most notable privateers of all time at this rate. I've got a huge amount of respect for him and how he has been able to keep it going for this long. 

Grant Dawson | The Bad: Cooper Webb - 6th Place

This finish from Cooper Webb was fine given that he's not 100%, but he took another big hit to his body in a qualifying crash which couldn't have helped things at all. I haven't seen any official report as to whether he sustained any new injuries from the crash, but it definitely didn't help any injuries that he was already dealing with heading into Seattle. He has gotta be careful from here on out, as it's starting to get to the point in the season where another big crash could not only end his pursuit of second place in the championship, but it could also cause him to miss the start of the outdoor season. At the end of the day, though, it's legitimately crazy how tough these dudes are. Some of these dudes will take a hit during qualifying that would put most of us out of commission for weeks...and then somehow find their way to the starting gate for the night show.

Grant Dawson | The Ugly: Chase Sexton - DNS

Chase Sexton hit a false neutral during qualifying that resulted in a very scary crash that luckily didn't end up any worse than it did. This continues to be a pattern with Chase. He has incredible speed, an awesome riding style, and at times excellent race craft...and then he'll crash and throw away a chance at a great result. He has been able to put it all together at times and claim a few podiums and a win, but he'll never be able to actually contend for a title if the dude can't stop putting himself on the ground every couple of weeks. Now, this was more of a freak deal as false neutral crashes are not an every week occurrence, but the point about his tendency to crash still stands and he's gonna have to figure it out sooner rather than later.