00:00They get to get a real-time feel of what it's going to be like, and it could, I don't
00:07know.
00:07James, would you want to be in the heat race up against the guy you're racing the championship for, or
00:12not?
00:12It depends on which side I'm on.
00:14Honestly, if I was struggling, yeah, I actually would, because then I would be able to see if I was
00:19faster.
00:19No.
00:20Or where you could be better, right?
00:22Like, where does my bike need to be better, for sure, in that regard?
00:26Talk about being fast.
00:28You just saw Justin Hill there on screen.
00:30He was one of the quickest in qualifying today.
00:32Let's go.
00:32Heat 1, 450s.
00:35Dylan Frandis got a reasonable start right in the middle of the screen.
00:37So did Justin Cooper.
00:39But how about Jorge Prado of the Red Bull KTM?
00:42He's just ahead of Chase Sexton.
00:45Jorge's been nailing those starts all year long, and a great run through the whoop Sexton right there, Ricky.
00:51Yeah, I mean, he has been fantastic.
00:52He's always been a great starter his whole career, especially getting back onto this Red Bull.
00:58He's a great factory KTM machine.
01:00And I think outside of the starts and his riding, I would say overall his whoop performance compared to last
01:06year has been super, super impressive.
01:09Had a coming together with Cooper Webb last weekend in Denver, and he just said, well, I don't really take
01:18any of that responsibility.
01:19It was kind of Cooper Webb ran into me, and he didn't shy away from that statement.
01:23He's ready to race again, and it's good to see him get yet another – it's kind of crazy to
01:28talk about building when you talk about a multiple-time motocross world champion.
01:33But he is.
01:34He's still in the building phase of the Supercross side of his career.
01:38Yeah, and it's so different from where he came from, and even just, obviously, the format, the time, all the
01:44jumps.
01:45But, man, he is really elevated.
01:47There was a lot of pressure on Jorge coming into this season, you know, switching from Kawasaki last year, going
01:52to KTM, really put all of it on himself.
01:54Yeah.
01:54And he has really performed this year.
01:58100%.
01:58I'll tell you, I didn't anticipate him doing as well as he did because as he was putting all that
02:04pressure on yourself, as you know, James, I mean, that's tough to do, especially at this level.
02:09And another thing, remember, he got hurt, and then he came back and still was super impressive, like he never
02:15missed a race.
02:16Yeah.
02:16No, he's been solid.
02:19Missed two races.
02:20He's 10th in points.
02:21He's got Chase Sexton all over him.
02:23So, for the guys who aren't in this championship fight, the likes of the ones we're seeing on screen right
02:27here, what is the goal tonight in addition to trying to win the main event?
02:32Just finish the Supercross portion of the year on the highest possible note?
02:36Ooh, that was close with Jorge trying to get over that sand.
02:39No, I actually think there's still a lot of motivation for a guy like Jorge and Chase Sexton, my brother,
02:46you know, but particularly these two because they do feel like this pro motocross that's going to start in a
02:50couple weeks,
02:51that they'll be a championship contender for that.
02:53And so I know they got 94 and 96, those two going for the championship, but at the same time,
02:59I think those guys are really here to play.
03:02There's a lot to race for for those two guys.
03:04A hundred percent guys that could possibly get their first win, like the man you're watching right now, number 32,
03:10Justin Cooper, plenty capable of coming out and winning here tonight.
03:14He's been so close so many times.
03:17He's had good speed and it's just came up a bit short.
03:23Yeah, I'd like to see Justin.
03:25He's been getting better and better.
03:27And it always seems like you get to these hard pack racetracks.
03:30I talked about this, you know, last year, a little bit during the outdoors, but just the way his bike's
03:34set up, necessarily more of a privateer.
03:36They don't have some of the factory stuff, which makes their bike closer to stock, which makes it a little
03:40bit softer.
03:40And I think that really helps a guy like Justin Cooper, because clearly, clearly, excuse me, when you watch him
03:47go through the whoops and compare it to these guys, the bike's a little bit more compliant.
03:51Looks good out there.
03:52Getting a little more spicy at the front here.
03:54Chase Sexton has closed that gap to Jorge Prado.
03:56Yeah, he's reeling it in.
03:58Looks like the 26 of Prado has been getting a little bit of wheel spin there in the whoops, JT.
04:04Yeah, and just, you know, it is really slippery, to your point.
04:08But watching Chase Sexton here, let's keep in mind, this guy has won this race three years in a row.
04:13Now, there's no Chase Sexton hype coming in, but these races often have surprise winners because there's so much pressure
04:19on the leaders that a guy we're not thinking about comes in and tries to win, and he's trying to
04:23win this heat race, boys.
04:24Look at this.
04:25Inside move with authority from Chase Sexton to the lead.
04:28Prado tries to respond, but simply cannot.
04:31I'm going to tell you what, that was a pretty good pass there by the four, and 26 can definitely
04:37ride a wide bike, and if he gets a whole shot in that main event, you better keep your eyes
04:43on him because I think that, and I hope this isn't the case, but he can play a part in
04:48maybe what goes down.
04:50Great job by the number four, though, of Chase Sexton to make that pass perfectly up the inside, anticipating Jorge
04:57closing the door.
04:59And look, when we talk about in this final race of the Supercross portion of the season, what is there
05:04to race for?
05:05Well, for Chase Sexton and Team Kawasaki, there's still a lot to work for because he's been working and trying
05:11harder.
05:11The team's been working and trying harder just to try and find, James, that perfect balance.
05:16Yeah, no, absolutely, and I think that pass by Jorge kind of told you that, and at the same time,
05:21these two guys switched teams.
05:22You know, Jorge was on that Kawasaki as what Chase is on, and Chase is on that KTM, so there's
05:27probably a little bit more motivation seeing that happen,
05:29but good to see the number four, still a great ride by Jorge, and now he's going to have to
05:35deal with Justin Cooper if he closes up a little bit.
05:45Jorge putting in some good, oh, makes a mistake, and that's going to help Cooper.
05:49Watch Justin Cooper, he's elected to start jumping through the whoops, probably a good play right now because of how
05:55slick they are.
05:57Holds his position, he's able to work through that inside right there.
06:01Justin's made up a lot of time on these, certainly on Prado.
06:07Sexton's starting to pull away here.
06:09Yeah, I think that jumping's probably going to come into play because those whoops look more challenging now for all
06:16these guys.
06:16It's really slippery.
06:17And I think the cutoff point, I say the cutoff point, the breaking point to where you do blitz or
06:23you do jump is going to be dependent upon the drive that you can get through there.
06:28If they get slick like we're telling you right now, it's probably going to be best to jump because you're
06:32going to get better drive through there.
06:36So we're inside the last two laps now.
06:39Chase Sexton, as JT mentioned earlier, has won the last three years here in Salt Lake City.
06:44Well, let's see if this trend continues for Chase Sexton because he won three heats in a row.
06:49He's out in front here.
06:50That'll make four heats in a row here in Salt Lake City.
06:53And the previous three have all led to those wins.
06:56So great start to the day for Chase Sexton so far.
06:58I think, James, right there, that was great that we were able to see both Jorge Blitz and Justin Cooper
07:04jump.
07:04You got a perspective of which is faster.
07:07And right now, I do think that Blitzing is just maybe half a bike link quicker.
07:11Yeah, no, I agree with you.
07:12Jorge switched his lineup.
07:14He went down to inside.
07:15And the reason why I think he got a good run is because not a lot of people going through
07:18there.
07:19And you probably only can get there through that side of the section in a 450 compared to the 250.
07:24You don't have enough power.
07:25Nonetheless, good run.
07:26And good to see the number four.
07:28He's been looking pretty good all day.
07:30He's gotten better these last few races.
07:32And this is going to help him out for that main event.
07:34Yeah, sure is.
07:36Through the sand section for the final time.
07:38And this will be the third heat win of the year for Chase Sexton.
07:45Almost there.
07:46Nicely done.
07:47Yep, just like that.
07:49Had to work hard to get by Jorge Prado, who rode very well to second, just ahead of Justin Cooper.
07:54But nice heat win to Kawasaki's Chase Sexton.
07:58Coming up, the two guys in the spotlight.
08:02Ken Rockson, Hunter Lawrence.
08:04Heat two of the 450s.
08:05This is a window into the evening ahead.
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