DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen became the sixth different Monster Energy AMA Supercross winner of the season in just the first eight rounds of racing.
Roczen put in a strong charge just before the race’s midpoint to push from fourth place into the lead and earn his career-first Daytona Supercross victory in his 11th attempt. The win also marked Suzuki’s first since 2009 at the iconic speedway.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb challenged for the lead in the later laps but after a small mistake, settled for second place. His fifth runner-up finish inside the Daytona international Speedway Trioval helped him retain the title points lead. After leading laps early, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger grabbed his first podium of the season when he crossed the checkered flag in third place. In the Eastern Divisional 250SX Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire took the win at Round 3 of that Championship to also claim his first victory at the storied venue.
“I honestly still can’t believe it… I had some really good lines,” Roczen began. “When you make those passes you have to put your head down or else they’ll retaliate and come back. I was just charging the whole time, trying to get a gap. Coming out of these turns it was really rutty, and very easy to make a mistake, but I just kept my head down and charged the whole way.
“I seriously cannot believe that this finally happened… This is a dream come true.”
In 250SX Class racing, R.J. Hampshire fought hard to capture an emotional first win at Daytona. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle captured the Holeshot and set the pace for the early laps. He relinquished the lead to Hampshire shortly before a red flag re-start tightened up the pack with under eight minutes left on the race clock.
Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker rounded out the 250SX Class podium after a pass late in the race with less than two laps remaining.
“It’s special. I lost my dad a few months ago and this was his race,” Hampshire explained. “Growing up as a kid, this is where I came with him. It was the only Supercross I came to. And he was with us today. Some guy came up to me in the pits and had his old jersey that he raced with back in the day, that was something I never had.
“He gifted me that and – it just felt different today, man, like my dad was definitely here… Finally got to burn one [a victory burnout on the banked track] down here in Daytona, that was for my dad, for sure.”
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