The holeshots return to Empower Field on Saturday, with title implications on the line.
AMA’s Supercross Championship makes its sixth appearance at the Broncos’ stadium in the penultimate race of the season. In the 450 class, Cooper Webb could place a stranglehold on his third title with a strong performance, while Haiden Deegan might clinch his first supercross crown in the 250 class.
Webb holds a 12-point advantage over Chase Sexton in what is a two-man race in 450. He can win the title with a victory and Sexton finishing 11th or worse. In 250 West, Deegan has a 17-point lead over teammate Cole Davies as Deegan looks to pad his racing phenom resume that already includes a pair of SMX 250 titles as well as one AMA 250 motocross title.
“It’s a little bit of a stretch for Chase Sexton in second (to leapfrog in the 450 title pursuit), because he lost some more points last weekend, but it’s been an amazing season,” explained NBC Sports Supercross play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey. “Denver could play a very special part (in the title race) for both classes.
“… (Sexton) is going to throw everything at it. He has to. He has to come out swinging as hard as he can, because he has to win and then rely on something happening to Cooper to keep this thing alive.”
For Deegan, winning the 250 supercross championship would be the final feather in his cap of what’s been an illustrious 250 career during his teenage years. Diffey believes the 19-year-old from Temecula, Calif., nicknamed Danger Boy, is sure to move up to 450 “in his very near future.” Deegan can clinch the 250 title by winning Saturday, and Davies finishing sixth or worse.
“His No. 1 order of business is winning this elusive supercross title … that’s been a bit of his thorn in his side,” Diffey said.
“He’s a spectacle unto himself, a brilliant young rider who is very exciting, very fast. I’ll be keen to see how he attacks this weekend: Does he tone it down a little bit and be a little more conservative, or does he go for it, because it is realistic and mathematically possible for him to clinch?”
Despite Webb and Deegan headlining, Saturday’s races at Empower Field will be without some of the other biggest names in the sport due to injury. Colorado native Eli Tomac has been sidelined with a broken leg since mid-February, and defending 450 supercross champion Jett Lawrence saw his season end in early February due to a torn ACL.
A few other top riders in the 450 class, in Hunter Lawrence, Jason Anderson, and Jorge Prado, are also injured.
“It’s very unfortunate, because you don’t want to see the star riders out or anybody out, period,” Diffey said. “It’s a tough sport, and that’s what happens. However, when you do lose some of the big star power, it opens it up for everybody else, and we’ve seen a variety of winners this year with some incredible moments.”
The supercross race at Empower Field is one of two premier professional moto races hosted in Colorado each year. The other, the Pro Motocross Championship’s Thunder Valley National in Lakewood, is entering its 21st year.
In five years of supercross races in Denver, there have been 10 different winners across the five 450 races and five 250 races. Empower Field hosted the races in 2019 and 2022-24, and Mile High Stadium also hosted in 1996. That 450 race was won by the supercross all-time wins leader Jeremy McGrath, who set records with 13 consecutive victories that season and 14 overall — marks that were later tied by Ricky Carmichael.
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