Atlanta 2 Report: Ken Roczen takes big bite out of points deficit - Justin Cooper wins an unforgettable 250SX race
By Feld Entertainment on 14th Apr 21
AMA Supercross Ken Roczen Atlanta Justin Cooper
The fourth and final SuperTuesday race of the 2021 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship was a wild one, and Team Honda HRC's Ken Roczen got the 450SX Class win and a significant points gain in the title chase under the lights at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Earning second place and his second-ever 450SX Class podium was Roczen's Team Honda HRC team-mate Chase Sexton, with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Jason Anderson earning a hard-fought third place in front of the limited-capacity, pod-seated fans across the speedway grandstands.
The Western Regional 250SX Class Main Event was hard to believe, but when the chequered flag flew Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha's Justin Cooper notched his third win of the year to stretch his points lead to nine.
When the gate dropped, last weekend's first-time winner, Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha's Nate Thrasher grabbed his second holeshot, just as he'd done before the re-start, and Justin Cooper slid quickly into the lead, just as he'd done before the re-start.
Amazingly McAdoo was right up front again.
The evaluations seemed to have been spot on the Kawasaki rider had the speed and clearly the desire and started to push hard from fifth place. Two and a half minutes into the 15-minute plus one lap Main Event he made his first pass on ClubMX / IAMACOMBACK / Yamaha's Garrett Marchbanks, but the Yamaha rider battled back around. Less than a lap later McAdoo made his second pass stick with an inside line in the sand and set his sights on second place rider, Thrasher.
Just five minutes into the race McAdoo got past Thrasher and into second, with only a 3.6-second deficit to Justin Cooper out front.
But as much heart as McAdoo was showing, Cooper was matching it with a composed ride on the brutal track.
Justin Cooper
Cooper slowly stretched his lead to over nine seconds as Team Honda HRC's Hunter Lawrence clawed his way forward past Marchbanks and eventually past McAdoo with two laps remaining. Justin Cooper's speed may be eclipsed in racing lore by McAdoo's heart, but it was a significant night in the championship for both riders.
Atlanta 2 Supercross top-10 results
450SX Class Results
1. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda
2. Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda
3. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Husqvarna
4. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS
5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki
6. Cooper Webb, Newport N.C., KTM
7. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM
8. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha
9. Dean Wilson, Murrieta, Calif., Husqvarna
10. Joey Savatgy, Clermont, Fla., KTM
450SX Class Championship Standings
1. Cooper Webb, Newport N.C., KTM (313)
2. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda (300)
3. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (278)
4. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS (246)
5. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha (215)
6. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Husqvarna (211)
7. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha (192)
8. Dylan Ferrandis, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Yamaha (183)
9. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM (168)
10. Joey Savatgy, Clermont, Fla., KTM (166)
Western Regional 250SX Class Results
1. Justin Cooper, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha
2. Hunter Lawrence, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda
3. Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Kawasaki
4. Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha
5. Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Yamaha
6. Mitchell Harrison, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
7. Coty Schock, Dover, Del., Honda
8. Pierce Brown, Sandy, Utah, GASGAS
9. Seth Hammaker, Temecula, Calif., Kawasaki
10. Jalek Swoll, Belleview, Fla., Husqvarna
Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
1. Justin Cooper, Menifee, Calif., Yamaha (157)
2. Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Kawasaki (148)
3. Hunter Lawrence, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda (141)
4. Seth Hammaker, Temecula, Calif., Kawasaki (121)
5. Jalek Swoll, Belleview, Fla., Husqvarna (121)
6. Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Yamaha (120)
7. Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha (101)
8. Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda (93)
9. Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., GASGAS (86)
10. Coty Schock, Dover, Del., Honda (86)
More like this…
Cooper Webb on 'rough day' at Atlanta 2
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team salvaged a tough day of racing on Tuesday as team-mates Cooper Webb and Marvin Musquin came away with sixth and seventh-place finishes, respectively, at Round 14 of the AMA Supercross Championship at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Atlanta Report: Tomac wins first-ever Supercross at Atlanta Motor Speedway - rookie Nate Thrasher grabs first win in 250SX
The Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship series kicked off a triple header at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a daytime event where Monster Energy Kawasaki's Eli Tomac used speed and patience to pull off a dramatic win, his third of the season, in front of the limited-capacity, pod-seated fans.
Injury update: Adam Cianciarulo will miss Atlanta Supercross and remainder of SX season
Adam Cianciarulo will miss Atlanta Supercross and be out for the remaining rounds of the 2021 AMA Supercross championship, he said in an injury update.