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2019 Denver Supercross | Kickstart

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2019 Denver Supercross | Kickstart

Presented by THOR

We’re back in sunny SoCal and finally defrosted from a chilly weekend in Denver, Colorado, for the first Supercross in the mile high city in 23 years. And what a time it was! Practice saw snowfall and slippery conditions, but the skies cleared and the sun popped out to dry out the track just in time for the final qualifying sessions and night show.

Simple and Fast

The track inside Mile High Stadium was simplified by the Dirt Wurx Crew in anticipation of snow-induced muddy conditions, and the result was a hard-packed, fast racetrack that yielded a 21-lap 250 main and a 28-lap 450 main. Still, the racing was intense and exciting, and racers still found places to pass on what was a relatively simple circuit.

Home-State Hero

The Eli Tomac that showed up last weekend was, simply put, the ET3 that we have been waiting to see all season long. Fired up to win in front of his friends and family, the Cortez, Colorado, native made it clear that he would not be denied the win. Tomac looked more aggressive, confident, and assertive than he has all season long as he worked his way to the front of the 450 on lap six after a brief skirmish with holeshot winner Marvin Musquin. The sound of the crowd as Eli circulated the track was deafening, as there was no secret who its favorite was. “It was nuts!” said Tomac later. “It was crazy – I could hear the crowd the entire way around the track.”

Breathing Room

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo came into Denver with a five-point lead over Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Dylan Ferrandis, and his primary objective to win and add to his cushion entering the Las Vegas finals. Though he faltered at the Houston Triple Crown two weeks ago, the Cianciarulo who showed up at Mile High Stadium was the picture of perfection. Though he shadowed holeshot winner Michael Mosiman for the first six laps of the race without making a pass stick, AC took control of the race on lap seven and never looked back. AC’s points gain was minimalized by a fantastic charge through the pack by Ferrandis. After suffering an average start, the Yamaha rider worked through the field with precision and crossed the finish line in second. Entering Las Vegas, there is an eight-point gap between the two championship rivals.

Deano Down

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Dean Wilson crashed spectacularly early in the 450 main when he shorted a tricky triple at the start of a long rhythm section. Wilson left the track in the back of the Alpinestars Mobile Medical Unit UTV, and we saw him leaving in the back of an ambulance later in the evening. As of Monday at noon, we exchanged texts with Wilson, who said there was no prognosis just yet as to the extent of his injuries. Get well soon, Deano!

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Donn Maeda

Donn Maeda is a 30-year veteran in moto-journalism, having worked at Cycle News and Dirt Rider before launching MXracer Magazine and TransWorld Motocross Magazine. Maeda is the Editor-In-Chief at Swapmoto Live and you can catch him on a dirt bike or in the saddle of a mountain bike on most days.

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