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MONSTER ENERGY® KAWASAKI RIDERS CAPTURE TOP 5 FINISHES IN NASHVILLE
Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Chase Sexton delivered a strong charge through the field at Round 13 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship in Nashville, finishing fourth in the 450 Main Event on a dry and slick race track. Teammate Garrett Marchbanks continued to build momentum throughout the night, earning an eighth-place finish. In the 250SX Class, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Seth Hammaker showed front-running speed throughout the day, finishing fifth in the main event after battling up front. Teammates Nick Romano and Drew Adams added eighth and 10th-place finishes, respectively, with Adams turning in a determined ride in front of his hometown crowd in Tennessee.
Sexton and Marchbanks built momentum throughout the first day race of the season as they adapted to the track’s dry and difficult conditions. Sexton experienced an early setback in the first qualifying session after a mistake placed him 11th, but he was able to rebound with a stronger ride in the second session to secure eighth overall in qualifying under one second back from the fastest time. Marchbanks delivered consistent laps across both sessions, improving his times and positioning himself 14th overall, with both riders gaining a sense of comfort heading into the race program.
During 450 Heat 1, Marchbanks capitalized on a strong start to place himself inside the Top 5 early, maintaining a competitive pace as the track conditions continued to deteriorate. He navigated the rhythm sections with confidence and remained in contention before ultimately finishing sixth. Sexton started deep in the field and demonstrated his ability to charge forward, making steady and controlled passes through the pack to secure a seventh-place finish and transfer directly into the main event.
The 450 Main Event saw both riders work forward from outside the Top 10, with each finding momentum as the race unfolded. Sexton settled into a strong rhythm and began methodically working his way through the field after rounding the first turn in 17th position, the No.4 Kawasaki executed clean passes and capitalized on opportunities as riders made mistakes. After a brief off-track moment, he quickly regrouped and continued his charge, making a decisive pass to move into fifth before advancing into fourth with another well-timed move. Maintaining a consistent pace through the closing laps, Sexton closed in on a podium finish but ultimately secured a fourth-place finish that reflected his late-race strength and progression throughout the night. Marchbanks also showed determination throughout the main event, pushing into the Top 10 and set the fastest segment time of the race across the slick start straight to the triple. He continued to advance, picking off riders with strong passes, ultimately taking eighth-place. Following Round 13, Sexton sits sixth in the 450 Championship standings, while Marchbanks holds 16th overall.
In the 250SX Class, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders set the tone early with strong qualifying performances, led by Hammaker, who secured fastest overall qualifier after finishing second in the first qualifying session and topping the second session by almost four tenths of a second. Adams and Romano backed up the effort with consistent rides of their own, qualifying fourth and ninth overall, respectively, placing all three riders in a strong position heading into the race program.
Adams returned from injuring his thumb and delivered a strong start in 250 Heat 1 by rounding the first corner in second and maintaining the position through the race with a composed and dominating ride to finish a hard fought second. In 250 Heat 2, Hammaker and Romano both started up front, immediately placing themselves in podium contention as Hammaker made an assertive move into the lead and controlled the race from there to take his 2nd heat race win of the season. Romano remained steady throughout the heat to finish fourth, giving the team strong representation heading into the main event. Kawasaki riders made of the most market share of the 250 Main Event with eight KX™250 riders transferring directly to the main.
In the 250 Main Event, all three Pro Circuit riders launched to strong starts and positioned themselves inside the Top 10 on the opening lap, immediately placing the team in the mix at the front of the field. Adams showed early speed in the Top 5 before going down on Lap 4 and remounting to continue his charge, while Romano maintained a solid position inside the Top 10 as the race developed. Up front, Hammaker quickly established himself as a contender, engaging in a tight battle for position before making a decisive pass to move into second and applying pressure at the front of the field. While pushing to maintain momentum, Hammaker clipped a tuff block in the rhythm section and went down, dropping him back to fourth. Demonstrating resilience, he regrouped quickly and worked his way forward once again, reentering the battle for a podium position and reclaiming third place on track. In the closing laps, the second place rider lost traction, causing Hammaker to fall victim while preparing to pass on the inside. Hammaker maintained his focus to bring home a third-place podium finish, a result that tamed his front-running speed and determination throughout the night. Following a post-race penalty for missing a tuff block when remounting from his crash, Hammaker was officially penalized two positions and classified fifth overall. Romano crossed the line in eighth after a consistent ride, while Adams recovered from his early setback to work his way back to 10th. MX6 Racing riders Henry Miller and Marshal Weltin once again put their Kawasaki machines in the Top 10 finishing sixth and ninth, respectively. Going into the next round in Cleveland for the last Triple Crown, Hammaker sits second in the Eastern Divisional Championship standings 19 points back from the lead.
“Nashville was a bit of a struggle all day, but we salvaged a good result. I was able to come from pretty far back in the main and work my way up to fourth, which was a positive, but we need to put ourselves in a better position earlier in the race. It begins with better starts and making it easier on myself. I love racing here in Nashville and I’m grateful to be out here, so we’ll keep building and come back stronger next weekend.”
- Chase Sexton
“It was a solid day overall. Qualifying wasn’t where we wanted it to be, but we made some really positive changes going into the night show. In the heat race, it took me a couple of laps to get going, but once I settled in, I started to feel more comfortable with the bike. In the main event, I had an OK start and got a little caught up in the first turn, but I was able to make some good passes early and start moving forward. Around halfway through, I found a good flow and was able to put in some strong laps and continue making progress. I got up to eighth and tried to push for seventh, but they were a bit too far ahead, so I focused on riding my own race and finishing strong. Overall, a solid step in the right direction.”
- Garrett Marchbanks
“Qualifying felt really good, I felt comfortable with the track right away and was able to put in some strong laps. The heat went well too. I got off to a good start, made the pass for the lead, and felt confident heading into the main event. In the main event, I didn’t get the best start, but I was able to work my way around the inside and come out near the front. I made a few quick passes and got up into second, then I was focused on chasing down first place. I made a mistake in the rhythm section and clipped a tuff block, which sent me off the bike and set me back. From there, I regrouped and was able to charge back into podium position. Late in the race, there was another incident that put me down again, but I kept pushing and fought back to finish third. It was a tough race, but overall I felt really good about my riding and the progress we made. It’s not over and we’ll push again next week to fight for this championship.”
- Seth Hammaker
“Qualifying was actually my best of the year, I ended up in ninth. As for the rest of the night, there’s not a whole lot to break down, it just wasn’t where I needed to be. I know I need to be more aggressive early on in the opening laps and focus on being more consistent throughout the main event. The speed is there, and the starts were there too, so it’s just about putting everything together for the race. We’ll keep working and look ahead to better results.”
- Nick Romano
“It was good to be here in Nashville, especially with it being my home race, so that part was really cool. Overall, it was an alright day. The heat race was the highlight. I got off to a good start and finished second, and honestly, that’s where I felt the best all day. My starts were strong all day, which is something I can build off of. In the main event, I started up front again, but made a small mistake in the rhythm section that set me back quite a bit. From there, it was just about putting my head down and working back through the field, which I was able to do to get back to 10th. Not the result I was looking for, but there are definitely positives to take from it.”
- Drew Adams