What Really Happened in Philadelphia?

Chase Sexton beat Cooper Webb by exiting a rhythm lane with a triple-single. Well actually, he did it two times per lap. But the fact stands: Webb had the advantage around the remainder of the track, yet in the two longest rhythm lanes, Sexton chose to exit with a triple-single compared to Webb’s double-double, gaining just enough time each lap to pull off the win.

And the numbers don’t lie, Webb was faster everywhere else. In overall segment time, Webb clearly outpaced Sexton. It seems wild to say Sexton gained nearly 14 full seconds on Webb with a slightly different rhythm exit, but I rewatched the footage, and that was the only clear line difference.

Supercross is often won on thin margins, and in Philly, that margin was just a single jump combination.

Sexton vs. Webb: Philadelphia SX Sector Comparison

Beyond the head-to-head battle, the chokehold Webb and Sexton have on the 2025 series is clear. Yes, they’re leading in points, but in Philly they were untouchable.

The duo averaged over one second faster per lap than the rest of the field, lapped up to 9th place, and combined for 20 of the 25 fastest laps of the night. Once Sexton got to the lead, he was either fastest on the track or second only to Webb for the remainder of the race.

The same for Webb, but he did slip to 3rd fastest on lap 21.

Philadelphia SX – Segment Ranks

*Sector ranks determined by average sector time.

Either Sexton and Webb topped the average time in every section of the track, and they were ranked 1st and 2nd in 4 of 6 segments. It was a two-man show, and the rest of the class was just watching.

It’s not like they didn’t have to work to get the lead either; at the end of the opening lap Sexton and Webb were in 5th and 7th respectively. But when you can gain over a second per lap on the leaders, does starting position really matter?

Jeremy McGrath Nac Nac

All Eyes On Cole Davies

Way back in my first ever What Really Happened, I proclaimed that Cole Davies was off to a better start than Jett Lawrence, and oh boy, has that prediction aged well. Getting a regular season win as a rookie is rare. Winning an East/West Showdown? Practically unheard of.

Since 2000, only James Stewart (‘02) and Ryan Dungey (‘07) have done it. That’s elite company. (Note: For this, I’m counting rookies as anyone who won an E/W Showdown in their Supercross debut season.)

But it’s not just that Davies won; it’s how he won.

By the end of Lap 1, he sat in 5th behind a stacked lineup—Haiden Deegan, R.J. Hampshire, Seth Hammaker, and Coty Schock. By Lap 6? He was in the lead. And he never gave it back.

Davies vs. Deegan: Philadelphia SX Lap Time Ranks

No matter how you break it down, Davies was the guy in Philly.

• Set Fastest Lap 7 Times
• Fastest Lap of Race by 0.25 seconds.
• Fastest Average Lap by 0.15 seconds

And here’s the kicker, 5 of his 7 fast laps came immediately after he took the lead. That’s not just speed, that’s control. That’s race craft. That’s something you expect from a veteran, not a teenager in his first season.

Yes, Deegan was charging. Yes, some will say he was reeling Davies in. But Davies did exactly what champions do; he managed the gap, minimized mistakes, and responded when pressure mounted.

Mathematically, Davies isn’t out of West coast title contention. But 17 points back with only two rounds to go, one being another East/West Shootout, means it’s unlikely. Still, it doesn’t really matter anymore. Cole Davies isn’t “the rookie” anymore. He’s a serious threat. For every gate drop from here on out, the field knows his name.