We are just barely catching our breaths from Atlanta 1 on Saturday, but Atlanta 2 beckons. There are four rounds to go in the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series. Cooper Webb has stepped forward to take a commanding lead, but Ken Roczen and Eli Tomac are not quite ready to let Webb have the championship unopposed. Plus, Aaron Plessinger and Chase Sexton want their first 450SX wins, and the two combined to lead all but two laps at Atlanta 1. So, let’s see what your picks should be in your RMFantasySX.com leagues.
- Everyone who trusted Eli Tomac to payoff as a win at the motocross-style supercross track at Atlanta Motor Speedway made the right choice. Instead of the usual holeshot-to-checkered-flag win, Tomac did have to move up from P4 to the lead on the penultimate lap. Still, he cemented himself as the favorite at non-stadium supercross tracks. Picking someone else is risky.
- Chase Sexton has established himself as the real deal, even outside of the stadiums. Going into Atlanta, Sexton was a 450SX unknown on an outdoor supercross track. Coming out of Atlanta 1, Sexton is indisputably a contender. Sexton grabbed the lead when Aaron Plessinger’s front end washed out, and Sexton held it for four laps. Had a lapper not inadvertently inserted himself into the Sexton/Tomac battle for the lead, Sexton might have won. Put down Sexton to repeat in P2.
- Aaron Plessinger rode well enough at Atlanta 1 to give him the nod for the A2 podium. Plessinger led the first half of the race and had a solid lead before losing the front end in a minor crash. By the end of the A1 Main Event, Plessinger faded to 25 seconds behind Tomac. That indicates that Plessinger isn’t quite ready to win. However, he is a fine choice to fill out the podium.
- Cooper Webb for P4 is almost heretical, but there’s a reason. Webb has more podiums than any other rider in 2021. However, at this point, Webb has a 22-point lead to protect, with four rounds remaining. Webb doesn’t have to worry about Tomac, who is 36 points adrift, so it’s all about keeping Ken Roczen at bay. Roczen hasn’t made the podium at either non-stadium race, so Webb can ride smarter rather than harder. Webb is smart and knows what’s at stake, and he will ride appropriately.
- P5 is going to be a tough call. Jason Anderson was a quiet P4 finisher at Atlanta 1, and he’s a good choice in the non-stadium races. Dylan Ferrandis took P5 at A1, and he did it by hammering through the field late in the race—impressive. Malcolm Stewart ran in P5 late in the race, but a fall did him in. Ken Roczen always bounces back after a bad race, and he was P9 at A1. Justin Barcia is fast enough to make the podium, but always has problems on the outdoor supercross tracks. Any of those five riders are good choices for P5. I’m going with Anderson due to his consistency. If Ferrandis, Roczen, or Barcia get a great start, though, I’m likely going to regret my choice.
- As always, the Wild Card choice is a tough one; this time, it’s P9. Usually, there are several strong contenders for the Wild Card. This time, almost no one looks like a good choice. Looking at Daytona and A1 results, only one semi-likely rider comes to mind. Joey Savatgy has gone 12-8 outdoors, and that’s the best I’ve got.
- Here’s the cheat sheet for anyone who doesn’t want to read the commentary and analysis:
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- Eli Tomac
- Chase Sexton
- Aaron Plessinger
- Cooper Webb
- Jason Anderson
Wild Card P9: Joey Savatgy
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8. Atlanta 1 was a swinging pendulum for me. One minute I looked to be having a bad round, and a few minutes later, it’s a great day. At the end, I did okay. I’m in the top six-percent of RMFantasySX players, a bit short of my goal of the top one-percent, which I achieved last year. I am going to have to get on the gas for the final four rounds!
9. Quick trivia: Thirteen riders have been in the Top 5 this year. The only rider in that group who doesn’t have a podium is Malcolm Stewart.
10. We don’t want you to miss Atlanta 2 on Tuesday, so check out our Ultimate Motorcycling 2021 Monster Energy Supercross TV Schedule. It’s time to get subscription-only PeacockTV, as NBCSN is delaying coverage by three hours. The coverage starts at 7 p.m. EDT on PeacockTV, and 10 p.m. on NBCSN. Remember, PeacockTV also gives you access to Qualifying, which begins at 1 p.m. EDT.
Photography by Align Media and Feld Entertainment
2021 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship Series Standings (after 13 of 17 rounds)
- Cooper Webb, 296 points (6 wins, 10 podiums, 12 Top 5s)
- Ken Roczen, 274 (3W, 8P, 11 T5)
- Eli Tomac, 260 (3W, 7P, 9 T5)
- Justin Barcia, 227 (1W, 4P, 8 T5)
- Aaron Plessinger, 200 (1 P, 3 T5)
- Malcolm Stewart, 191 (3 T5)
- Jason Anderson, 190 (1 P, 4 T5)
- Dylan Ferrandis, 171 (1P, 2 T5)
- Joey Savatgy, 153
- Marvin Musquin, 152 (3P, 3 T5)
- Zach Osborne, 123 (1P, 2 T5)
- Adam Cianciarulo, 120 (1P, 4 T5)
- Dean Wilson, 110
- Martín Dávalos, 102
- Justin Brayton, 96 (1P, 1 T5)
- Vince Friese, 94
- Broc Tickle, 90
- Chase Sexton, 87 (1P, 3 T5)
- Kyle Chisholm, 80
- Justin Bogle, 78
- Benny Bloss, 48
- Max Anstie, 39
- Brandon Hartranft, 28
- Mitchell Oldenburg, 27
- Cade Clason, 22
- Alex Ray, 22
- Shane McElrath, 15
- Tyler Bowers, 15
- Justin Starling, 12
- Carlen Gardner, 12
- Kevin Moranz, 11
- Fredrik Norén, 7
- Adam Enticknap, 7
- Austin Politelli, 3
- Scott Champion, 2
- Joan Cros, 1
