Supercross racing in 2017 has been a roller coaster ride and fans just experienced the biggest loop yet in New Jersey. When championship leader Eli Tomac fell while leading the race, he effectively handed the points lead back to defending champion, Ryan Dungey. For a full look back on the race, take a gander at the article I posted yesterday recapping everything that went down on Saturday night: 2017, Meet 1992: Supercross History Repeated Itself in New Jersey.
Below you will find some of my favorite shots taken during the fourth consecutive running of the New Jersey round of Monster Energy Supercross.
Ryan Dungey removes his helmet after taking the win in NJ and recapturing the points lead.
Kyle Cunningham maneuvers through a rhythm section during timed practice on his Autotrader/JGR/Suzuki machine.
Jesse Wentland kickstarts his Honda, ironically after a Honda tuff block cover got stuck in his rear wheel. One of the tireless track-side safety crew assists in the removal.
Team Honda’s Cole Seely is widely regarded as one of the more technically skilled riders. Unfortunately he has not been able to translate that into a win yet the season and an injured groin during the main event caused him to bow out early.
TLD/KTM rider Jordan Smith inherited the 250SX East Championship points lead after a penalty was passed down to Joey Savatgy. Still, only two points separate the top three riders before the final round in Las Vegas.
Blake Baggett eyes the track from the tunnel before practice. The diminutive rider has greatly improved his Supercross skills the season on his KTM 450SX-F.
Jason Anderson leads his heat race as other riders give chase. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider scored a third place finish in the main event, just behind his training partners Ryan Dungey and Marvin Musquin.
Ryan Dungey navigates the short but tricky sand section just before the finish line. Next weekend, his KTM will once again have the red background with white number one as he regained the points lead in NJ.
Racing gets underway in MetLife Stadium.
Zack Osborne (left) sets up the pass for the lead on Joey Savatgy during the 250SX East Main Event. Thanks to a penalty on Savatgy, he and Osborne are now tied in points with one round remaining. Jordan Smith is one point ahead in the lead.
Malcolm Stewart had a forgettable race, finishing in 13th. He was one of three Stewarts in the 450SX main event, none of them related. Princeton, New Jersey’s own Ronnie Stewart had a huge contingent of support, as can be seen with the yellow t-shirted crowd in the background.
Justin Barcia had one of his better races of the year in MetLife Stadium. Born in NJ, the Autotrader/JGR/Suzuki rider had his fair share of local fans cheering him on.
Marvin Musquin could have run away with the win but he did not, perhaps due to team order to let Dungey take the win and points lead. No matter, while in NJ the French rider also resigned with Red Bull KTM through 2019.
Chad Reed season has been a mixed bag, but the veteran Yamaha rider is still a fan favorite. Finishing in 12th on the night, Reed is a two-time champion and has over 200 Supercross main event starts; second on the all-time record list.
If there was one single race when the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross Championship flipped, it was the New Jersey SX. Eli Tomac had the lead and then fell in a turn, handing the win and points lead over to Ryan Dungey. The Kawasaki star will have one more chance to turn it around next weekend in Vegas.
Musquin speaks with Fox Sports following his second place finish in the main event. He is now place third in the championship point chase.
Dungey receives a congratulatory handshake and hug from his wife, Lindsay, just after capturing the win in New Jersey.
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