Top-Five Finishes for Thrasher and Smith at Denver Supercross
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher and Jordon Smith finish fourth and fifth, respectively, in tricky conditions at the penultimate 250SX West round in Denver / May 5, 2024 /
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher finished fourth yesterday in challenging conditions at the penultimate round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross in Denver, Colorado. Jordon Smith joined him in the top five to salvage points on a tough night at the Empower Field at Mile High and remain in the title chase for the 250SX West Championship.
Thrasher got the day off to a good start, qualifying third in the tricky conditions. The Tennessee rider got a good start in his heat race, and after claiming the lead a couple of laps later, he rode on to take the win. He didn’t get the start he was looking for in the main event, but he was in the top five and advanced to fourth, where he would finish.
Smith qualified right behind his teammate in fourth and got a good start in his heat race in the runner-up spot. Unfortunately, he had a tip-over in the slick conditions and made his way back to fourth. In the main event, Smith got another good start in third but went off track and once again lost the front in the tricky conditions and would cross the line fifth. His top-five finish salvaged points to keep him in contention for the championship, trailing 21 points from a two-way tie at the top of the 250SX West standings.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing heads to Salt Lake City, Utah, next weekend for the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship season finale and a title-deciding East/West Showdown for both regional 250 classes at Rice-Eccles Stadium on May 11.
Jensen Hendler – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team Manager
“The night started out pretty well. Nate won his heat and had the first gate pick, which was awesome. He didn’t have as good of a start in the main event but made his way to fourth. Jordon was running up front in both races, but a small mistake cost him a win or at least a top-two finish in his heat race. He finished fourth, so the gate pick wasn’t all that fantastic for the main, but he got a good start in second, which was awesome. Unfortunately, he made a small mistake that put him off the track. He got back on pretty quick and was running third or fourth, and then made another mistake that put him on the ground. They ended the night fourth and fifth, which is not ideal in the championship hunt, but Jordon’s not completely out of it. It’s going to be tough going into the East/West shoot-out in Salt Lake, but we’ll keep fighting.”
Nate Thrasher – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #57
“It was definitely a step in the right direction. I just didn’t execute the start like I needed to, and we’ve got to clean up mistakes, but all in all, it was a good day. I’ve been feeling good on the bike. I was up there and won the heat, so we’ll take it and move on and try to be better in Salt Lake. It’s not where we want to be, but it’s a good building weekend.”
Jordon Smith – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #31
“I just kind of struggled all day with the track conditions. The dirt was really hard-packed, and there weren’t really any ruts out there, so I struggled with traction. I lost the front in the heat and the main while running up front, so it was a bummer and not how we wanted to finish tonight. We’ll go back and try to be better for the last round in Salt Lake.”
2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX Denver Results
2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX West Championship Standings
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (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, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology 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.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, U.S.A. (Yamaha Financial Services), an affiliate of YMUS, offers financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide. Yamaha Financial Services provides retail and commercial financing for the diverse line of Yamaha brand motor products based out of Cypress, CA and Marietta, GA.