Image: Octopi Media.

Lightning in the area and heavy rain pushed back the start of the first 250SX East/West Showdown of the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross season for over an hour and set up a triumphant victory for Max Anstie and Fire Power Honda, which was followed by a win for Justin Barcia in the premier class.

The riders and bikes that qualified for the East/West Showdown returned to the stadium floor as fans returned to their seats once it was deemed safe and final preparations were made for a shortened main event on the treacherous, muddy track.

Anstie left the soaked first turn in the lead and never relinquished it, leading all 14 laps en route to his first Supercross victory.

Despite a last-turn attack by RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) that briefly put him on the ground, Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) secured second, finishing 0.733s ahead of his brother and teammate Hunter, who completed the podium.

A strong outing in the problematic conditions became a fourth-place result for Max Vohland (Red Bull KTM). Vohland finished roughly 3s ahead of Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha representative Enzo Lopes.

Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), Carson Mumford (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), Cullin Park (Phoenix Racing Honda), and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda and Chris Blose completed the top 10.

Hampshire was stuck in the final turn as the race finished and is listed 13th on the results.

The 250SX East region will pick up at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on Saturday, April 29, with Hunter Lawrence carrying a 49-point lead over Deegan and able to clinch the title.

Image: Octopi Media.

TLD Red Bull GasGas rider Barcia came out on top after a shortened 450SX race on a severely rain-affected East Rutherford track to capture the second Monster Energy Supercross win for the manufacturer.

Ken Roczen (Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki) began the grueling final race of the night on the soaked track in the lead, with Barcia and Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC) close behind.

In the early moments, Barcia cut across a bowl turn straight to its exit, taking out Sexton’s front wheel just enough to put the Honda rider on the ground.

Sexton crawled back to fourth but could only come within 42.642s of the victorious Barcia and 17.246s of Roczen, who ended up third.

Barcia went on to collect his second Supercross victory aboard a GasGas MC 450F, winning for the first time since his first race on the bike at the 2021 season-opening Houston race that January.

Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) rode to a solid second place, dealing with not only the miserable track conditions at the end of the night like his 21 competitors but also the adversity of an injured knee due to a qualifying crash earlier in the day.

Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM) finished fifth ahead of Shane McElrath (Twisted Tea Suzuki Progressive Insurance), privateers Kevin Moranz and Benny Bloss, Justin Hill (Team Tedder Monster Energy Mountain Motorsports), and Dean Wilson (Fire Power Honda) in the top 10.

Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) could only reach 12th place after a fall in the whoops.

The premier class will follow the dramatic New Jersey mud race with a return to Nashville. Tomac heads to Music City 11 points ahead of Webb and 21 clear of Sexton with three rounds remaining.

Detailed results