Image: Octopi Media.

Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence has extended his 250SX West advantage in 2023 Monster Energy Supercross, earning a third victory of the year in Oakland before Eli Tomac benefitted from a Chase Sexton crash to capture his fourth 2023 win.

It was RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) who led initially, with the other championship front-runners, Cameron McAdoo (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) and Lawrence, chasing behind.

Hampshire tipped over with 10 minutes to go, gifting control of the race to Lawrence, who never relinquished it and went on to win by 16 seconds.

Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GasGas rider Pierce Brown stalked this group, along with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Levi Kitchen. After executing a block pass on McAdoo, Brown fell on the other end of one from McAdoo.

In the race’s closing moments, Brown finished fifth despite another fall in front of the mechanic’s area. McAdoo captured the final podium spot a further six seconds back from Hampshire.

Kitchen’s storm forward resulted in a fourth-place finish ahead of Brown, while Enzo Lopes (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha), Maximus Vohland (Red Bull KTM), Mitchell Oldenburg (Smartop MCR Honda), Cole Thompson (Team Solitaire Heartbeat Hot Sauce Yamaha) and Mitchell Harrison (AJE Motorsport KTM) completed the top 10.

Australian Matt Moss made his debut at BarX Suzuki, impressing by qualifying sixth and then claiming third position in his heat race, but dropped out of the race in the early stages of the main event after running as high as fourth.

Lawrence now holds a 20-point advantage over Hampshire — who is one clear of McAdoo — in the 250SX West standings, the region which will resume with its next round in Seattle on Saturday, 25 March.

Image: Octopi Media.

A crash while leading for Sexton promoted Tomac to the lead and enabled the reigning 450SX champion to capture his 48th career victory at the postponed Oakland round, tying Ricky Carmichael for third all-time.

Before an odd fall at the end of the finish line lane, Sexton controlled the race with Tomac and Webb, his primary championship rivals, close behind.

Moving into the lead as Sexton picked up his Team Honda HRC-prepared Honda CRF450R, Tomac continued lapping the treacherous track inside RingCentral Coliseum, allowing only a few mistakes en route to the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider’s fourth main event win in 2023.

Sexton fell victim to a late-race charge by Red Bull KTM’s Webb and settled for third in a race he came to within six minutes of winning.

Tomac opened the final lap with a critical error, increasing Webb’s chances of pulling off a heroic final-moment victory. However, while Webb closed the gap and was within striking distance as the checkered flag neared, he ultimately reached the timing line 0.881s after Tomac.

Webb’s KTM stablemate Aaron Plessinger came home a quiet fourth ahead of Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) and Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas) — two riders wrapped in recent controversy who repeatedly found each other on the track during the day but avoided any conflict.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Christian Craig ran near the front early and finished seventh as he continues to build during his first complete 450SX season. Joey Savatgy brought his Rick Ware Racing-prepared Kawasaki KX450SR to the finish in eighth ahead of Honda’s Colt Nichols and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider Justin Cooper.

After winning his heat race, Ken Roczen (Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki) finished 11th. Meanwhile, fall after an aggressive pass by Barcia made 15th the best Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki) could do on the night.

As the series heads east to Arlington’s AT&T Stadium next week, Tomac carries a seven-point lead over Webb and Sexton, who are tied at 132. Anderson maintains the fourth position, 28 points out of the lead.

Detailed results