2024 Supercross Salt Lake City - 250SX W/E Showdown
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00:00He talked about how excited and motivated R.J. Hampshire is.
00:04That's what he's going to have to contend with.
00:05Levi kitchen has his own opportunity to not only get a 300th win but be the 20th rider
00:11to win a title for Mitch Payton.
00:14Go out there and put the same exact ride you did in that heat race and let the rest take
00:19care of itself.
00:20That's all you can do.
00:23Joe Shimoda coming off of last weekend's win.
00:25See if you can continue that and get a star here and see if you can get another victory.
00:32That was our Utah sports commission pre-race report.
00:35A lot of talk.
00:37Some unexpected action in the heat races.
00:40It's all come down to this.
00:41The moment is now.
00:43Both for the east and the west.
00:46It's a showdown race.
00:48Let's go.
00:49Two titles will be handed out in one race.
00:53Rebs are up.
00:56Gates down.
00:59Good jump on the outside.
01:01He's going to pull it.
01:03Gets pushed wide.
01:05Is that Deegan on the inside?
01:07Yeah, that was Deegan on the inside.
01:10Hayden Deegan to the lead.
01:11But Miele surviving the 18th gate pick.
01:14But Shimoda made a mistake and almost took Miele down.
01:18This is playing out perfect for Hayden Deegan right now.
01:22No looking back.
01:23Race in front of you, not behind you.
01:25Hampshire is up to third behind Romano.
01:27I do not see kitchen.
01:29Yeah, I was going to say that.
01:31Yeah, he's back there.
01:33But yeah, that's not the position you want to be in.
01:36Especially with R.J.
01:37But R.J.
01:38Just got passed by Hayden's teammate it looks like.
01:41Kitchen is about eighth right now.
01:43And Vial right behind him.
01:45There's kitchen on the 47 in green.
01:47Now if you're Vial right here, this is perfect scenario for you.
01:51Now you just ride these pace, get through these first few laps.
01:54Let things space out a little bit.
01:56Take the sing on to the checkered flag.
01:58But if you're kitchen, you can't wait.
02:00You've got to get to Hampshire.
02:03Yeah, nice.
02:04Let's see if he can get past.
02:05He's trying to go up inside of Jalik.
02:07And this is going to be a tough position for Levi.
02:10Because he does not want R.J.
02:12To get away any gap.
02:14And how close those guys have been all year long.
02:16It's going to be hard for Levi to make that time up.
02:19Especially how slippery that track is.
02:21But yeah, he's doing a good job.
02:23He's got to get around Jalik as quick as he can.
02:25So let's reset it.
02:27It's Deegan, Romano, Smith.
02:29Hampshire has drifted to fourth.
02:31Beat off the pegs and the whoops for Hampshire.
02:34Levi made it past Jalik's wall.
02:37So that's another position.
02:40So only two riders between Hampshire and kitchen.
02:44And thrasher.
02:46You can see R.J.
02:47Taking a quick look back.
02:49That's not normal like him.
02:50He's usually racing four.
02:52But that beat off the pegs might have woke him up a little bit.
02:54And now you can see Tom Bial making a pass around Jalik as well.
02:57Which is a good sign for him.
02:59Yeah, that's right.
03:00He's following suit.
03:02I like Bial.
03:04What a big turnaround from the heat race for him.
03:06Definitely not riding as conservative.
03:08Maybe figured some things out.
03:11Well, he only needs to finish 11th to win the title.
03:14He's in eighth right now.
03:15So we focus on, yeah, if Deegan wins.
03:17And Deegan's leading at the moment.
03:19So we switch back to the west.
03:20The 24 of Hampshire, the 47 of kitchen.
03:23Whoever finishes in front of the other is the champ.
03:28Ooh, that was a good save by Levi kitchen.
03:32He gets a little high up in the berm right there.
03:34The berm starts to give away.
03:37And Deegan, fast qualifier, heat race win.
03:40And pulling away here in the main event.
03:42He has been perfect so far in Utah.
03:46There's Bial.
03:47And there you go.
03:49Bial, if he just stays here, eighth place.
03:51Probably not the way he drew it up.
03:53But it would still be four points to the good.
03:55And he'd still be the champion of 250 East.
03:57Yeah, and I think for Tom, like, it was pretty simple.
03:59If he rode anything like he did in that heat race, he was going to lose this title.
04:03So he has no choice but to race.
04:05But, yeah, it looks like Joe Tremoto, as I talked about in the beginning,
04:09trying to do his best to get around.
04:12RJ almost lost the front end going into that corner.
04:15Yeah, he did.
04:16And look at kitchen there.
04:18He's gaining some huge time.
04:21Let's watch the timing and scoring right here, James.
04:23It's going to be interesting to compare RJ versus kitchen.
04:26Kitchen was a half second faster than Hampshire on that lap.
04:34Ooh, I like that triple out of the corner that RJ's doing.
04:38Landing on that tabletop.
04:39That's huge.
04:40Kitchen trying to make a move on Thrasher.
04:43Let's see.
04:44He's on the inside.
04:46Yeah, you see, it looked like he was probably wondering why he wasn't aggressive.
04:50But it was really slippery.
04:52He would have been putting himself at risk going off.
04:54Because Nate obviously was not going to let off.
04:56He was trying to hold him off.
04:58And, yeah, he made the right decision on that.
05:00That could have ended up for Levi.
05:03Can kitchen make the move on Thrasher and Shimoda?
05:06Shimoda there on the 30.
05:07He's got to get them to have a chance to battle Hampshire for the title.
05:12Yeah, Levi cannot get stuck behind these guys.
05:15When he catches them, he has to make a pass.
05:17Because look at the gap now between him and RJ.
05:20He was right there.
05:21Now it's three, almost four seconds back.
05:23And that's in one lap.
05:25He's trying everything, RC.
05:27Well, I mean, he's doing it.
05:29But the guys he's racing with aren't any scrubs.
05:32They're fast, too.
05:33This is going to be the spot where he needs to make the move.
05:36Trying to get a better drive out of that corner.
05:38Isn't able to do it.
05:40Here's Vial making passes.
05:41Romano has drifted back.
05:42He was third early.
05:43Vial looking to get him for seventh.
05:46A little more insurance.
05:47Padding that points lead.
05:49Hayden Deegan long gone.
05:51Hampshire, man, he's like, he's starting to find his groove right now.
05:56Yeah, he definitely is.
05:57And I think for RJ, he's got people in front of him.
06:00So imagine if he was out front.
06:02Everything would be behind him.
06:03But at least he has that rabbit in front of him where he can still keep pushing forward.
06:07Kind of like what we talked about in 06.
06:09Having me in front.
06:11Yeah, you were my rabbit there.
06:13So I'm like, man, as long as I can hold on to you as long as possible.
06:17A little gap between myself and Chad.
06:20I mean, I got lucky.
06:22It worked out perfectly.
06:24This is working out great for RJ Hampshire right now.
06:27And, man, is Levi losing some serious time.
06:30It is going to be really hard for Levi to make any ground on RJ.
06:35RJ is in great shape.
06:37He can go the distance.
06:39Yeah, the problem for Levi, obviously, with the east-west shootout, everybody that he's racing against, they're really good.
06:44But with the track conditions and being so slippery, you can see what happens to these guys when they're trying to push it.
06:49They start losing the front end.
06:51Now he has to make up the time on RJ.
06:53Even if he passes Nate and even if he passes Joe Shimoda, he's going to have to go faster than he is now.
06:59And that's going to put him into risk.
07:01And for RJ, he's done exactly what he needed to do.
07:04And it's going to be up to Levi to find that medium gap.
07:08He got a good start.
07:09RJ did.
07:10But what the tricky thing I feel like for Levi Kitchin was in that start is Hayden Deegan was on the inside of him.
07:17Hayden Deegan got a little bit better jump.
07:19Was able to close out Levi.
07:21So, I mean, Levi did what he had to do.
07:24Just wasn't good enough off the gate, J.T.
07:27We talked so much this week about how important track position would be between RJ Hampshire and Levi Kitchin.
07:33Because when you don't have a significant pace advantage, it all comes down to where you are in that first lap.
07:39Now, of course, they can make mistakes and crashes do happen.
07:42But just like we saw last week in Denver, Levi Kitchin got the gap on RJ.
07:46And he could not close it down.
07:48And that seems like what's happening so far.
07:50Yes, there are other riders in between them.
07:52But that gap has remained the same.
07:54You know how it is, James.
07:56When you're able to look in a peripheral vision and you're coming back the opposite direction of your competitor and you're yarding them and pulling away.
08:04That just gives you more confidence and things really start to click.
08:07Yeah, absolutely.
08:08And RJ is going faster than Levi.
08:10And I would say Levi is maybe getting held up by Nate Thrasher a little bit.
08:14But RJ is going out there and racing forward.
08:17And for him, that's the best thing he can do.
08:19He's going to ride like RJ.
08:21Here you go.
08:22Inside line.
08:23This time Kitchin has Thrasher covered.
08:25He needs to pass two riders to have a shot at Hampshire.
08:28He just got one.
08:30He's going to have to turn it loose right now, James.
08:32If he wants to win this championship, he's got to put in some sprint laps and give it his all.
08:38I think you just...
08:40Yeah, this all or nothing.
08:42I mean, for Levi, these next three laps are going to be whether he has an opportunity to run RJ down but win this championship.
08:50And the one thing he can do is hopefully start closing in on RJ and make RJ start thinking about him and possibly make a mistake of his own self.
08:57But it's going to be up to Levi.
08:59Ooh, Levi Kitchin was the fastest race or fastest guy on the track right there to 53.5.
09:07So the Lawrence brothers getting ready for their 450 main.
09:10They'll be up after this.
09:11We're halfway through the 250 main event.
09:13Visit Maverick where Monster Energy drinks are available now.
09:16And this is it.
09:18You said he's going to have to let it loose.
09:20The 47 is doing it.
09:22I mean, that's...
09:23He's a half second faster.
09:25So he's going to have to chew into this lead big time.
09:28Jordan Smith catching Hayden Deegan in a battle for the win.
09:32Now, it's not going to affect the title if Bial stays where he is.
09:35Smith on the move.
09:37And what's on the line for these guys?
09:39Bonuses probably pay...
09:41Hey, bonuses probably pay around 50 grand in the 250 class, if not more.
09:45You win a race.
09:46So there's a lot to fight for, even if it doesn't affect the points.
09:49Pride.
09:50Yeah.
09:51Money.
09:52Race win.
09:53All of the will.
09:54And I was asking Jordan Smith, guys, that question earlier.
09:57Like, what does this mean to you to finish strong here?
10:01Because at this point, obviously, focus starts to go there on motocross
10:04as everybody moves forward through the series.
10:07And he said, no, no, no.
10:08He told me, make no mistake, 100% I want this win.
10:12They have made a bunch of changes on the bike here in the last week.
10:16He said he hasn't really been feeling like himself,
10:18and that will collect a little bit into place this week.
10:21There was definitely a commitment to him in the way that he wanted to finish this out,
10:25knowing, obviously, that this was the last opportunity here tonight
10:28in a showdown, guys.
10:30Going after Deegan and looking good doing it.
10:33So we have a battle for the lead between the Monster Energy,
10:35Yamaha Star Racing teammates.
10:37One from the east, Deegan.
10:39One from the west, Smith.
10:41Hampshire by himself in fourth.
10:43Can Kitchen continue to close?
10:46That's the bottom screen there.
10:47There's Kitchen.
10:48It looked like RJ kind of answered a bell that last lap,
10:52running to 53A, where Levi was at 54.5.
10:56So he lost quite a bit of time, and that's what I was saying.
10:59Levi's going to have to push it, and by pushing it, you can gain the time,
11:02but you can also lose it, as you see him going down the straight
11:05and, you know, losing the rear.
11:07So he's got to keep it going.
11:10I just want to mention that Smith is mathematically still in it for the west title
11:14if both Hampshire and Kitchen were to falter big and essentially score zero points.
11:21Zero points, a point or two.
11:23I think one point or two, he would still overcome them.
11:25Smith on the move in the whoops.
11:27Let's see if he squares him up.
11:28Oh.
11:29Ooh.
11:30Oh.
11:31Hayden thought he was on the inside and squared him up.
11:33Yeah, I was about to say, that was a nice, like, pass,
11:36but then he didn't know he was there.
11:38But, yeah, Jordan definitely has Hayden in those whoops.
11:41He's going in with his entry speed is a lot faster.
11:44So if Hayden doesn't close that off, J.T., he's going to be getting passed.
11:47Yep, and watch for this next lap.
11:49If Jordan doesn't lose too much time there, he's going to have to be right on him,
11:52but he set him up there by going to the right.
11:54If he swings left, Hayden's going to be thinking right.
11:56He goes left.
11:57That may open up that inside.
11:59He's not going to be close enough this lap, but watch for that.
12:01If he gets close, Hayden's going to be thinking about, you know,
12:04putting that block pass again, but in the corner before the finish line,
12:07he's going to open up that for Jordan.
12:09Ah, Marche's starting to reel in a little.
12:11Yeah, he is.
12:12They're here late in the race, and time is running out.
12:15If you're R.J. Hampshire, man, you just, yeah, I mean,
12:19you want to send a message.
12:20Winning the race would be incredible,
12:22but that position he's in right now, if he can hold what he has,
12:25not take any risks, this title's yours.
12:29Yeah, I was just thinking R.J. probably would love to pass these guys,
12:33but by catching them, could slow you down,
12:35and it seems like now Levi is going to be all in,
12:38so that possibility of R.J. going up and catching those guys
12:41might let Levi have an opportunity to get in there,
12:44but R.J.'s answer the bell hasn't.
12:46Yeah, I mean, he was fast all day in qualifying practice.
12:50He had the speed advantage.
12:52He rode well last week at Denver, and, you know, he's making it happen,
12:57making it happen when he needs to.
12:59Most important, crucial time of the series, of the championship,
13:03and you have to respect that, and it's incredible to see him do it.
13:06Oh, he came off there.
13:08Almost went down, James.
13:10Yeah, R.J. doesn't need to be like R.J. right now.
13:12Just keep it up, and, I mean, I'm impressed.
13:15The guy has been really, there was a lot of pressure on him,
13:18and we know how loose his riding style is, but besides that,
13:21I think we talked about would guys be riding more like themselves,
13:25and R.J. has been looking like R.J. has all year long,
13:28and Will, what do you see?
13:30It's more what I was hearing, James.
13:32Just talking to R.J. Hatcher earlier on today,
13:35just the emotion that was coming out of him
13:38as I was asking him to sort of, like, reflect on what this would mean to him
13:42to get this done tonight, and he said to me,
13:45people don't really understand all the pieces that have to come together,
13:48whether that's my team, how you feel personally,
13:51what's going on in your life on and off the track.
13:54He's like, that takes time.
13:55He said, that has taken me ten years to put all that together
13:58and put me in this position,
14:00and I could see him almost kind of choking up when he was telling me that.
14:03So, guys, right now, how does he focus?
14:05He's in this situation, but he knows what's on the line here.
14:08Ten years in the making, how do you not focus on that?
14:11Oh, we got to focus on this.
14:13Oh, Smith tried to make the move on Deegan.
14:15He went down.
14:19And Deegan may be a little surprised.
14:21He gestured back.
14:22That'll move Hampshire up to second.
14:24Did Hampshire clear that okay?
14:26He cleared it all right.
14:27All right.
14:28He's good.
14:29Well, we knew that block pass might be coming in the whoops,
14:32and there it was.
14:33Wow.
14:34Deegan's got to go through lap traffic now.
14:36Here's the attempt by Smith to get the lead.
14:39Think Smitty had had enough of it, James.
14:41He was going for it.
14:43Tries to make the pass.
14:44He just wasn't close enough.
14:46Yeah, it looks like his fork got caught on Hayden's bike right there,
14:48and it pulled him down.
14:50Yeah.
14:52Yeah, it was kind of tough for him, but way to stay strong, Hayden.
14:56Now Deegan in the midst of lap traffic,
14:58looking at his third win of the year,
15:00but he's going to come up a couple of points short of the title
15:03unless Vial, who is holding on to eighth, falters.
15:07He would need Vial to drift back to 12th,
15:10and time is running out.
15:1136 seconds and a lap left in this.
15:14The Dave Koons east-west showdown.
15:16You just think about the journey and how we got to where we are today
15:20and where Hayden has it.
15:22Could you imagine had he not come into the series wounded?
15:26Oh, that was close.
15:28He's got Hempshire right behind him now.
15:30A couple of mistakes.
15:31Yeah, that's, I mean, you see how slippery this track is,
15:34and I mean, all these riders to go as fast as they are on this track,
15:38how slippery it is just shows how much talent they have.
15:40But, yeah, until you cross that checkered flag, it is not over,
15:43because that was really close.
15:45It's one lap after this, so they're going to come by and get the white flag.
15:50And how does Hempshire play this?
15:52He has caught the leader.
15:53What does he do?
15:54I mean, I'm taking the championship, man.
15:57Like, that's where I'm at.
15:59But do you get worried about he's going to hold me up too much?
16:01Why risk it, though?
16:02No, he's got plenty.
16:03He's got a huge lead on kitchen.
16:05Look, do a little check, see where you're at,
16:07see where Levi's at, follow him home.
16:09Yeah, it's a tough position for R.J.,
16:11because Hayden has to kind of win the race to have any shot at this,
16:14so it's not like he's going to roll over.
16:16But R.J., he's in a great spot.
16:18He has a lot of room, and as long as Hayden doesn't really make a mistake,
16:22if I was R.J., I would kind of give him that gap, honestly.
16:25So in case he does make one, I'm not right on him,
16:27and Levi's far enough back.
16:30Deegan's a fan favorite.
16:31Listen to the crowd.
16:34What a ride by this kid, man.
16:37His best race of the year, qualifying heat race main.
16:40As for Hampshire, a multi-generation racer,
16:43if you go to the record books of the Loretta Lynch
16:45Amateur National Championship, he's not alone.
16:48He's got dad, uncles.
16:50His sister was a multi-time women's motocross champ.
16:53But he was more of a baseball player growing up.
16:56But now he's closing on his first title.
16:58Deegan did everything he could do.
17:00He wins the race.
17:02But Hampshire takes the 250 West Championship.
17:06And here is Tom Bial.
17:08We knew the championship experience was on his side.
17:11Two world titles in motocross in Europe.
17:14And the Frenchman made it a little tough with that heat race,
17:18but he delivered in the main.
17:19He is.
17:20He's just got a few more whoops to go.
17:22He's going to go through this corner.
17:25Here it is.
17:26Tom Bial in his second season of Supercross
17:29is the 250 East champion.
17:32What a ride by all these guys.
17:34Oh, look at this.
17:35This guy stepped it up, RC.
17:37He did.
17:38He stepped it up.
17:39He did.
17:40I feel like all season long, too.
17:41He just, he was more sound on the motorcycle,
17:44looked more solid, way less mistakes.
17:46There's his wife, their youngest child.
17:49Everybody congratulating Hampshire.
17:51As Will said, he's been at this for 10 years.
17:53Let me tell you something about this kid.
17:55He did a lot with a little small town out of Florida.
18:00Just kept chipping away, working, working, working.
18:04And here he is.
18:07Ten years.
18:09And it is a sweep for the Austrian group.
18:11Hampshire has been very vocal as they were working
18:13on this new motorcycle two years ago.
18:15The progress they made.
18:16They win both titles, one with the KTM brand,
18:19one with Husqvarna.
18:20Soak it up, RJ Hampshire.
18:23Keep those things.
18:26And there's VL with them.
18:28Victory lap time.
18:29They have conquered it.
18:31Tom VL, RJ Hampshire, backs against the wall.
18:34They did what they had to do.
18:36How about VL with that great start from the 18th gate pick
18:40to put himself in position to ice the title.
18:43Hampshire did what he had to do.
18:45And now he calls himself champion.
18:48Now he calls himself champion.