2023 Joliet SuperMotocross | Pre-Race News Break & Interviews

2023 JOLIET SUPERMOTOCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE 

It’s race day at the 2023 Joliet SuperMotocross, the second round in the combined mega series. A unique and fast track has been laid over the flat infield and the banked first turn at Chicagoland Speedway.

Dirt Wurx was forced to alter their design after heavy rain on Monday slowed the build and made the grass too soft for equipment to drive over. The finished product is much different from the original renderings, with changes to the first turn and finish line, repurposing of the over-under bridge, and an amended sand section.

This weekend was always supposed to be the most motocross-inspired stop in the playoffs, and riders told us they were working with their outdoor setups and going all the way through the gears during the Free Practice sessions.

Friday’s lap times were incredibly close, with fractions of a second separating riders in both divisions. Justin Cooper’s 1:51.708 set the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider at the top of the 250 Class, but a 1:51.765 by Tom Vialle and a 1:51.799 by Hunter Lawrence put the international riders a very close second and third.

The 450 Class was even tighter, and the top seven riders were within a second of each other. Jett Lawrence’s best was a 1:51.012, while Jason Anderson did 1:51.174, Ken Roczen a 1:51.268, Garrett Marchbanks a 1:51.305, Adam Cianciarulo a 1:51.748, Chase Sexton a 1:51.942, and Justin Barcia a 1:51.943.

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki has pulled Carson Mumford and Austin Forkner. Mumford’s illness-induced absence means another rider will advance from the 250 LCQ, while Forkner’s aggravated knee cuts the unseeded entry list down to eight.

Here’s how the top riders are ranked in the championship standings going into tonight’s 50-point payout.

Jo Shimoda and Haiden Deegan are tied for the top spot in the 250 Class with 42, and both will run the red plate during the motos. Hunter Lawrence is third with 39, Tom Vialle fourth with 38, Levi Kitchen fifth with 35, Jordon Smith sixth with 30, Ryder DiFrancesco seventh with 28, Justin Cooper eighth with 27, RJ Hampshire ninth with 26, and Max Vohland tenth with 25.

Chase Sexton has a double-digit advantage in the 450 Class, as the adjustment points and round one win put him at an even 50. Jett Lawrence and Aaron Plessinger are split for second with 38, Dylan Ferrandis is fourth with 37, Ken Roczen fifth with 36, Jason Anderson sixth with 32, Cooper Webb seventh with 30, Justin Barcia eighth with 27, Adam Cianciarulo ninth with 24, and Garrett Marchbanks tenth with 22.