Thrasher Returns to Podium at Anaheim 2
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher scores second-consecutive 250SX podium with third overall at the first Triple Crown of the season / Jan 29, 2024 /
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher won the final 250SX race at the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Triple Crown event to secure third overall with a 3-10-1 score. Series points leader Jordon Smith put in a championship ride on a tough night at Angel Stadium, overcoming adversity to earn a 4-8-4 result. The North Carolina rider’s fifth overall finish scored valuable points to keep the red plate and leave Anaheim, California, tied for the lead in the 250SX West Championship. Amateur rider Gavin Towers battled for top honors at the opening Supercross Futures round and ended the night with a runner-up finish.
Coming off of a win in the mud at the previous round in San Diego, Thrasher had a solid start to the day in dry conditions, qualifying fifth. He then got a good start in the first race and finished third. Unfortunately, he and his teammate got caught up in an early race crash, and Thrasher had to battle his way from the back of the field to a top-10 finish. The Tennessee rider came out swinging in the final race, got a great start, and rode to victory to secure third overall. Thrasher’s second-straight podium moves him to eighth in the 250SX West points standings.
Smith also had a solid start to the day, qualifying fourth, but unfortunately, it was a challenging night having to come back from a tough start in all three races. In Race 1, the North Carolina rider executed an impressive charge from the back to fourth in the 10-minute-plus-one-lap race. He then had to mount another comeback after that crash at the beginning of the second race, and was making his way forward but went down again. Undeterred, the red-plate holder kept fighting and crossed the line eighth. In the final 250 race of the evening, he got a much better start and was eighth after the first lap, making his way to another fourth-place finish to secure fifth overall and keep the red plate with a tie for the lead in the championship.
Round 4 of Monster Energy AMA Supercross at Angel Stadium also marked the opening round of Supercross Futures. Towers had a solid start to the day in the slick conditions, qualifying fourth. In the main event, he got a good start in the top three and claimed the lead on the second lap. He was passed a couple of laps later, but Towers fought to the finish, ultimately finishing second.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 team heads to Motor City for the kick-off of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX East Championship on February 3 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Racing resumes for the 250SX West Championship on February 10 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Jensen Hendler – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team Manager“It was an up-and-down night, but overall, a good night for the team. Anything can happen at these Triple Crowns, and unfortunately, that second moto hurt us with both guys going down early. Nate had a solid first moto and won the last one for third overall and his second podium in a row, which is great. It was a good first Futures race for Gavin. He put in a good fight and finished second on a tough track. Jordon had a tough night, but he never gave up and came back to finish fifth overall and salvaged some points to keep the red plate. We will keep working and fighting for this West Coast championship. Now it’s time to head east and see what our guys can do at the East Coast season opener in Detroit.”
Nate Thrasher – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #57“I felt pretty good all day, and when the track got rougher, I felt better. I just let that second main get away from me there after the start. I went down in that pile-up, but besides that, it was good racing overall. We’ll go back to work and be ready for the next main event and hopefully get another win.”
Jordon Smith – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #31“It was a rough night. I fought hard from the back of the pack in all three races. I’m not happy with the results, but we live to fight another day and hang onto the red plate. I’ll regroup and get ready for Glendale!”
Gavin Towers – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #15“We got those first-round jitters out of the way. It was a pretty good day at A2, but it could have been better. My free practices were really good. Then, the two qualifying sessions were not what we were looking for, but we learned from that. I had a good main event and a good battle up front and ended up second. I wanted that win, so I’m a bit disappointed, but we’ll learn, progress, and move on.”
2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX Anaheim 2 Results 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX West Championship Standings 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX Supercross Futures Anaheim 2 Results About Yamaha Motor Corporation, USAYamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company`s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, WaveRunner Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
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