Defending 2023 450cc Supercross champion Chase Sexton sets his sights on San Francisco
In the world of both Supercross and outdoor motocross, Geico Honda-turned-Red Bull KTM rider Chase Sexton is one dude you don't want behind you, let alone ahead.
The now 24-year-old rider from Mendota, Illinois was already a two-time 250cc East AMA Supercross Champion when he became last year's 450cc AMA Supercross Champion. He also raced as a coveted member of the elite 2022 Motocross Des Nations team alongside fellow riders Eli Tomac and Justin Cooper.
Photos: Supercross riders race through mud at Oracle Park
Even with a crash and illness that sidelined him during the 2023 outdoor season, Sexton still managed to place an amazing 4th place overall even after missing several races altogether.
For the very first time, this Saturday San Francisco's Oracle Park will host a Supercross event, moving the sport away from its former digs in Oakland and Santa Clara. Additionally, the 17-race 2024 Supercross schedule sees riders visiting sixteen different cities in thirteen states from California to Pennsylvania.
This Supercross season will also feature Jett Lawrence (Pro Motocross season and SuperMotocross World Championship title holder), Jason Anderson, Cooper Webb, Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen, Dylan Ferrandis, Adam Cianciarulo, Justin Barcia, Aaron Plessinger, Malcolm Stewart, Christian Craig, and more.
Red Bull KTM's Chase Sexton recently caught up with CBS SF for a rare pre-race interview.
CBS SF: Congratulations on signing to Red Bull KTM. Your 2023 Supercross season was nothing short of spectacular and you finished 1st riding a Honda 450. Did Honda not offer enough money?
Chase Sexton: No, not at all. I actually made the decision to change it up awhile back, well before winning the title last year. At the time, I was at a place where I was looking for a long-term home surrounded by a good group of people who could support my career, hopefully for a long time. I knew the people involved in the team were a good group who worked well together and had already won a bunch of championships as a team. So when the opportunity presented itself and it felt right, I committed.
CBS SF: How much riding time do you typically get in per week during the off-season? Any practice sessions in between races during your Supercross seasons?
Chase Sexton: We ride a lot. I try to take a couple of weeks away from the motorcycle at the end of the season, but come October to November when it's time to start testing, I ride a good four days a week and during the racing season ride, two or three times a week between races. During the last two months, I have ridden a lot because changing teams and changing motorcycles takes more work and time to be ready for the start of the 2024 Supercross season. We have been really busy working to get the bike dialed in to my personal style. This will be a work in progress. I will be ready come January 6 [Anaheim opener] to do what I know how to do best.
CBS SF: You endured a concussion during your 2023 outdoor series and concurrently were said to have suffered mono that many thought would sideline you long term. How tough was it to step back and watch the series play out without you?
Chase Sexton: There is so much work that goes into reaching the top and takes even more work to stay there. Your health, training, home, and work/life balance all has to align and be working right in order to pull off a championship win. I was feeling great coming into the start of the motocross season, so when I crashed and got a concussion, it was a major blow to not only my momentum, but my whole program.
Out of precaution, I tested for mono as I was feeling down after that and, in hindsight, actually had a false-positive test result. But once you are forced to sit out several rounds to follow the concussion protocol, it was just a major blow to my momentum and basically took me out of having any chance of being in title contention. I guess I went from the ultimate high to the ultimate low in the space of a few days. It was hard to bounce back from that.
CBS SF: What are your favorite tracks?
Chase Sexton: I really like the Crawfordsville, Indiana motocross track, and the atmosphere of Red Bud. The St. Louis Supercross is a good one given that it's close to me so the atmosphere around that race makes it extra fun.
CBS SF: Supercross tracks, as opposed to outdoor motocross tracks, always change the most as they're built and torn down every year. How do you internalize a track having only walked it once -- if that -- and then getting a couple of practice laps?
Chase Sexton: Many times, we go back to stadiums and tracks that we've raced on before so we have a good idea of what lies ahead before we actually ride them. A big part of our sport is memorizing track layouts and rhythms so that it becomes second nature to us. A track walk in the morning is really important as what you see drawn on a piece of paper ahead of time is not a true indication of what is actually on the floor.
And most times after we have ridden it in a practice session, the track crew go out and make changes to the track for better rider safety. You can visualize what lies ahead of you pretty quickly after just riding the track a couple of laps, but utilizing the race day practice sessions to the best of your ability is really important. If we go to a new track, then it's a level playing field as everyone is doing the same thing and trying to figure the track layout. We all watch each other and see what the other can figure out and hopefully dial it in each session to have it memorized for the actual night's show.
CBS SF: What riders have proven themselves hardest to pass? Any internal rivalry with another rider that you haven't voiced?
Chase Sexton: There's a few guys that are notoriously hard to pass like [Josh] Friese and [Justin] Barcia, but I just try to put myself in a better spot off the start to hopefully not have to battle with them throughout the race. I'm not the kind of guy who really gets into beefs with anyone. I try to keep it clean and stay out of the drama if I can. Having a rivalry with someone generally only hinders you on the track so I try to keep personal targets away. When you are leading the series, you tend to end up the target of everyone else so it's best not to add extra pressure by bringing your own to the table as well.
CBS SF: It must blow your mind knowing you're riding underneath one of the most legendary motocross riders ever, Roger De Coster. Have you had some time to pick his brain about how he attacked a track? Any new insights?
Chase Sexton: It's great to have the opportunity to get to know Roger and hear his opinion on things. He has been around for a long time and seen so much evolve in our sport over the years. Roger is known for being a tough cookie, but I respond to that style. Roger is more involved in the development side of things and he's not necessarily at the track every day. But when he is there, it's always interesting hearing his opinion and I try to take what I can into consideration. He has done a good job putting a hardworking group of people together with regards to the Red Bull KTM crew and I'm sure I will see and learn even more as the race season starts and I see him in action at the races.
CBS SF: How's the new KTM ride? Are you fully comfortable yet?
Chase Sexton: It's a work in progress! The bike itself is great out of the box, but dialing it in to perform the way I want accommodating my riding nuances and style takes time. We have made a lot of headway in a short period of time to personalize it, but it will take riding it in racing conditions to really dial it in the way I want. As the season goes on, we will continue to develop it to my personal liking. For now it's going great, so we'll see where we fare come A1 [the first Supercross race in Anaheim].
The much anticipated second round of the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, presented by Feld Motor Sports Inc., goes down at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Saturday, Jan. 13. Doors are at 10:30 a.m. with qualifiers beginning at 11:45 a.m. Opening ceremonies kick off at 5pm and the main racing action starts at 5;30 p.m. All ages are welcome. Tickets start at $27.
