Supercross flies high in Birmingham
This report was filed by John Goolsby, sports editor for the Trussville Tribune.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (TRIBUNE) – The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship resumed after a two-week break, with Chase Sexton of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing taking the victory inside Protective Stadium.
Sexton put in an impressive performance in Birmingham, finishing 1st, 1st, and 2nd in the season's third and final Triple Crown event to secure the night's overall win in the 450SX Class.
Sexton reflected on the challenges of the Triple Crown format after taking the win.
'Triple Crowns are tough because even if you win the first two races, just like what happened to RJ [Hampshire in the 250SX Class], something can go wrong in the first turn,' Sexton said. 'I rode pretty solid. I wasn't doing the [triple jump] in the last race, just being a little conservative. It was a good race, Coop rode good, and I'm stoked to get that monkey off my back, get another win, and finally get this season going in the right direction.'
Sexton is optimistic about the remainder of the season.
'This is my favorite part of the season, these last seven or eight rounds,' he said. 'It seems like it's where I really shine.'
Despite hip pain from a qualifying crash, Malcolm Stewart from Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing finished strong with race results of 3rd, 2nd, and 3rd to earn a podium finish.
'I just made a mistake in practice and caught Justin Hill's front wheel [in midair]. I hit my hip pretty good,' Stewart said. 'The good news is I've got a solid group with my team. They just said, 'Just go out there and give it everything you've got.''
Stewart credited his medical support for getting him race-ready.
'Huge shoutout to Doctor G for getting me back in [shape] to go out there and do these three races,' he said. 'It's awesome, and I'm so blessed to get back up here [on the podium]. Yeah, baby, maybe I've earned a little bit of fishing money now!'
Aaron Plessinger, the night's third-place finisher from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, led several laps and secured his second podium of the season, with finishes of 2nd, 3rd, and 5th.
'I just feel like I'm on a roll, like I've found another gear, found a good groove,' Plessinger said. 'The boys at the practice track are keeping me on my toes. The Baker's Factory [Training Facility] is a riot right now—we're going off. Aldon's keeping us in shape.'
Despite falling short of the win, he remained positive about his night.
'It was just a good night—good starts, good riding. I led a lot of laps and just couldn't seal the deal, but we're up on the podium,' he said. 'All these fans out here in Alabama were insane. We're going to keep it up and hopefully podium the season out.'
Points leader Cooper Webb took the third race win.
Nate Thrasher secured the overall win in the 250 Class with finishes of 3-3-2.
'I really felt coming into this season that this was going to be my year,' he said. 'Tampa went okay—I ended up crashing on the first lap. But we just kept fighting every round. I just knew that I'm tough enough to be out there.'
After finally getting in more training time, he's optimistic about the races ahead.
'This week, I was finally able to do two days [of practice] before coming to this race, and those two days were great,' he said. 'I'm super excited and just ready to get the ball rolling. We're not out of [the championship] yet!'
RJ Hampshire looked promising after finishing 1-2 in the first two races, but an early incident in the third race hindered his chances for the win. A first-turn incident slowed and dropped him outside the top 15, but he rallied to finish fifth.
Hampshire acknowledged struggling with his intensity during the Triple Crown event but stayed focused on the championship battle.
'You could tell, even in the first two races, I just didn't have the spark,' Hampshire said. 'I felt good in practice and then was just flat. I don't know if it's things catching up to me or what, but I just didn't have that intensity.'
A poor start in the final race cost him a shot at the overall win.
'I butchered the start in my last race,' he said. 'My starts were saving me [in Races 1 and 2].'
Despite the setback, Hampshire remains optimistic about the next round.
'We're still in this thing and looking forward to Boston in a couple of weeks [for the next 250SX East race],' he said.
Tom Vialle of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, the points leader, secured a podium finish with results of 2nd, 5th and 3rd at the event, extending his championship lead after Max Anstie of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing couldn't compete due to a crash in qualifying.
Vialle was relieved to make it through the Triple Crown event but left Birmingham wanting more after missing out on the overall win.
'I'm happy to survive that Triple Crown. It's always a pretty sketchy race,' Vialle said. 'In the second moto, I finished fifth. I made a lot of mistakes and lost some ground, and that might have put me out for the overall tonight.'
Vialle remains focused on securing a victory over the next few rounds.
'I want that win really bad,' he said. 'I'm working for it, and hopefully in the next few races, I can do it.'
450SX points standings:
1. Cooper Webb 211
2. Chase Sexton 203
3. Ken Roczen 184
4. Malcolm Stewart 162
5. Justin Cooper 160
6. Jason Anderson 151
7. Justin Barcia 142
8. Aaron Plessinger 125
9. Justin Hill 125
10. Shane McElrath 96
250SX points standings:
1. Tom Vialle 99
2. R.J. Hampshire 89
3. Seth Hammaker 86
4. Max Anstie 78
5. Nate Thrasher 78
6. Chance Hymas 66
7. Cullin Park 62
8. Daxton Bennick 60
9. Maximus Vohland 56
10. Carson Mumford 51
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Sovereignty's Two Wins Presents A Golfers What If
The 2025 Triple Crown series is now in the history books and Sovereignty has left some feeling as if they just completed a round of golf. What in the world is that supposed to mean?… Let us expound. Sovereignty enjoyed a royal run in Kentucky Derby 151 With two extremely powerful runs, Sovereignty has captured both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. Unleashed like a locomotive at the top of the stretch at Churchill Downs and Saratoga Race Course, this hard-closing colt ran past the front runners with relative ease. That means he was victorious in the bookend jewels. But what about the middle gemstone, the Preakness? Well, he didn't run in that one thusly forgoing the opportunity to become the fourteenth Thoroughbred to win all three. Impressive efforts on both the the first Saturday in May and at New York's signature event has left horse racing fans and sports fans in general uttering that same two-word phrase lots of golfers (especially myself) use on a regular basis…What If… What if I hadn't sliced that ball into the woods…What if I hadn't hit the ball right into the water…twice…What if I had made that three-foot putt…And what if I only took one stroke to get out of the sand trap… Back to the more important what if and Sovereignty. His two performances against some of the best three-year-old males in the world in a five-week span speaks to his quality. There is no doubt he has the talent to be a Triple Crown champion, but what if you throw another mile and three sixteenths race into that five-week period? What if he ran back in two weeks, win or lose would it have affected his Belmont run? What if he had won the Preakness, would that have changed his Belmont opposition?… Just days after his scintillating Kentucky Derby score, the decision was made to skip the Preakness and instead ready for a run at Belmont glory. The powers that be with ownership group Godolphin and hall of fame trainer Bill Mott deliberated and decided it was about what was best for Sovereignty. Refusing to allow the pressures of the general public to persuade them, the decision was made and they stuck with the plan. On June 7, another huge effort from a runner that had rested for five weeks solidified Sovereignty as the real royalty of the three-year-old male division. At the same time, however, the big 'what ifs' began flying like lightning bugs on a hot summer night. So, how do we summarize? The Sovereignty situation should be treated much like a hacker's golf round. Far be it for anyone with my golfing abilities to question another's game. It's better to simply enjoy the good shot or two you have and maintain a 'next swing' mentality. The what ifs only drive you crazy and will not change the number you write on the scorecard (unless your pencil has an eraser). Sovereignty didn't run in the Preakness and time does not rewind itself. Obviously, his team understands the game as his Belmont performance speaks volumes. Godolphin is one of the winningest stables in the game and Bill Mott has won over 5,000 races. Let's revel in those two wonderful wins and think about that next swing when he toes the track again.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Joe Burrow confirms Trey Hendrickson skipping minicamp is a Bengals distraction
Joe Burrow was asked Tuesday if Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson skipping mandatory minicamp is a distraction. "Of course. Of course," Burrow said without hesitation, via WCPO 9 in Cincinnati. Advertisement "Last year, we had two. This year, we have one. So we do have less. You'd love to have none, but that's life in the NFL. We're all supporting Trey and would love for him to be back." As Burrow alluded to, this time last year, his top-two receivers, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, were both working through contract issues. However, back in March, they each finally inked mega contracts with the organization: Chase's a four-year extension worth $161 million and Higgins' a four-year, $115 million deal. "Definitely less distractions than last year," Burrow said. He added, in reference to Chase and Higgins: "Those guys are out there working. I know last year they were out there working on their own, not being here. But when you have those two guys — guys that bring energy, guys that make incredible plays day in and day out, and they're going to grind just as hard as everybody else — that permeates throughout the team." Chase put up video game numbers last season, becoming just the sixth receiver since the merger to win the NFL Triple Crown with a league-leading 127 receptions, 1,708 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. Despite playing only 12 games, Higgins nearly hit the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the third time in his career — he did so while notching a career-high 10 touchdowns. Advertisement Hendrickson, meanwhile, has yet to get the payday he's been looking for from the Bengals, despite a productive run of his own. The 30-year-old Florida Atlantic product is coming off back-to-back monster seasons. He earned first-team All-Pro honors after leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024. In 2023, he tied for second in the league with that same single-season total, 17.5 sacks. Following a four-year stay with the New Orleans Saints, who drafted him in the third round in 2017, Hendrickson signed with the Bengals in 2021. Since then, he's made four straight Pro Bowls while tallying 57 total sacks. Advertisement Hendrickson is looking for a long-term contract, but the two sides have, so far, been unable to come to terms this offseason. The Bengals' other potential starting defensive end, Shemar Stewart, still hasn't signed his rookie deal yet. This year's No. 17 overall pick out of Texas A&M, Stewart is in attendance for minicamp, except he isn't practicing with the team. Stewart is one of five first-round picks who haven't signed their rookie contracts yet. The others are Jaguars wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter (selected No. 2 overall), Broncos cornerback Jahdae Barron (No. 20), Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston (No. 30) and Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell (No. 31). Stewart, though, has been in the spotlight off the field, especially Tuesday when he sounded off about his contract dispute with the Bengals. Advertisement "I'm 100% right. I'm not asking for nothing y'all have never done before. But in y'all case, y'all just want to win arguments (more) than winning more games," Stewart said, per Sports Illustrated's Jay Morrison. Cincinnati is desperately hoping for a bounce-back season defensively in 2025 after allowing 25.5 points per game this past season. But, right now, they're down a star and another potential starter, at one of the league's most premier positions because of contract complications.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Yankees Trade Idea Sends Three-Time MLB Batting Champ to Bronx
Yankees Trade Idea Sends Three-Time MLB Batting Champ to Bronx originally appeared on Athlon Sports. With the news that Giancarlo Stanton is commencing a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset tonight, the Yankees seem to be experiencing a logjam in their infield. Advertisement Paul Goldschmidt has held it down at first, and the Ben Rice revolution has happened quicker than many people thought. At the same time, Rice has been stuck at designated hitter due to Goldschmidt's defensive and offensive prowess. With Stanton coming back, there continues to be a hole at second base, which has been filled inadequately by DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza and/or Pablo Reyes. A baseball insider on Tuesday gave a possible juicy trade idea for the Yankees to pursue in July. San Diego Padres first baseman Luis ArraezDarren Yamashita-Imagn Images The Athletic's Jim Bowden proposed the Yankees trade for Padres utilityman Luis Arraez, who the Yankees know very well from his time with Minnesota. Advertisement Arraez was also the only reason captain Aaron Judge didn't achieve a Triple Crown in his 2022 MVP season, as his .316 batting average trumped Judge's .311, which stopped the captain from leading the AL in average, home runs and RBIs. Bowden also named Rays infielder Brandon Lowe and Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette as possible trade targets for New York, but said he couldn't see them being viable targets in the midst of a suddenly close AL East division race. "Arraez is not a great defender, but he's won a batting title each of the past three years and would create extra traffic on the bases for New York's sluggers to drive home," Bowden wrote. Bowden's one concern is how the Yankees and Padres would fit as trade partners, but with Arraez set to become a free agent after 2025, the Padres might want to get some value for him instead of letting him walk for free. Advertisement This wouldn't be the first time the two sides engaged in an Arraez-New York trade conversation, as ESPN's Jeff Passan reported in January that the two had discussed a possible trade. The trade also comes with some question marks, with Arraez's value as a mostly-singles hitter. According to Statcast, Yankee Stadium has a park factor of 126 on home runs for left-handed hitters, making it 26% more favorable. However, it also has a park factor of 82 on singles for left-handed hitters, making it 18% harder for lefties to reach first on a hit. The Yankees have a lot to think about in July, because one or two moves like this could be the difference between getting bounced in the ALDS or finally winning it all. Advertisement Related: Yankees' Aaron Boone Announces Giancarlo Stanton News Before Guardians Game Related: Stunning Paul Goldschmidt Video Turns Heads Before Yankees-Guardians This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.