Detroit - Incoming!

Monster Energy AMA Supercross is heading to Detroit, Michigan this week for round 6 of the 17-round Supercross series.

The news heading to Detroit is pretty much all bad. Apart from the fact we have another race this week to watch and enjoy. The number of injury notifications going on this week has been nothing short of depressing.

Do we have to wrap our riders in bubble wrap? Or at least make them all wear head-to-toe versions of the all-new Alpinestars airbag chest protector? Something has to be improved here. But let's get to the news this week heading to Detroit.

  • Do you know how cold it is going to be in Detroit? In Short Freezing. It's meant to snow on race day. Good thing they are in a dome. But the poor privateers might be hiding out in the bowels of the stadium somewhere to find heat this week. It is a day race also to try and encourage fans to come to the race. Let's hope nobody gets snowed in or snowed out and can't make the race.

  • Eli Tomac and Hunter Lawrence have joined Jett Lawrence on the sidelines this week for Supercross. Eli Tomac raced in a main event with a broken leg. Now before you all good off on how tough he is. Yes, he is tough. But it's only his fibula. It is a non-weight bearing and quite possible to push through once the adrenaline kicked in. but the turned-out foot position he had going on was to not load that fibula and helped him manage his night. You do have to wonder if he got an x-ray with the Alpinestars medic unit after the incident would he have still tried to race? Ignorance is bliss but in this case a lot of pain also. For Hunter Lawrence an ill-timed fade wide landing has seen him find a tuff block and go down hard. Fractures to his shoulder region and ligament damage will require surgical intervention. He is out for Supercross. What will that mean for the Lawrence brothers fan experience? Two guys in lawn chairs just throwing them back with the VIPS? Might be worth a ticket now???

  • Pierce Brown ensured that it’s not just the top end of the 450 class that is going out injured. A big crash in the whoops in the main for Pirece has left him with a fractured T5 (Thoracic Vertebrae, basically right between your shoulder blades). Surgery has been completed but he is also out for some time now. Such a shame as he looked like a guy who could win regularly on his new ride with Star Racing Yamaha.

  • I still can't get over how bad that Thor gear set looked for the 250 Star team. Not only the colour but the placement of the Thor logo over the crutch was also a head-scratcher.

  • Chase Sexton seems to have refound his 2023 Honda Mojo. Just when you think he has the race won. He is lying on the ground. Was it the pressure from Malcolm Stewart? Was it the crowd? Was it just bad luck and a slick set of whoops? It has become quite an alarming pattern for Chase in Supercross. Something I'm sure he wants to forget but will no doubt be reminded of by every fan in his autograph line this week in Detroit.

  • Malcolm Stewart. What a night in Tampa. But is that repeatable? For many, the long wait to a win can be so much weight, that once they achieve it, they have no drive anymore. For others, it can open a floodgate of confidence. Which will it be for Malcolm? Anything short of a podium this week for Malcolm may raise an eyebrow on his performance last week. But I feel that won't be an issue now the field is a little light on heavy hitters.

  • Is Max Anstie the real deal in 2025? The Brit was on his game in Tampa taking the Est Coast opener. He was noticeably shorter in his length of post-race interview on the broadcast. I feel he was quietly confident and trying to let his riding do the talking. Should the field be worried about this version of Max Anstie? I think they should be and we will know more after Detroit.

  • What Privateers will be making the main event in Detroit? With Eli Tomac, Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence, Jorge Prado, Cade Clason, Freddie Noren (Potentially still out), and Dylan Ferrandis out of action with injuries. We open the door for a few new privateer faces in the main event. Who steps up to the gate? Grant Harlan, Bubba Pauli, Logan Karnow, and Jeremy Hand are just a few who will be trying to make the most of the opportunity of a weaker field.

  • We went into the East Coast season with talk of the deepest field every in a single coast for 250 supercross. But I'm not sure that's what we got in Tampa. From RJ Hampshire having a hell of a time with a tuff block, to what could have been a 1,2,3 for Star Racing had Pierce Brown not gone down. I left wondering where the depth ended up. Hopefully this week things turn around. Austin Forkner should be over his illness. RJ Hampshire will be spicy after that tuff block incident, and will the defending champ Tom Vialle find his footing now that the opener is out of the way?

  •  Who will Aaron Plessinger photo-bomb during a TV interview this week?

  • With Jett and Eli out. Looking ahead, who wins Daytona this year??? That's only a few weeks away. Could be an interesting race in 2025.

  • Will Cooper Webb get a good start this week in Detroit? That could be all that's missing as he has been riding fantastic since Glendale. Just missed a start in Tampa otherwise he might have rained on Malcolm's parade.

Do we get another new winner this week in the 450’s? Do we continue the streak in the 250 class of a new winner each week? Or will Max Anstie repeat??

That’s the news heading to Detroit. See you at the track.

By David Hogan (@always.moto on Instagram)

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