Late in the season the 450SX class grew deeper as injured riders returned and teams resolved early bike issues, producing stronger and more consistent results across the field. Teams and riders credited better setups and cleaner starts for the turnaround, and Kawasaki said it was prioritizing cleaning up race starts to convert pace into better finishes as the season progressed.

Chase Sexton provided a clear example of the resurgence and the start-focus. In Nashville he recovered from 17th at the holeshot to finish fourth in the 450SX main, and in his heat he was shuffled to 12th at the holeshot and recovered to seventh. That fourth-place finish was his second top-five of the season and came in his third race back after a month on the sidelines. Sexton has collected two podiums this season, a win at Anaheim 2 and a second-place finish in Detroit, and he currently sits sixth in the 450SX standings. In a Kawasaki release Sexton said, “We need to put ourselves in a better position earlier in the race.” He told Kawasaki that improvement must start with better starts.

Other riders and teams showed similar gains. Malcolm Stewart scored a podium in Detroit. Justin Cooper finished runner-up in St. Louis. Rookie Garrett Marchbanks established himself with steady top-10 finishes. Dylan Ferrandis and Justin Hill posted some of their best rides of the year in Nashville. Ferrandis credited a new Akrapovic exhaust, tested in Florida, for changing power delivery and allowing chassis and gearing adjustments that produced a competitive setup. During the Nashville race Ferrandis went over a sand berm, was passed by Sexton, and was later penalized one position under AMA rules, dropping from fifth to sixth. Hill said earlier poor starts had left him “dead last” in earlier rounds and that he now believes he should be “knocking on the door for podiums.” The Supercross series is approaching the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, roughly a month and a half away.

AMA Race Direction’s post-race penalties at Round 13 in Nashville reshaped results and championship math after officials enforced track-cutting and red-cross rules. Seth Hammaker was assessed a two-position penalty after a late crash in the 250SX main, dropping him from third to fifth and costing him a podium and the guitar trophy that was later reclaimed. Hammaker had crashed twice, the first before the 180-degree turn leading into the whoops, and after remounting with his bike facing backwards he cut the turn; officials said they applied one penalty for the cut and a separate penalty for gaining a position while off the track, and the sanction was imposed after the checkered flag with Race Direction citing consistency with the rulebook. The demotion elevated Devin Simonson to his first career 250SX podium.

Race Direction issued additional penalties that altered placings and points. Dylan Ferrandis was penalized one position for a cut that moved him from fifth to sixth and promoted Justin Hill to a season-high fifth, though reports differ on whether that demotion was applied in the 250SX or the 450 main. The adjusted 250SX results extended Cole Davies’ championship lead to 29 points with three races remaining. Jeremy Hand, Marcus Phelps, Ryder Floyd, Drew Adams and Luke Clout were each docked five championship points and lost two purse positions for jumping under red cross flag or lights. Derek Kelley received a combined penalty of a one-position demotion, five championship points and a two purse-position deduction for gaining a position while jumping under a red cross flag or light.

Penalties in lower heats also followed track-cutting findings. In the 250 LCQ, Buccheri was penalized 12 positions, accounting for 11 positions gained plus one, and Hudson was penalized three positions for track cuts. Race Direction said it reviewed numerous other incidents from Nashville but did not assess penalties in those cases. The rulings altered immediate race placings and championship points as the series moved on from Round 13.

AMA Race Direction’s post-race penalties at Round 13 in Nashville reshaped results and championship math after officials enforced track-cutting and red-cross rules. Seth Hammaker was assessed a two-position penalty after a late crash in the 250SX main, dropping him from third to fifth and costing him a podium and the guitar trophy that was later reclaimed. Hammaker had crashed twice, the first before the 180-degree turn leading into the whoops, and after remounting with his bike facing backwards he cut the turn; officials said they applied one penalty for the cut and a separate penalty for gaining a position while off the track, and the sanction was imposed after the checkered flag with Race Direction citing consistency with the rulebook. The demotion elevated Devin Simonson to his first career 250SX podium.

Race Direction issued additional penalties that altered placings and points. Dylan Ferrandis was penalized one position for a cut that moved him from fifth to sixth and promoted Justin Hill to a season-high fifth, though reports differ on whether that demotion was applied in the 250SX or the 450 main. The adjusted 250SX results extended Cole Davies’ championship lead to 29 points with three races remaining. Jeremy Hand, Marcus Phelps, Ryder Floyd, Drew Adams and Luke Clout were each docked five championship points and lost two purse positions for jumping under red cross flag or lights. Derek Kelley received a combined penalty of a one-position demotion, five championship points and a two purse-position deduction for gaining a position while jumping under a red cross flag or light.

Penalties in lower heats also followed track-cutting findings. In the 250 LCQ, Buccheri was penalized 12 positions, accounting for 11 positions gained plus one, and Hudson was penalized three positions for track cuts. Race Direction said it reviewed numerous other incidents from Nashville but did not assess penalties in those cases. The rulings altered immediate race placings and championship points as the series moved on from Round 13.