Thrasher and Smith Return to the Podium in Indianapolis
Another double podium for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 team in challenging conditions at the Lucas Oil Stadium / Mar 12, 2023 /
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher returned to the podium, taking a runner-up finish in challenging conditions at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Taking the final spot on the podium at last night’s fifth round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX East Championship was teammate Jordon Smith. Rookie Haiden Deegan also had a good showing on the deeply rutted track, crossing the line seventh.
Known for its soft dirt and deep ruts, this year’s Indianapolis Supercross was no exception, making for challenging conditions. Thrasher got the day off to a good start, qualifying third, and took a runner-up finish in his heat to have a good gate pick for the main. The Tennessee rider was third after the start and quickly made his way to second. He tried to make a run for the lead but ultimately had to settle for the runner-up spot, advancing his position to third in the championship with his third podium of the season.
Smith also got the day off to a great start, leading the way for his team in qualifying by topping the timesheets in the first session and taking the runner-up spot in the combined times. He backed that up with the heat race win and earned the number-one gate pick for the main event. Sitting fourth after the start behind his teammate, Smith advanced to third on the second lap, where he would finish to earn his third podium of the season. The North Carolinian sits fourth in the 250SX East Championship standings trailing Thrasher by one point.
On the heels of his first podium in Daytona, Deegan had a solid first outing in the challenging conditions at the Lucas Oil Stadium. The 17-year-old qualified sixth and fought his way back to a third-place finish in his heat race. He got a good start in the main event in fifth behind his teammates and advanced as far as fourth. In the final laps, he made a mistake in the whoops, which shuffled him to seventh. The rookie leaves Indianapolis fifth in the points standings and has finished inside the top 10 in all five starts.
Next up for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 team is Round 6 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX East Championship and the 10th round of the SuperMotocross World Championship at the Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, on March 18.
Jensen Hendler – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team Manager
“Indy ended up being good to us, Nate finished second in his heat, with Jordan winning the first heat race and Haiden fighting back to third after a rough start.
“We went into the main with good gate picks and were third, fourth, and fifth on the first lap. Nate quickly moved into second and put in a charge for the lead, but he just didn’t have it tonight. We will continue to fight for the top step with him. Jordan got into third early and fought hard to make a push toward the front but ultimately finished third. Haiden was charging, but a small mistake cost him a few spots late in the race, and he ended up seventh. It’s not where he wanted to be but he’s learning and adapting to the program quickly.
“We’re super happy to have two guys on the podium, especially with these track conditions. The track was very gnarly tonight, so we’re happy to leave here in one piece and able to continue the fight in Detroit next weekend.”
Nate Thrasher – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
“It was a good race. I wish I could have got a little better start there and got up front and led some laps, but it was good all in all. We’re close. We’ll just keep fighting and be a little bit better. I think we can get some more wins and hopefully get back in this championship.”
Jordon Smith – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
“It was a good day overall. I was really good in qualifying all day and won the heat race. In the main event, it just took me a little bit too long to kind of get the track down and get the right lines. It’s always good to be on the podium, but we want more. We want that win, so we’ll keep working for it, and it will come.”
Haiden Deegan – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
“Indy was one of the gnarliest tracks that I have raced. I was adapting well in the main but then made a mistake in the whoops. This race was a big learning experience, and I’m happy to be able to learn these tracks a year early to be more prepared for next year. I’m also happy to be out of here healthy and move on to Detroit.”
2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX Indianapolis Results
https://results.amasupercross.com/xml/SX/events/S2345/S2F1PRESS.pdf
2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX East Championship Standings
https://results.amasupercross.com/xml/SX/events/S2345/2EF1POINTSPOSITION.pdf
