Salt Lake - Rider Comments
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Chase Sexton grabbed his seventh win of the season with a statement ride inside Rice-Eccles Stadium at the final round of the 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. Sexton elected to pull clear of the pack and dominate the race rather than employ tactics in an attempt to impact the points.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Cooper Webb took over the lead on the opening lap but eventually fell back to fourth place in a points preservation ride. Webb’s finish earned him enough points to win the 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and enter the short list of just seven riders who have three or more premier class Supercross titles.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Malcolm Stewart got the crowd on its feet with a charge from a seventh-place start; Stewart reached the top three positions at the midpoint then broke through to second place in just a few laps. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Justin Cooper ran up front throughout the race and wrapped his Supercross season with his third-straight podium finish.
In the Dave Coombs Sr. 250SX East/West Showdown, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Haiden Deegan grabbed the holeshot and was never challenged for the lead; this backs up his win the week before when he wrapped up the Western Divisional 250SX Class Championship.
Behind Deegan, the three-rider fight for the Eastern Divisional 250SX Class Championship was settled with a wildly dramatic battle that saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Tom Vialle finish in third place to earn a consecutive Eastern Divisional 250SX Class title.
Chase Sexton: A little bit too late, obviously. Cooper had an awesome season. You can’t take anything away from him. He’s such a good competitor. I knew tonight was going to be a long shot. Nine points [to make up], especially going up against a guy like him, it’s nearly impossible. I did the best I could, rode really well at the end of the season; obviously missed that one race win that I needed. But you know what, we rode really well, and can’t thank my team enough [and] the fans. And we’ll be back for outdoors and SMX. We’ve got two more championships to go after, so [we’ll] just try and build for next year, try and start off like this, and we’ll be in a good spot.
Malcolm Stewart: “It was awesome. Of course, huge shout out to Cooper Webb. Winning the championship three times, that’s awesome. That a big accomplishment. And for me, Salt Lake City, I don’t know why, the fans just hype me up. I knew I had to give it everything I had. I wanted to get back up on the box. Last weekend stung a little bit, so I’m like, ‘You know what, I’m giving it everything I’ve got. This is the last race, round 17, so we’re going to give it everything we’ve got.’ And huge shout out the Rockstar Husqvarna group, my mom and dad, and I know my brother’s watching in the [broadcast] booth… It’s been one heck of a season and I’m so proud and thankful that I’ve been able to get up here another time, and like I said, [the] fans are awesome… [when asked what he said to Cooper Webb after the race] We keep that confidential. We don’t forget where we came from and at the end of the day he’s done a phenomenal job, so I’m going to keep it there.”
Justin Cooper: “Yeah, of course they’ve got the championship battle going on and me and Malcolm are having our own little points battle [for third overall in the championship]. So, a lot going on out there. It’s been a great end to the season. Three podiums in a row, so it’s definitely special for me. I don’t take those for granted, and huge congrats to my teammate on the championship. It’s been an awesome two years with [Webb], learning the ropes from him and getting my 450 career started. I look up to him as a role model and he’s an awesome teammate, so it’s always fun to – this year was cool, I actually battled with him some, and not just be a distant guy in the pack. So, learning it, and it’s fun to battle with these guys up front. It’s tough, everyone’s riding really well. Malcolm was definitely finding his stride out there; he was riding awesome tonight, [I had] not much for him... Third in the championship is really special for me, and we’ll take it into outdoors now.”
Cooper Webb: “[This third championship] means everything. You don’t know how many nights I’ve woken up just wanting to get this again. And I never thought I’d be here again, so never give up on yourself. Never cut yourself short. I’m not maybe the best, but man, when you put your mind to something [then] you get it done. I’ve got to give it up to the Good Lord, my wife, my family. Man, they push me to be the best every day. And Yamaha for giving me another opportunity; I knew I wasn’t done after those two [championships]. It feels freakin’ awesome, man. I just couldn’t do it without everyone involved, the whole Star team… I wasn’t supposed to line up this January [due to injury] and I did and here we are. It means the world. This may never happen again so I’m going to enjoy the [heck] out of it. Thank you to all these fans, great team, teammates, everyone. It’s just a relief. Never give up on yourself, kids!”
Haiden Deegan: “That was wild. I just heard bikes revving behind me, [I was] like, ‘Oh my God, they’re going at it!” I’d seen Seth for a second and then he was gone, and I was like, ‘Oh, no, they got into it.’ But congrats to Tom on the Championship, that’s super cool. And dude, the crowd was going wild. That was dope. Thank you to everyone, thank you to my fans for supporting me and my whole Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha team, love you guys.”
Julien Beaumer: “It was pretty wild having the three East title contenders going at it right next to me. I don’t know what to say, that was a wild one to be in the middle of, but I’m happy with my riding. My riding all day today was good, and we’re slowly getting better. I’m happy with where we’re at and I’m ready to put this fight into outdoors.”
Tom Vialle: “I had a great start. My first five or six laps were actually really good. I was feeling good, and I was like, ‘Okay, this is mine.’ And [then] I started to make a few mistakes and Seth and RJ got me. They got a little gap, and my only chance was that… if something happened [to Hammaker and Hampshire], and that’s what happened tonight. I feel like that was all year, the whole Championship has been up and down, and I could capitalize tonight, and I’m really pumped.”
Seth Hammaker: “It was a great season. Came up a little short, that one’s a bummer when you get that close. That was a crazy race. Got off to a decent start and just chaos from there. Got around Tom, [I] had a little more pace than him at the beginning. And then Juju [Beaumer], [I] got round him but then he kind of ran it in on me and, you know, teammate thing. Just wasn’t really expecting it, shouldn’t have left the door open, I guess. Then RJ was coming in hot in that corner before the finish line, just took us both down. And yeah, [I] just tried to fight all the way to the end to get Tom. We got close, but second place is going to do this season. Huge shout out to everybody, my whole team. I really wanted to get this one done for them but, you know, I’ll be back… Gonna work hard for outdoors, keep this season of building going, and congrats to
R J Hampshire: "Today was a very eventful day. I felt good on the bike, then the Heat Race didn’t go so well after having a big one that sent me to my first LCQ in a couple of years. That’s always stressful, so then the outside gate pick for the Main gave me an average start, but I put my head down and charged. I had a chance for the championship at the end there and I went for it, which didn’t go in my favor and it's unfortunate to take us both down. Overall, I did everything I could, I tried, and we’ll leave here and move on – I'm looking forward to this next chapter of my career."
Aaron Plessinger: "Salt Lake City was a pretty good race. I struggled to find a setting that worked for me in qualifying, but by the time we got to the Heat Race, it was working awesome! I got a holeshot there and won the thing, which was good. Holeshotted again in the Main, but I saw that I was around both Coop and Chase, and panicked a bit – I doubled the whole way down a rhythm lane and lost a lot of positions, then struggled to recover from there. That was my night in Salt Lake, but it's time to regroup and head outdoors. We'll be going for it!"
Austin Forkner: "I am stoked to finish the season with a positive day. I rode well. I was fifth in the heat, which was with all of the 250SX East riders, then I had a solid start in the main. I was riding well and in the battle. I had a little issue that ended my race, but we have made massive improvements over the last month and I am so excited to carry that momentum into the future."
Jordon Smith: "A bummer way to end the supercross season! I felt really good in practice and put a lot of laps together. We have made some positive bike changes in recent weeks and I feel that we really had it in a good spot. It was an unfortunate situation, but I am pleased that we are all somewhat healthy and walking away. I tried to race, but I was just too sore and the main focus is the 2025 Pro Motocross season. We will head back to the Triumph Factory Racing facility and be ready for round one."