East Rutherford

Entering the first ever Supercross in the Meadowlands, Jeff Ward was in prime position for his second Supercross crown. The Kawasaki rider got out front early and looked to clinch the championship early, but it wasn’t meant to be. Ward grabbed the top spot after passing Guy Cooper in the early stages and set sail, but went down hard over a berm. The lap prior, Ward cased the triple, causing his ankle to go numb. The difficulty feeling his bike and holding his feet on the pegs contributed to the wreck, as Rick Johnson took the top spot. Johnson cruised to a win and kept his title hopes alive. Despite the major crash, Ward recovered to finish 5th in a valiant effort.

The 2017 East Rutherford Supercross was full of controversial moments that would set up an incredible finale the next weekend in Las Vegas. In the 450 main event, title rivals Ryan Dungey and Eli Tomac both started around 5th. Tomac was ahead of Dungey early, but a small mistake put the Kawasaki rider on the ground. Instead of charging through the field like he did the week prior at Salt Lake City, Tomac struggled to gain ground as Dungey worked his way to the lead. Flanked by teammate Marvin Musquin who eventually passed him, it looked to be a drama free momentum boost for the Red Bull KTM squad. Then, the last lap happened. After the whoops, Musquin went wide, all but waving Dungey by and giving the three time champ another victory and a nine point lead going into Vegas. While Musquin stated that he missed a rut, many people were quick to point the finger at team tactics. The pull over move would end up being the final main event win of Dungey’s storied Supercross career, as he would retire following Las Vegas.

In the 250 class, there was more controversy after a thrilling ride from Zach Osborne. The Husqvarna veteran took the lead from Joey Savatgy, who would go down in a rhythm lane and subsequently cut the track to regain some time. This would cost Savatgy, as he dropped from 3rd to 8th in the final order after a penalty. This handed the points lead to Jordon Smith, setting up the all-time classic at Sam Boyd Stadium to end the year. (Photo: Garth Milan)

Starting out as a beautiful April day, the 2023 East Rutherford Supercross quickly turned into a mess. The SX Futures race was quickly followed by a thunderstorm, pausing action and soaking the track. After the lightning went away, rain continued to set up a pair of muddy main events. The 250 class kicked off the action with their first East/West Showdown of the season. While Jett and Hunter Lawrence held the points lead on their respective coasts, another Honda rider stole the headlines. Fire Power Honda’s Max Anstie got out front and scored the first Supercross victory of his journeyman career, putting the Australian squad on the top step of the podium. The win was massive for the non-factory organization and a huge moment for both team and rider. The Lawrences rounded out the podium, surviving a late slide from RJ Hampshire.

Noted wet weather expert Justin Barcia controlled the 450 main event, cruising to his first win in over two years. Barcia dominated the race, lapping up to 5th and putting a near 15 second gap on points leader Eli Tomac. The victory was the second premier class Supercross win for GasGas and Barcia’s first since the 2021 season opener in Houston. After the race, Tomac held a 9 point lead over primary rival Cooper Webb, who finished 5th. (Photo: Garth Milan)