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SETH HAMMAKER DOMINATES DAYTONA SUPERCROSS
Monster Energy® Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Seth Hammaker dominated the 250SX Main Event from start to finish at the iconic Daytona International Speedway for Round 8 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. Teammate Drew Adams was a force to be reckoned with on the day as he secured the fastest overall qualifier and the heat race win, but a racing incident in the main event forced him to retire early on the night. Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Garrett Marchbanks put on a strong performance, securing a 450SX career-best finish of seventh place. Chase Sexton missed Round 8 after sustaining lower back and hip injuries earlier in the week. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green™ riders Vincent Wey and Kade Johnson battled their way through the SMX Next Main Event to take home third and fourth place, respectively.
The Daytona round, known for its storied history and premier racing atmosphere, provided the perfect backdrop for a special collaboration. Monster Energy Kawasaki and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki unveiled exclusive Morgan Wallen graphics to celebrate the partnership with Kawasaki, Monster Energy, and Wallen’s upcoming Still The Problem Tour that kicks off in April. The weekend also featured Jeremy McGrath’s Holeshot King event on Friday night with an incredible line-up of Daytona legends. In addition to McGrath, Kawasaki Brand Ambassadors Adam Cianciarulo and Axell Hodges lined up on their KX™450SR machines. In a bracket elimination format, Hodges took down a cast of the world’s best motocross champions, launching holeshot after holeshot to take the Daytona Holeshot King title.
Despite heavy rain overnight, the Pro Circuit team quickly sorted out the rutted and sandy track in 250SX qualifying with Hammaker setting the pace and posting the fastest time, while Adams wasn’t far behind in fourth in the first session. Hammaker started the second session back on top, but a crash in the rhythm section forced him to exit early as his bike was too damaged to continue comfortably. Meanwhile, Adams delivered a standout performance in qualifying, pacing the field by nearly one second to capture his first career 250SX fastest qualifier.
The teammates would line up side by side on the far inside of the gate for Heat 2 of the night. Adams earned himself first gate pick with his strong qualifying time, and he would use it to his advantage by nearly claiming the holeshot. Only a couple turns later, he made the pass for the lead and controlled the race from the front. Hammaker came through the first turn in sixth and quickly went to work to move his way up into third. The Top 3 engaged in a tight battle as Adams held off pressure from behind and Hammaker charged to the front. After the No. 10 Kawasaki made the pass for second, he closed in on the rear fender of his teammate, battling for the lead in the closing laps. While charging to try and take the lead, Hammaker would tip over in the final turn before the finish. Able to quickly get up, he would take third in the heat race, while Adams secured his first heat race victory.
As the gate dropped in the 250SX Main Event, Hammaker charged down the start straight, pushing by his competitors to claim the holeshot. Adams, close behind, came through fifth off the gate and instantly started moving to the front. Already moving into third by Lap 2, the No. 35 was putting heavy pressure on second place. Meanwhile, Hammaker was setting the pace out front, in control of his own race and the field as he started to move away. At the halfway mark, Adams would slip back to fourth place after dealing with immense pressure from surrounding competitors. With less than five minutes left in the race, Adams would crash in the whoops section, resulting in a broken thumb and being unable to finish the race. Hammaker continued to click off laps with ease, gapping the field by over four seconds. The No. 10 would control the race from start to finish to take the coveted Daytona victory.
In SMX Next qualifying, both Team Green™ riders would put up strong times, placing themselves at the top of the field. Wey consistently placed inside the Top 5 in both sessions, while Johnson earned a Top 5 result in the second session. Wey would finish qualifying fourth overall, while Johnson took sixth overall, setting up both riders for strong gate picks in the main event.
In the SMX Next Main Event, Johnson launched off the gate and inches away from claiming the holeshot, while Wey came across in sixth. Johnson kept pressure on the leader through the opening lap, then powered his way through the whoops section to take over the lead. Johnson fought to stay up front as the pressure from the rider behind him grew, but would tip over in a tight inside option lane turn while trying to maintain the lead. Wey worked his way through the field quickly, moving into a podium position. Johnson would remount his bike in fifth place and work his way through the pack back to the front. The teammates would take part in an intense battle, swapping positions in the final moments of the race. Wey had his eyes on a podium finish as he moved back into third place before the final lap. Johnson would rebound from his tip over to finish right behind his teammate in fourth place.
In 450SX qualifying, Marchbanks set a consistent pace to start the day with ninth overall as he learned the demanding Daytona track and proved that the team’s successful test in Florida leading up to Daytona would pay off at the end of the night.
In Heat 2, Marchbanks pulled a strong start, placing himself inside the Top 5 right away. The No. 36 Kawasaki would battle against the top competitors, swapping positions with the rider in front of him. On the final lap, Marchbanks would find himself in the mix, pressuring a two-rider battle in front of him. Unable to find a place to pass, Marchbanks would cross the line with a solid fifth-place finish, matching his best heat race finish this season.
In the 450SX Main Event, Marchbanks pulled another strong start, placing himself just outside the Top 5 aboard his KX™450SR. Through the opening laps, the No. 36 found himself in tight battles while trying to hold off the pressure from a very competitive field. Marchbanks stayed consistent and in control of his race as he crossed the finish line in seventh place to take home his career-best finish in the 450SX Class.
“It felt good to get the win on a difficult track like this and get it done this early in the season. I’ve had good results here the past couple of years with podium finishes, but to now get the win feels like a dream come true. I had a rough go in the second session of qualifying. I wanted to get back up after my crash, but my bike was a bit bent up to get back out there. We went back and regrouped before the night show and were able to get it done. I’m stoked to get this win and keep the momentum rolling into Indy.”
- Seth Hammaker
“The day started off really well, I was pumped on getting fastest qualifier and backing it up with the heat race win. This was my first time racing at Daytona professionally, and it was cool to experience the whole atmosphere and hear all the fans. I was feeling really good in the main event and just got a bit out of shape in the whoops that led me to crash and fracture my thumb. I’m going to get it checked out this week and really hope to be back next weekend in Indy.”
- Drew Adams
“I’m really happy with how the day turned out. I rode consistent laps all day through qualifying and the heat race, plus my starts were much better. I was happy I was able to put laps together for the whole 20 minutes in the main event and be in the mix with everyone. We put in a lot of work in Florida this week to get to this point, and I’m really appreciative of all the time the team has been putting in to get us where we belong. I’m hopeful we can build on this and continue to get better results each week.”
- Garrett Marchbanks
