2020 Salt Lake City Four Supercross | Qualifying Report

2020 SALT LAKE CITY FOUR SUPERCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

Qualifying is complete for the 2020 Salt Lake City Four Supercross. Riders spent the afternoon learning the flow of a new track layout at Rice Eccles Stadium, which is basically Sunday’s track run in a reverse direction; the exit of the first turn was moved over a lane and all of the obstacles were reshaped so they have the proper lips and landings. There were still some wet spots from Sunday’s rain in the soil during the Free Practice session, which is most noticeable in the transition of the jumps, but riders had worn in a hard base beneath the top layer of fluff by the end of the second Timed Qualifying Session. Hopefully, tonight’s cool temperatures keep moisture in and we see a repeat of last Wednesday night’s race.

Oh, one last thing about the track: the build is a bit more mellow than the prior round, which is intended to help the 250 West Coast riders in their return to action after 120-plus days on the sidelines.

2020 SALT LAKE CITY FOUR SUPERCROSS | 250 WEST COAST REGION

Justin Cooper was the star of the afternoon in the 250 Class. The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider had the top lap times in both rounds of Timed Qualifying, with a 46.098 in Session One and a 45.705 in Session Two.

Teammate Dylan Ferrandis wasn’t too far behind. The incoming championship leader’s best lap came in Session Two and was just 0.106 seconds off of Cooper. If you want an exact number, the time was 45.806.

Teenage sensation Jett Lawrence was quick in his return to action following a broken collarbone back in January. The GEICO Honda rider posted a 45.891 in Session Two, one of only three riders in the 250 Class to post a 45-second time.

Christian Craig is another GEICO Honda rider that’s back on the line after missing races with a broken hand (remember, the team didn’t have a rider on the track at Oakland or San Diego). The veteran was fourth fastest in the class thanks to a 46.030 time.

Austin Forkner was fifth-fastest in the 250 West Coast Region, with a 46.113 time on his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki. Keep an eye on Forkner and Lawrence in the night’s races, because the two exchanged block passes and went down after a dispute during the final Timed Qualifying Session.

2020 SALT LAKE CITY FOUR SUPERCROSS | 450 CLASS

And that’s Top Qualifier honors for Blake Baggett in Utah. The Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM rider found the fast line around the track during his last lap of Session Two in Timed Qualifying and crossed the finish line with a 44.704. Will we see Baggett in a battle for a spot near the front of the field tonight?

Oh yeah, Ken Roczen’s best time in qualifying was also on the last lap of Session Two. The Team Honda HRC rider put in a 44.975, making him the only rider other than Baggett in the 44-second range.

Eli Tomac was third on the top of the board during Qualifying, thanks to a 45.088 by the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider in Session Two. Things are going well for the championship leader.

Cooper Webb had an eventful afternoon. The Red Bull KTM rider caught an inside line during the Session One of Timed Qualifying, ran into a trackside Tuff Block, and went down. It was a decent slam for the defending champion, one that could not have felt good, but he brushed it off and was fourth-fastest in the class with a 45.431.

Dean Wilson has been very quick at these Utah races and with a 45.545 time, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider was fifth-fastest in the class.