SX After-Party From Salt Lake City 1

450 Class

Eli Tomac - 1st

"Gosh, it felt so good to get back to racing. We really couldn’t have asked for a better day overall. The track was super slick in certain areas and we were drifting the bikes through some of those flat corners, which was a lot of fun, but you had to be careful at the same time. I didn’t get the best jump off the start in the main but was able to tuck inside and quickly recover. It was definitely a scary moment when Adam went down because I was already in the air and his bike bounced up and I had nowhere to go but up and over his bike. I’m glad he’s okay. Overall it was a good day and I am already looking forward to Wednesday.”

Cooper Webb - 2nd

“It’s good to be back racing. It’s awesome just to be able to do what we love. I was battling up there in the beginning – we were all sandwiched – and I was able to actually get around Eli [Tomac] but then he went around us and really laid some good laps. During the middle of the race, I kind of lost speed a little bit and at the end I was really trying hard. I missed a rhythm at the end though, and that really cost me in maybe catching him.”

Ken Roczen - 3rd

“I felt pretty good. I had a decent start, but got bumped around a little bit and lost some positions, so we had to fight our way up there and were kind of just riding in a train; it was hard to make up time. I lost a couple of tenths and gained a couple of tenths here and there and then I kind of stayed the same. Obviously, Eli [Tomac] was super strong and Cooper [Webb] right in front of me, and I couldn’t really make a move. I had a moment with about a lap to go where I almost crashed really, really bad, and then the last lap I really just rolled everything pretty much just to kind of bring it home. A podium is okay. Obviously we need to put ourselves in front of Tomac, but there's a lot of racing left and a lot of crashes out there, and with all the lappers, a lot of things can happen. Really, we just have to regroup and try again on Wednesday.”

Jason Anderson - 4th

“My day went pretty decent,” Anderson said. “I got a bad start in the Main and ended up fourth but all-in-all, I feel like I rode pretty well all day and was able to make some headway as we work our way into the next six rounds here in Salt Lake City.”

Zach Osborne - 5th

“It was a positive weekend overall,” Osborne said. “It was my first race back from injury so it was really good for me to go out there and get comfortable in practice. I feel really comfortable on the dirt here in Salt Lake, which is something that’s not typically my forte but it’s coming around for me. I’m happy with where I’m at fitness-wise and with my bike, so I’m looking forward to the next few races here – onwards and upwards.”

Blake Baggett - 7th

“It felt good to be back racing. My starts were on point today and my speed was there. It was good to lead the main event and felt I had the bike to win today. The team has worked hard during this break and up front is where we should be. I’m looking forward to Wednesday night’s race and putting the team on the podium.”

Justin Barcia - 8th

“It’s nice to get the first round out of the way. It definitely wasn’t how I wanted it to go. It was quite hot and being up here at altitude was definitely difficult. I had high expectations for myself coming into this round and kind of let myself down a bit. I think it’s all things that can be easily fixed and turned around for Wednesday.

“The main event didn’t get off to the greatest start, and the first lap was chaos. Guys were falling down, and then it was really windy and dusty. The track got down to concrete, it was a pretty gnarly track. All in all, we got out of the first one healthy and still have six more to go. I’m really looking forward to racing again Wednesday. I don’t have to wait another whole week to redeem myself.”

Justin Brayton - 9th

“It was a pretty good day. It felt so good to be back with the guys and the crew at the races and to get behind the gate again. Overall, I'm fairly happy with the day. The heat race was good; I got third there. I had a solid first half in the main and ran second for a long time. To be quite honest, I just pumped up about halfway in and kind of went backwards. Then I had a really big moment where I almost went down and that allowed a guy to get by me and some other guys to close the gap. I’m happy I didn't hit the ground on that one, that's for sure, and happy with a solid top-10 result. We’ve just got to keep this ball rolling, especially with the good starts that we got all day.”

Dean Wilson - 10th

“I’m not super pumped with how the day went but definitely taking a few positives from it including pole position in the first qualifier,” Wilson said. “I rode a bit tight in all my races and made some little mistakes that cost me. I didn’t get a great start in the Main so I was in the middle of the chaos but I’m happy to get that one out of the way, bring home 10th and hopefully get better from here on out.”

Aaron Plessinger -12th

“It was no doubt a tough one for me. I was alright at the beginning of the day, but when the dry, slick conditions started coming out, I really started struggling. It was like riding on concrete with some rocks thrown in there. It’s something that I need to get used to by Wednesday for a good result. I’m going to go back and get some redemption at the next one. Thankfully, we don’t have that long to wait for it.”

Kyle Cunningham - 14th

“This first Salt Lake City race didn’t go too bad,” said Cunningham. “It started off a little bumpy in practice. I have not had much time on the bike since getting injured in Atlanta, literally six days on the motorcycle and two of those being supercross. I felt like the team did a great job today. Clark with the Ohlins Suspension made some good changes. Ended up with 14th overall first race back from injury. I’m ready to build off this result next round in a couple days.”

Fredrik Noren - 21st

"It was awesome to be back at the races again, and I’m so thankful for the whole JGR crew,” said Noren. “Unfortunately, I tweaked my ankle and it was hurting pretty bad, so I decided to pull off. With some rest and ice, I should be good to go for Wednesday’s race." 

Adam Cianciarulo - 22nd

“Man, I am so frustrated with how today ended up. I cannot tell you how stoked I was to be back racing my KX450 with my whole Monster Energy Kawasaki crew. I felt good all day, rode solid in my heat race and got a great jump in the main event. I just made a small mistake that cost me big time. I’m pretty sore from getting ran over, but we’re going to let the body rest and take all the necessary steps so we are ready for Wednesday.”

Ryan Breece - DNQ

“It definitely wasn’t my best day back racing,” said Breece. “My starts are still prime, and my speed is still there, but elevation caused some problems today. We’re coming prepped and ready Wednesday!”

Adam Enticknap - DNQ

“The day went well overall,” said Adam. “I was really disappointed in my starts today. It’s nice that I only have one thing to work on over the next two days. Look forward to getting a little bit of redemption on Wednesday!”

Broc Tickle - DNS

"I was really happy to be back at the races,” said Tickle. “I made it through three-quarters of the first practice and started putting the track together before I crashed. The bike flipped on top of me and it made contact with my right hand. I learned that I have a fracture in my right pinky metacarpal. I am bummed but I'm going to get some therapy and rest to get ready for next Sunday."

250 Class

Shane McElrath - 1st

“There’s been a lot of anticipation to get back going and it’s finally here. I had a near perfect day and I’m really happy with the progress we’ve made over the last few months since Daytona. My bike was awesome today and I felt great with the elevation. The track was honestly the best case scenario with the weather and wind that we dealt with today. I felt really good and I’m ready for another race in a few days.”

Chase Sexton - 2nd

“It was crazy,” said Sexton. “To think Daytona was 85 days ago, it doesn’t feel like that long ago. It felt kind of like Tampa [the 2020 season opener] all over again. It was nice getting back racing. Like [others] said, it was kind of weird with no fans there. It was kind of hard to get yourself fired up and be in the mindset like this is for a championship race. This is for points. It kind of felt like a practice day. So I think getting my mind wrapped around that was the toughest thing.”

“I felt like I rode decent,” said Sexton. “I think the lappers were gnarly for both Shane and I. Every time I felt like I’d gained some ground I’d just lose it the next corner. I just feel like that was on me. I feel like I had a win in my sights but didn’t make it happen.”

Garrett Marchbanks - 3rd

“There was a lot that could have gone against us today with the track being so dry and still adjusting to the altitude and heat,” said Marchbanks. “And after so much downtime, it was hard to anticipate what to expect. With all those factors, we’ll take a podium, but that’s not where we want to be. I’m really glad we don’t have to wait very long to line up again. We’ll be ready to improve on Wednesday.”

Jeremy Martin - 4th

“Man it sure did feel good to be back at the races racing even though we still had to wear masks!” said Martin. “Great start in the main to put myself in a great position to be in the hunt for the win but my arms blew up after lap three. I went into survival mode to finish fourth.”

Jalek Swoll - 7th

“This was the best finish for me and that was the goal – to come back better than I was before the break in racing,” Swoll said. “Riding-wise I actually felt good, I just missed a couple things on the track that cost me some time but if I polish those things up I’d be right up there with those guys.”

Colt Nichols - 15th

“It was honestly a really fun day and I was just really happy to be at the races again, even with the results. We had some tough luck in the main with a crash and a lengthy mechanics area stop, but in the end I just have to get off the gate better. All in all, I’m really happy to be back racing and can’t wait to try again on Wednesday.”

Jo Shimoda - 21st

“Yeah, all day I had good starts and felt loose on the bike, just took a little time on one section,” said Shimoda. “Once I had that down I felt pretty good. I finished fourth in the heat race but DNFed the main event because of broken front brake.”

Team Personnel

Erik Kehoe - Team Honda HRC Team Manager

“It’s obviously great to get back racing, and with everyone well. JB is feeling 100% healthy and his hand is healed up. I think he had a solid return, with good starts and just getting back in the groove. It was a solid start for him. He had some arm pump and got tired in the main event. All in all, we got out there okay with Justin. For Ken and everybody, the dry track conditions were tough with the limited traction. During the main event he had a couple of bobbles and was still there on the podium. It's a weird time right now. Everybody's dealing with this situation and trying to come out on top. We got a podium and are still on the hunt and feeling solid.”

Jim Perry – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

“Today was a tough day for the team. We came into the event with high hopes for both Aaron and Justin. We were looking to challenge for wins and podiums. However it didn’t pan out like we’d hoped. The track was really brutal. The temperatures were really hot out today with the added high elevation. We’ll come back on Wednesday looking for better results, taking what we learned and be ready to push hard to get back into contention for this championship.”

Jeremy Albrecht - JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing

"I’m excited to be back racing. It’s not the day we wanted or expected. Both Freddie and Broc will be getting treatment tomorrow morning so they can get the results we came for. They will be back soon.”

Wil Hahn - Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing Team Manager

“It was great to get back to racing. Shane rode an awesome race, rode great all day and gained three points at a crucial time in the championship. It was a bummer for Colt to get caught up in that crash early on, but he showed good speed in his first race back. It was a great night for the team. We’ll come back Wednesday and keep fighting.”

Jordan Troxell - Mechanic (Ken Roczen)

“The first round here in Salt Lake City was really weird with the COVID-19 crisis; it’s definitely a different atmosphere. We're typically used to an empty stadium for practice, but the day race always has a unique feel. With all the restrictions and the guidelines, it just made a little bit more work for some and less for others. As for how the day and Kenny went, he was really happy with the bike. We had a really good practice session and a really good heat race. He kind of got shuffled around in the first corner of the main. He came through and kind of battled with Eli and Cooper there for the first half and then just kind of settled into third for the remaining half of the race. We still have six more races. There’s still a lot of points and a lot of laps, so we're not going to get discouraged and will just keep going.”

Brent Duffe - Mechanic (Justin Brayton)

“Today was a really good day. The results didn't really show it, but the top-10 is positive. For somebody just getting back to the races, JB’s starts were good. The bike looks great. He seems to be fit for the altitude and I think once we get used to riding the tracks and getting a little more comfortable, everything's going to start falling into place. His speed was there all day, so we can settle into a routine and enjoy the next three weeks of racing.”