2019 East Rutherford Supercross | Race Preview

April 24, 2019

2019 EAST RUTHERFORD SUPERCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

After a single weekend off to break up fifteen consecutive rounds of competition, the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Series will resume action this weekend with the 2019 East Rutherford Supercross. The break, though short, has increased the intrigue in the series and Saturday’s racing could bring any number of outcomes. Will Cooper Webb clinch his first 450 SX title or can Eli Tomac take it to the final round in Las Vegas? Then there’s the 250 East Coast region, which has a wounded Austin Forkner on defense against Chase Sexton and Justin Cooper with only a few points to spare. All of that, plus variables like the open-air venue at MetLife Stadium and two classes full of competitors, make it impossible to predict what will happen. Why not ratchet up the interest a little more with an in-depth look at the track layout riders will face in New Jersey? Let’s get into it…

An eagle-eyed forum poster on Vital MX recently pointed out that the design for this weekend’s race is almost identical to the 2014 Atlanta Supercross track with a leap over the first turn, long rhythm lanes, two whoop pads, and hairpin turn before the finish line. Did this design allow for riders to battle for positions or was it a runaway win? A look at the GoPro footage from that night shows that yeah, Ken Roczen and Ryan Villopoto were able to make plenty of passes, but both made their share of mistakes over the course of the moto.

Now, we know the red clay of Georgia is completely different than the dark dirt of New Jersey, so that’s one thing that doesn’t exactly carry over, but East Rutherford is still known for soft soil and ruts. Which rider will that favor? Cooper Webb has excelled in technical, chewed up tracks this year while Eli Tomac’s recent run of Main Event wins occurred on dry, hard packed courses. This is an important thing to note, especially with the talk of Tomac’s breakthroughs with the setup of the new Monster Energy Kawasaki KX450.

The last time that the series stopped in New Jersey, things got very interesting. Tomac came to the race with control of the championship but crashed while up front in the Main Event, struggled to regain a rhythm, and finished in eighth place. His title rival Ryan Dungey, meanwhile, ran second for most of the race and was greatly aided by the controversial “mistake” Marvin Musquin made in the final moments that gave the Red Bull KTM rider the Main Event win and points lead. Here we are two years later and Tomac is in contention for the title against another Red Bull KTM rider (this time it’s Cooper Webb), while Musquin has the pace to run at the front but is a longshot for the title and could totally have an impact on the outcome. Something to think about.

As for the 250 East Coast region, Austin Forkner and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki will do what they can to stay in the hunt for the championship. From what we’ve been told, Forkner’s ACL is severely damaged and all efforts are being made to keep him on the bike for two more races. If the track is rough and rutted, he’ll have to be extremely careful not to catch his bad leg in a hole. Sitting out the Nashville race cut his points lead from twenty-six to just three, but it was salvaged by Martin Davalos’ win over Chase Sexton and Justin Cooper. Will Forkner be able to fight through the pain or is this the time for a sudden swing in momentum?

And as we mentioned above, MetLife Stadium is an open-air venue and it looks like about three-quarters of an inch of rain could fall in the days leading up to the race (East Rutherford got about a quarter of an inch of rain on Monday and more than a half-inch is expected on Friday). Dirt Wurx does a great job at protecting tracks from the elements, so the weather could all be non-factor, especially with clear skies and sixty-degree temperatures forecasted for Saturday.

Lastly, this is a daytime race and the 450 Main Event will be run during dusk. The early schedule will be one thing that riders will adapt to easily, but changing light conditions can cause shadows on the track. It’ll be interesting to see what lens tint riders opt for with their goggles.