What Really Happened in Foxborough?
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Cooper Webb pulled off the wildest final lap we’ve seen all season, going from 6th to 3rd in a full-send frenzy in Foxborough. With steam pouring from his radiator overflow and 6th place seemingly locked in, Webb gambled and just sent it.
And it worked. He somehow made up ground on a soaked and sloppy track.
Webb’s Miracle Last Lap
Only 6 riders even completed 9 full laps. Webb’s last lap clocked in 4 seconds quicker than Plessinger, 20 seconds better than Barcia, 52 seconds over Roczen, and more than a full minute faster than title rival Chase Sexton.
That’s the kind of ride that seals championships. If Sexton wants a shot now, he almost has to win out. Even then, if Webb finishes second the rest of the way, it’s a tie in points—Sexton only takes it on wins.
What Exactly Happened to Chase Sexton?
Everything was relatively okay for Sexton until Lap 6. He was making passes and looking every bit like the guy who won San Francisco last year.
But after a near crash at the finish line, where he got stuck and lost 40 seconds (based on his previous lap time) it all came apart. He never got back into rhythm.
Lap 6 broke Sexton.
Sexton vs. Webb: Foxborough SX, Lap by Lap
And what’s more? Had Sexton kept his pace from Lap 8 for the final lap, he would have finished 3rd and at worst 4th.
Unfortunately, we don’t know what happened. It’s a miracle that the broadcast was able to tell who was who. We can only presume that something happened for Sexton to lose that much time.
Timing and scoring doesn’t help much either, as he lost time in every sector on Lap 9 compared to Lap 8.
Great Mud Riders
Title drama aside, the night belonged to Aaron Plessinger. Cleanest through the mud, fastest lap by over 3 seconds, Plessinger cruised to a near 26 second victory.
Historically, he is great in the mud too, but this is arguably his best performance. His average finish across his career (250 and 450) in mud races is a 3.25.
Plessinger’s Mud Race Results
*What IS a mud race, exactly, is debatable and subjective. We’ve selected five unquestionable ones.
We all know who the other good mud riders are with Barcia, Roczen, Webb, and Sexton. But McElrath is sneaky good in the mud. He proved as much with a 2nd place finish.
While he’s missing that elusive win, his average career finish in mud races is 4th and like Plessinger never worse than 6th.
McElrath’s Mud Race Results
Who is Winning the East Coast Championship?
Chance Hymas came out of nowhere with his first 250 SX win. It wasn’t just a lucky ride either, as he was fastest on 5 of 6 laps. He didn’t even start in first. Hymas’s first lap position was 3rd. Hymas fought for the victory and now is eyeing the championship.
250 East Points Standing
Speaking of championships, the East Coast title race is on fire. Six races, six different winners, and now only 8 points separate the top 4. Vialle had a 10-point cushion heading into the night. Not anymore. With an East/West Showdown up next, this thing’s wide open.