00:00All the way back to Ben Townley in 2007.
00:03The 18-year-old is a phenomenal talent.
00:06And to Jason's point, that was one heck of a comeback last week.
00:10Ready to go. 250 East, round two on the season here in Daytona.
00:14Let's go!
00:16Tight right-hander for the first turn.
00:20Oh!
00:21Writer down, didn't quite see who that was.
00:24Yeah, Nate Thrasher.
00:26Trying to defend this whole shot.
00:29But he's going to do it if he's able to get through this first, or that left-hand corner.
00:33And he does.
00:35Rough weekend.
00:37Last week in Arlington, to the start of his season, going down in that first corner like we just saw.
00:43But we expect him to be up front here this weekend.
00:46Yeah, Nate's always been really good on these Speedway-style racetracks.
00:50And he's got all four of his teammates in this heat race.
00:54So it's probably feeling like another day in the test track there in Tallahassee here tonight.
00:59Jeremy McGrath waves the green flag.
01:01Yeah!
01:01Had his whole shot challenge last night.
01:04That's right.
01:04But, Arcee, you took part in.
01:05A lot of fun for a lot of riders as Cole Davies goes past Cody Shock for second.
01:10Man, James, this track is epic right now.
01:13So this track is a lot faster than it has been in previous years.
01:17Not as many obstacles.
01:18And that allows the riders to move around a little bit more.
01:21Hopefully make it a bit racier.
01:24Yeah, this is a good time to do it.
01:26But I've been here long enough to know this track ain't going to stay this way long enough.
01:30So you ain't going to fool me at getting out here.
01:31But, yeah, it is perfect for seeing these guys come up.
01:35Cole Davies is running that fourth spot.
01:37Oh, whoa, coming to it.
01:39And look at Cole Davies got out of shape as well.
01:42And here comes Dudney.
01:44Dudney leaps his way on that 82.
01:46Almost called it.
01:47We almost had that two-for-one special.
01:49He's got another pass in the lead.
01:50Pierce Brown gets past his teammate after winning his first race last week.
01:55You know he's got to be feeling a lot more comfortable this week coming in, Ricky.
01:57Yeah, 100%.
01:59And with the confidence.
02:00I mean, just a superb ride from Pierce Brown.
02:03Or, yeah, from Pierce last weekend.
02:06And you think about what he came from and how gnarly that injury was.
02:10And, man, to come out here and your first race back at Supercross and win was so good to see,
02:17man.
02:17That guy has been through a lot.
02:19Well, his words since that win was it changed everything because I thought that was something that may not ever
02:25actually happen again.
02:27I, I, I, it, it was, it was brutal.
02:31And just, again, to see him healthy and to be able to race again is something else.
02:36Yeah, absolutely.
02:37Just getting healthy is one thing.
02:38But just getting over that mental hurdle, all these guys got to do is we're coming from an injury like,
02:42uh, what we saw with Pierce.
02:44It's a huge step.
02:46You can see some of these guys, especially coming into that rhythm section, starting to work those inside lines.
02:52And, man, they are going to get really rough.
02:54So, watch where they are going here on these inside lines compared to what the lines are taking in the
03:04main event later on.
03:06Quick reminder that SMX betting and DFS gaming is back for 2026.
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03:30Here comes Cody Shock left of screen.
03:34Yeah, how good.
03:35Cody's been riding really good for the last couple of years.
03:38Now you can start to see him get that confidence and how strong, um, Cole Davies has been so far
03:43this year.
03:43He did struggle, um, at the end of the practice making a few mistakes and it would be easy right
03:48now, Ricky, as they came out.
03:49The SMX crew came out here, worked on this track.
03:52The ruts aren't formed and you can see a few mistakes from these guys.
03:55Well, and like you talked about with Cody Shock, he has got, um, so much better the last two years.
04:02And like you talked about, he has that confidence now and you can see in that riding, he believes that
04:08he can be there.
04:09Will?
04:11Yeah, you're exactly right, Ricky.
04:12Just chatting to him about that confidence earlier on today.
04:15And I said, you know, think back to your moments here in Daytona.
04:18And he was reflecting on 2024, which is his best finish with the six.
04:22But he rode that entire main event that evening with a broken collarbone.
04:27So sweet and sour kind of emotions reflecting back on that.
04:31But confidence, Ricky, like you said, was high with Cody.
04:34He knows he's put the work in and he did say he likes this track.
04:37He likes the way it flows.
04:38It is a sea of Yamahas up front.
04:40One through five until you get to Gavin Towers to break that Yamaha run.
04:45Incredible start from Monster Energy Star Yamaha Pilots for sure.
04:49Man, Dugney's found an extra gear here, James.
04:53I mean, he's coming through and he's made up some ground on Nate Thrasher, trying everything he can to get
04:59by him.
05:00Well, these guys do practice together all week at the same facility.
05:03So, you know, he's got to be pretty comfortable.
05:05But somebody that's comfortable is our leader, Pierce Brown.
05:08And where he's making up all his time as we got the rookie trying to get around Nate Thrasher,
05:12where he's making all his time is in that sand section.
05:15I saw that gap go from 2.8 to 4 seconds just in that one area.
05:20He's got a good line through there.
05:21He does.
05:22And looking at the lap times, he ran a 118.3.
05:26Next closest was Caden Dudney at a 119.2.
05:31So, almost a full second faster.
05:33So, there's your time that you were talking about, James.
05:36So, Stu, last weekend in Arlington, two first-time winners.
05:41With Hunter Lawrence in the 450 class with Pierce Brown.
05:44Now, Pierce did win an SMX playoff race.
05:46But as far as a Supercross win, that was his first.
05:49How much for confidence?
05:51It's huge.
05:52I mean, you can see it right now with Pierce out front.
05:55Just believe him.
05:56Because he's always had his speed.
05:57And as we all kind of know, these guys, they're all close.
06:00It's that confidence, JT, that Pierce has found.
06:03And it's starting to show on this racetrack.
06:04Yeah, Pierce putting in some blazing fast laps.
06:06So, I'm just trying to pay attention to Thrasher.
06:08Because if you think about the history of Nate Thrasher, he's been in this spot before.
06:13Think about the Speedway races he's won in Atlanta.
06:15Track's not so different than this.
06:17And go back to 2023.
06:18The battle he had with Hunter Lawrence.
06:21He's gone up against the best of the best on this very racetrack.
06:24So, I think as the track starts to deteriorate and slows down, maybe that will work in Nate Thrasher's favor.
06:30So, if he can hold here.
06:32Kind of hold the line in this heat race.
06:34I think the main event may work out for him.
06:35I completely agree.
06:37As this track wears on, it's being here before and having an experience that Nate does.
06:41I think he'll know how to race this track.
06:43But right now, it's a young man's track out there, Ricky.
06:45It's just letting it hang out.
06:47These guys, Peter coming off.
06:48It is.
06:49He's doing a good job.
06:50And you talk about Nate Thrasher, both you and JT.
06:52And you think about Nate's wins and who he's beaten in those wins.
06:57Jet Lawrence.
06:58Hunter Lawrence.
06:59Oh, look at this.
07:00A couple of teammates, a couple of teenage teammates going at it.
07:04Cole Davies working on Caden Dudney.
07:08Oh, man.
07:10You see that?
07:10Cole Davies got it.
07:11Oh!
07:12Down goes Dudney.
07:13Just a clip of the front wheel.
07:15He just touched that rear brake and that was all that it took.
07:19Dudney was going to turn down under.
07:20Game over.
07:21Yeah, that wasn't, um, I guess we've seen that story before over here.
07:25It might get a little weird between Gatorade brakes and between the trucks.
07:29Meanwhile, fresh from his first Supercross win.
07:32What a ride.
07:33Piers Brown, after coming back from serious injury last year.
07:36That's his first heat win in three years.
07:40He continues this positive run in 2026.
07:48Giotte, this would be his first, um, first main event.
07:53No pressure from behind.
07:55He's going to get it done.
07:56Nicely done.
07:57Evan Ferry as well.
07:58You can see him at the bottom of your screen.
08:00Oh, no, that's Gavin Towers.
08:04Still, what a place to get your first one.
08:07Got to learn what Daytona's all about.
08:09Well, Piers Brown, you're only as good as your last race.
08:14He won that last week and he won his heat here.
08:17This is an awesome start for the year in the East Division.
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