(Madera, CA, Feb 27th, 2023) – The second Triple Crown of the Supermotocross series took place this past Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This Triple Crown was no different from the rest, with tons of excitement for the fans and great racing.
Ken Roczen had an intense night on his Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki, with 5th overall going 2-6-4 in three main events. Shane McElrath put his Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance, in the top 15. Kyle Chisholm was right there behind him, finishing 16th overall. Our 250cc East Coast rider, Marshal Weltin, made gains with 16th place on his Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki.
Real improvement from the last round for Ken Roczen. Finishing 5th overall going 2-6-4 in three main events. Ken’s first moto was an impressive display of racing, locking in second place the entire race with a rocket launch of a start. Ken carried that momentum into the subsequent two main events with solid 6th and 4th place results.
“Our day here in Arlington went a lot better than last weekend,” said Ken Roczen. “I was able to put it on the board every practice that we went out, which I wasn’t able to do at all this year. So that was good. We are still tinkering with the bike a little bit. Coming down to the main events, I got two really good starts. In the first main event, I found myself in second, battling with Eli the whole time, and I was able to bring it home in second.
For the second main event, I got another good start, but I got passed by Chase before the dragon’s back, and he made a mistake before the whoops, and we got together, and we both almost crashed, and I lost a couple positions. These guys are all really fast. We were riding great. Going into the third main, we were feeling really good, and I kind of messed up and wasn’t far upfront. I made some passes happen, and a couple of people crashed, and I found myself in 4th place. We were riding a lot better today, and the team has been doing a really good job helping me out and putting in a lot of work. I’m really appreciative and can’t wait for next weekend.”
Good night for Shane McElrath on this Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance RMZ 450. Running with the top ten numerous times in each Main, he put together respectable finishes with 16th, 12th, and 13th for a 15th overall in Arlington, Texas. Look for continued success heading into the next round for McElrath and the team.
“Lot of laps in Arlington,” said Shane McElrath. “Felt good to race every single race. We are making big strides and making progress. All in all, it was a really good weekend. I ended up 15th overall. I’m excited to see you guys in Daytona.”
Close call at the end for Kyle Chisholm going down in the whoop section of the final main event. Fortunately, he was okay and able to finish the race. It was a long night for Chisholm, racing on a hurt knee throughout the day. He was shy of the top 18 in qualifying and forced to race the last chance qualifier. In the LCQ, Kyle showed the fans why he didn’t belong there, taking the win. Chisholm carried that momentum into the main event, with a veteran display of racing in three main events for 16th overall.
“Got through this round with a little crash at the end,” said Kyle Chisholm. “I’m pretty sore from it, but I’m okay. Overall had some good moments. I missed out on qualifying and had to race the last-chance qualifier. It’s never fun to be in there, but I made the most of that and got the win. So that was good. I was happy with my second main event. I rode well. The third main event didn’t have the best start had to work my way up, and I made a dumb mistake and went down in the whoops. Overall, I was fine, just more mad than anything. I finished 16th overall, so I was really happy about that progress.
I’m looking forward to Daytona this week. “
A step in the right direction for Weltin. He continues to catch his stride. Three solid main events from him resulted in 16th overall. Qualifying straight into the top 18, Marshal looked very good on his Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki RMZ 250cc motorcycle.
“Had a progressive day,” said Marshal Weltin. “I checked some boxes off, with qualifying, heats, and the main. I definitely want more. I’m working hard. The progress with the team has been great.”
“It was an okay round,” said Team Manager Larry Brooks. “Our 250 rider did well and finished 16th overall; we are really happy with his progress. It was a much better weekend for him. Our 450 riders, Roczen, finished 5th, McElrath finished 15th, and Chisholm finished 16th overall. It was a decent weekend. The classes are stacked. I think for us, it is baby steps. We keep improving every weekend, we get a little bit better, and that’s been happening. So I am happy, and now it’s off to Daytona.”
The series heads to Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. A round unlike any other, the supercross track gets a unique twist of some outdoor flavor. Daytona track design was done by Suzuki legend Ricky Carmichael. Racing starts at 4:00 PM PST. You can catch all the action live on PEACOCK TV, and follow along with us on race day through our social media channels.
