Suzuki Racers Mark Nashville Supercross with Big Strides and Season-Bests
- Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki
- 450 Class
- Ken Roczen delivered his third-straight podium finish to move his Suzuki RM-Z450 up into fourth place in the championship.
- Marshal Weltin showed good pace on track conditions that challenged riders in both classes.
- 450 Class
- Kyle Chisholm topped his season-best result in the main after matching his season-best heat race result.
- Shane McElrath advanced to the main directly from his heat race.
- 450 Class
Ken Roczen (94) carried his podium streak to three carding his fifth podium of the season.
Ken Roczen demonstrated once again he's getting stronger and faster in his first season on the Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki RM-Z450. Roczen battled forward on the dry, cobbly Nashville track and used his podium result to advance in the championship.
"We had two completely different conditions throughout the day, from pretty wet and super tacky to dry and rutty. It was a super gnarly, sketchy track that collected a lot of people tonight," Roczen said about the high frequency of crashes from other riders. He then added, "My start in the main event was horrible. My first couple of laps were absolutely horrible. I made a lot of mistakes and I went backwards. Then I just worked my way up. I wasn't really riding that well, to be honest. Once I found myself in third I had so far to go to the front and I had a gap on the rider behind me, so I was being smart. The track was sketchy and we brought it home in third with the team. A podium is great, especially with the circumstances; you have to keep it rubber side down. We may have been a bit lucky with some things tonight, but it was tough out there and we made it happen. We're back on the podium, so we're looking forward to the last few rounds to finish it out strong."
Kyle Chisholm (11) had the best race of his season with a top-ten result at Nashville.
Kyle Chisholm used his Twisted Tea Suzuki RM-Z450's precise throttle response on the track which dried out during the rare daytime Supercross event.
"I liked the track. I felt good on the track all day, my bike worked really well, and we really didn’t make any changes all weekend," Chisholm told. "A fifth in the heat race gave us a good pick for the main. I ripped my start, came out pretty strong then tried to push the first few laps to get myself in a good position. My riding was pretty solid; not my best, but it was pretty good. Mid-race I had some bad laps, but I was able to turn it around, find some better lines, and come out with a top ten. I got a ninth, so I'm pumped on that, and we'll aim to do it again the next two weekends."
Shane McElrath (12) showed great speed at the series' second-ever visit to the Music City.
Shane McElrath earned sixth place in his heat race for a direct transfer to the main. Although the main was not the race he was looking for, his heat race finish matched his season best – a result he's earned five times in the 2023 season.
"Today was a pretty tough day," said McElrath. "The track was a pretty straightforward build but the conditions were very tough. It was really hard-packed but at the same time, the ruts were super grabby. I raced pretty well in my heat race and came from behind. Then in the main I was struggling with the track then we had an issue and cut our race short. So we'll regroup, work on a few things this week, and be ready for the last two."
Marshal Weltin (50) put in fast laps on his Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki RM-250 through the track’s changing conditions.
Marshal Weltin qualified strong but unfortunately was unable to put his speed to good use after crash damage from hitting another bike impacted his heat race result and LCQ gate pick.
"This was a tough go today," admitted Weltin. "I got into some crashes early on in qualifying. In the heat race, I got into it with a couple of riders. I struggled to get off the gate today, which put me in a bad position. I just have to be better getting off the line and put myself in a stronger position."
"We had a good night," summed up Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance Team Manager Larry Brooks. "Roczen rode really well. In his heat, he finished third and in the main event, he finished third and moved back to fourth in the championship. I'm really happy with how he rode and how he maintained his fight in the points chase. Kyle Chisholm did really well; finishing fifth in his heat race and then ninth in the main event. That's his best finish this year. Shane McElrath had a bike issue which breaks my heart. And Weltin definitely didn't ride to his potential here. Overall, though, I'm pretty stoked this year and we're getting stronger as the year goes on. So yep, we'll keep 'er moving and keep the ball rolling."
The supercross series marches next to Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado for round 16 for the 450 class and round 8 for the 250 West racers on March 6th. The Suzuki riders and teams are ready for Denver as well as the season finale inside Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 13th.
For more team news, and the latest from the Supercross season and SMX World Championship series, please visit SuzukiCycles.com/Racing/Motocross and HEPMotorsports.com.
Photos by BrownDogWilson Photography
