Roczen Retakes Fifth Place in Supercross Championship Standings
Brea, CA – (March 4, 2024) – Daytona International Speedway hosted Round 8 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and a record-breaking crowd filled the grandstands for a night of incredible race action. Soft dirt, coupled with daytime rain, created one of the most challenging tracks the venue has ever delivered. The second 450-class qualifying session was canceled to protect the track and give the track’s crew more time to prepare the dirt for the night’s racing.
Race Highlights:
- Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki
- 450 Class
- Ken Roczen dominated his heat race and delivered a top-five result in the main. Roczen moved up two positions in the championship standings.
- 450 Class
- Twisted Tea Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance
- 450 Class
- Shane McElrath transferred to the main directly from his heat race and brought home a top-15 main event result.
- Kyle Chisholm nearly won the LCQ, then delivered his season-best main event result to move up two positions in the championship standings.
- 450 Class
- Toyota Redlands BarX Suzuki
- 450 Class
- Anthony Bourdon, who sits in seventh place in the 250 West championship, jumped into the 450 class and showed incredible speed on the more powerful Suzuki RM-Z450.
- 250 Class
- Preston Boespflug was fast in qualifying but a setback in the first qualifying session ended his first Daytona early.
- 450 Class
Ken Roczen (94) was never outside the top five throughout qualifying, his heat, and the main event at Daytona.
Ken Roczen (94) holeshot and led in his heat race. A first-lap slide-out dropped Roczen back to fourth. A lap later Roczen passed two riders in one rhythm section, then retook the lead on the next lap and won the heat. A strong start in the main put him in the lead group and he held strong at the front to bring home his fourth top-five finish of the season.
“Daytona was a tough one. The track was the softest it's ever been, so it made for a brutal racetrack,” said Roczen. “We got off to a great start in the heat race. I did have a little tipover, but I was able to go back up to the front and win that one, which was super important for the main event start. In the main event, I had a so-so start, then worked myself up to fourth place behind the three leaders and ran with them for quite a while; but in the end, I wasn't quite fast enough and had to let them go. I ended up coming into the finish line in fifth place, which is not where we want to be, but it could have been worse, too. There were a lot of crashes on a track like this; it was really treacherous. We moved a couple of spots up in the championship and we now put our focus on Birmingham next weekend.”
Shane McElrath (12) actually enjoyed the brutal conditions of the track cut into the Daytona Trioval’s grass.
Shane McElrath (12) used a good start in his heat race to earn a direct transfer to the main event. In the main, McElrath tangled briefly with a Tuff Blox track marker but recovered and charged hard to the finish.
“Honestly what a fun day today,” said McElrath. “The track was extremely challenging and technical, and today is probably the most fun I've had at the races all year. I applied myself on race day the best so far this year. Both of my starts were good tonight, I fought hard, and I rode well.”
Kyle Chisholm (11) put in an exciting battle for the lead in Daytona’s LCQ.
Kyle Chisholm (11) earned his season-best main event result and matched, for the third time, his season-best LCQ result.
“Overall, it was a good day,” stated Chisholm. “The track was gnarly, the dirt was super soft, and there were ruts everywhere all day. The track broke down and changed a lot all day long, so that was tough just to deal with that on its own. I rode well in my heat race. I just missed going straight to the main by one position. Then I ended up second in the LCQ; I almost won it, but I tried to be smart and get into the main event. The main was good. I worked my way through from the back and I ended up 13th. That was my best racing so far this season, so it was a good night overall.”
Anthony Bourdon (100) used an off-weekend from the 250 West class to compete in his first 450-class Supercross.
Anthony Bourdon (100) has impressed American fans in his rookie season in the 250 West class. With 450-class rookie Derek Drake still healing up from an Arlington Supercross crash, Bourdon got the call to ride the BarX Suzuki RM-Z450. Bourdon gained valuable experience in the 450 class on the toughest track so far this year.
“It was an amazing opportunity to ride the Suzuki RM-Z450 at Daytona,” said Bourdon. “It was a last-minute decision as I got the call last Sunday. This race is mythic, and it was a dream to race it. The track was destroyed and full of ruts. I’ve never seen a Supercross track like that, and I felt uncomfortable all night. I am disappointed not to get into the main event, but I learned a lot tonight and it was my first time on a 450 Suzuki. Thank you to my team for believing in me.”
Preston Boespflug (128) is showing great speed in his rookie season but a setback in Daytona timed qualifying cut his day short.
Preston Boespflug (128) had impressive speed on the rutted track but was unable to challenge for more points after an injury in the first qualifying session prevented him from competing further.
“Daytona was gnarly! The track was unbelievably soft,” said Boespflug. “Unfortunately, my day ended quickly due to something out of my control.”
“It was very rough and muddy; it rained during the day and the track was super difficult,” was how Larry Brooks, Team Manager for the Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance, summarized the Daytona conditions. “Ken Roczen tipped over and fought back to the lead of his heat race, which was really good. In the main event, Ken got a mediocre start and caught up to fourth place and then dropped a position toward the end and finished fifth. He's fifth in the Championship now, and that's not too bad, so you know we'll leave here with our heads high. Kyle Chisholm finished 13th, which was good; Kyle was in the main event this weekend. Shane McElrath was also in the main, where he finished 14th. Overall, it was a successful weekend and I'm happy with the way it ended up. We want to continue improving, and we just have to keep working. There are still nine races left. This Supercross series is very deep with competition, so we'll just keep fighting.”
“Tonight was challenging for the team,” said Toyota Redlands BarX Suzuki Team Manager James Coy. “The conditions of the racetrack eliminated any room for errors, and it showed how important making the right decisions and getting good starts can be. We did, however, find positives in the night, and we are looking forward to the next race in Alabama.”
The Suzuki teams will go to battle this Saturday at a new venue as Round 9 takes place inside Protective Stadium, in Birmingham, Alabama.
Please visit SuzukiCycles.com/Racing/Motocross and HEPMotorsports.com for more team news.
Photos by BrownDogWilson Photography
Kyle Chisholm Photo – Courtesy of Pipes Motorsports Group
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