Detroit SX rocks 450 points chase
By Team TMX on 30th Mar 26
Round 11 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship delivered on its reputation for unpredictability, as a brutal Detroit track inside Ford Field turned the 450SX title fight on its head.
A punishing layout - headlined by arguably the toughest whoop section of the season - pushed riders to their limits and created the perfect storm for a shake-up in the standings. Emerging strongest from the chaos was Ken Roczen, who produced a commanding ride to secure his 25th career victory.
Early on, it was Jorge Prado who grabbed the holeshot ahead of Roczen and a returning Chase Sexton, back in action after injury. But it didn’t take long for Roczen to take control, seizing the lead just a few laps in as the track began to bite.
Behind him, chaos unfolded. Prado tangled with Cooper Webb and went down, while championship protagonists Hunter Lawrence and Eli Tomac were left fighting through the pack after poor starts.
Lawrence looked to be salvaging a solid result as he charged into podium contention, but his race unravelled in the whoops with a heavy crash that ultimately cost him a lap. From there, the title leader could only recover to 18th.
Out front, Roczen kept it composed, edging clear of Sexton before managing the race to perfection. He crossed the line 7.7 seconds clear, with Sexton an impressive second on his comeback ride. Malcolm Stewart completed the podium with his first top-three finish of the season.
Further back, Tomac salvaged fifth to reclaim the championship lead, now holding a four-point advantage over Lawrence, while Roczen’s win moves him to within 14 points - setting up a genuine three-rider fight with six rounds remaining.
The Eastern 250 class delivered just as much drama, with Cole Davies producing a stunning charge from outside the top 10 to claim his third consecutive victory.
After early leader Nate Thrasher crashed out of contention, Seth Hammaker took control - only for Davies to carve through the field with devastating pace through the whoops.
The New Zealander hit the front late on and checked out to win by over 12 seconds, ahead of Hammaker, with Jo Shimoda completing the podium.
Davies’ third straight win extends his championship lead to nine points, with momentum firmly on his side heading into the next round.
