Blow by blow recap from AMA SX Rnd 8 in Texas | Video Highlights

2020 AMA Supercross
Round 8 – Arlington, Texas

Report by Trevor Hedge – Images Hoppenworld

Monster Energy AMA Supercross ventured to Arlington, Texas for round eight of the series on the weekend which also marked the second round of the 250 East Championship.

On the schedule was another triple crown format for both classes with the 450 competitors battling out three main events raced over 12-minutes + one-lap, while 250 racers had a slightly easier time of it with their three bouts contested over 10-minutes + one-lap.

450 AMA SX

Before the triple-header mains even got underway there were some riders already licking their wounds. Adam Cianciarulo fell heavily in practice in an over-the-bars crash that was somewhat reminiscent that of the tumble that Jett Lawrence suffered earlier in the season. Unfortunately the outcome was also the same as Jett’s with Cianciarulo being ruled out of the event with a broken left collarbone.

Moto One

Jason Anderson started well but got all out of shape on the first jump which allowed Cooper Webb to storm to the front early on, with Roczen also sneaking past Anderson to move up to second place as the opening 450 moto got underway.

Roczen then put a great pass on Webb, the KTM man was up for the fight but the German simply had more speed and started to walk away from Webb.  Championship leader Eli Tomac was outside the top ten after yet another shocking start on the KX450F.

Roczen taking first blood with victory over Webb while Jason Anderson rounded out that first podium. Barcia was fourth, while the slow-starting Tomac had worked his way up to fifth place by the flag.

Moto Two

Blake Baggett scored the hole-shot but this time Eli Tomac was quick out of the blocks and was all over Baggett right from the off. It only took a few turns for Tomac to take the lead from Baggett.

Malcolm Stewart was in third place on that opening lap ahead of Justin Hill and Jason Anderson, while opening Moto winner Ken Roczen was right down in tenth early on in this second bout.

Jason Anderson got the better of Baggett as the race progressed to move up to second place, but at half-race distance Roczen was still languishing down in tenth place.  Baggett then made a mistake and went down, losing a number of position and entering the final laps from all the way back in ninth place.

Cooper Webb was in fourth place and chasing Justin Hill before making a big mistake that saw him go over the bars and pancake right on to his lower back, not on the dirt, but landing flat on his back on the concrete alongside the track! He immediately grasped his lower back after what was a sickening impact. After receiving trackside assistance from the Alpinestars Medical Crew, Webb was transported to a local hospital where he awaits further evaluation but early indications are that there are no major fractures. 

Tomac cruised to a clear victory, despite backing off in the latter half of the race the #3 Kawasaki still took the chequered flag by more than three-seconds over Anderson, with Hill rounding out the podium ahead of Zach Osborne. Roczen was a disappointing seventh, behind Justin Barcia and Malcolm Stewart.

Moto Three

When the gates dropped for the final 450 Moto of the night it was Zach Osborne with the best clutch hand to get the jump ahead of Blake Baggett, Jason Anderson and Ken Roczen. A fall on the opening lap cost Justin Hill early.

Anderson moved past Baggett for second place on the second lap of the race while Tomac was recovering after a so-so start to sneak past Malcolm Stewart for fifth place. That top five were all fairly close across the opening laps of the race before Baggett went down in front of Tomac and lost a number of positions. Then there were four…

At half-race distance less than two-seconds covered that top quartet; Osborne still the leader from Anderson, Roczen third and Tomac fourth.

Anderson then got a great run through a series of jumps to sweep past Osborne. Tomac then put in a stunning lap to come from a few lengths behind Roczen to put a surprise move on the #94 Honda to move up to third place.

A lap later Tomac then moved past Osborne with ease, around four laps to go, Tomac’s next target Anderson…

A beautiful move by Tomac saw him go past Anderson, the Husky rider came back at him but Tomac had more speed up his sleeve and just pulled away to take his best supercross victory for some time, and the overall round win.

Roczen got Osborne, then made some attempts on Anderson before letting caution call the shots. The German was very careful in this moto with his eye more on the championship points standings and not really up for any hard on-track fights that could bring him undone.

Anderson though succumbed to the pressure late in the moto and went down in the whoops, allowing Roczen through for second place. Jason Anderson rounded out the podium ahead of Barcia while Osborne salvaged fifth.

450 Video Highlights

Round Up

Tomac now leads at the half-way point of the 17 round series by seven-points over Roczen.

450 AMA SX Results / Points

250 East AMA SX

Moto One

Jordon Smith led the field into turn one in the opening 250 bout but RJ Hampshire quickly swept through to the lead, while Chase Sexton went to work on Smith in his quest to move up into second place. Joey Crown was also a fast-starter holding down fourth place in the opening laps before being passed by Jeremy Martin.

It took Sexton a few minutes to get the better of Smith but Hampshire had cleared off and he capitalised on that to take a clear victory over Sexton. Shane McElrath recovered from a poor start to work his way through the field and claim the final step on the rostrum.

Moto Two

Josh Hill narrowly scored the hole-shot over Chase Sexton while Jordon Smith had got caught up with some others at turn one, which had shuffled him well down the pack as the second 250 Moto got underway.

Sexton made short work of Hill, while Joey Crown was again a fast starter in third position ahead of Dustin Winter and Shane McElrath. Crown sneaked past Hill to take second place. McElrath got the better of Hill to move forward yet another position up to third place, Marchbanks and Jeremy Martin then pushed Hill further back to sixth.

Sexton had put his clear air to good use and by half-race distance had an eight-second lead over Crown, who was starting to come under attack from McElrath. 

As race passed the mid-way point McElrath and then Jeremy Martin moved past Crown while a couple of laps later Garrett Marchbanks pushed Crown further back to fifth place.

And that was the order the finished, Sexton getting the flag over nine-seconds ahead of McElrath while Martin rounded out the podium ahead of Marchbanks.

Moto Three

Shane McElrath scored the hole-shot in the final 250 Main ahead of Chase Sexton and it was the Honda man chasing the #12 Yamaha over the opening laps for victory.

The early battle for the remaining podium position was being fought over by Enzo Lopes, RJ Hampshire and Jordon Smith.  As the race wore on though Hampshire got the better of his rivals to claim that third place, while Jeremy Martin and Josh Hill pushed their way past Lopes and Smith to move up fourth and fifth respectively.  Jordon Smith put a hard move on Hampshire for position, as he had done earlier on in the night on Sexton in a previous moto.

McElrath proved to have the measure of Sexton as the #1 Honda never got close enough to the Yamaha to try and make a pass. McElrath the clear victor over Sexton while the super aggressive Hampshire rounded out the podium.

250 Video Highlights

250/450 Post Race Interviews

Round Up

Sexton had done enough though to win the round with his 2-1-2 scorecard ahead of McElrath and Hampshire. Sexton and McElrath are now tied on 49-points apiece for the 250 East Championship lead.

250 East AMA SX Results / Points