McAdoo Wins Indy Supercross To Take Overall Point Lead

With a 1st/2nd/3rd three race run at the second Triple Crown event of the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season, Monster Energy’s Cameron McAdoo (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) won the 250 Eastern Region Supercross (ESX) class top honors at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium, while Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Haiden Deegan rounded out the 250 podium with a 3rd place finish, winning the second 250 main event and going 2nd/6th in the two remaining races on the night.

With the victory at Indy McAdoo moved ahead of KTM’s Tim Vialle for the overall points lead in 250 ESX. McAdoo has 98 points after five rounds of ESX racing (to Vialle’s 96 points). And after a rough start to the season, Deegan moved into the top five overall in ESX points (4th) with 82 points.

“It’s been a while since I got a win. They all feel so good,” said McAdoo. “That was what I live for, going into that third race tied on points and just that locked in. I’m just so proud of that one. These aren’t easy to come by, so I’m gonna soak it in.”

Added Deegan, who was not terribly pleased with his 3rd place finish at Indy: “It’s unfortunate, but you know we have three weeks off now (Monster Energy AMA Supercross now moves to the 250 WSX series). We’re going to work hard and I’m gonna come back swinging. We’ve got a lot of rounds left; we’ve got an East/West Shootout, which I’m excited for. And the pace is getting there, man.”

Monster Energy-backed racers would score four more positions inside the Indy 250 top ten, including Nick Romano (Star Racing/Yamaha) in 6th, Chance Hymas (Honda) in 8th, Seth Hammaker (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) in 9th and Daxton Bennick (Star Racing/Yamaha) in 10th – making for, along with the class victory and two on the podium, six of the top ten overall positions for M-claw racers.

In 450 class racing at Indy Monster Energy racers were, which is rare, shut off the overall event podium. Leading the charge for the Monster Energy was Jason Anderson (Kawasaki) with a strong 4th place run (5th/6th/5th). Anderson was joined in the top ten by Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Cooper Webb in 5th, followed by his teammates Eli Tomac and Justin Cooper in 7th and 10th, respectively.

450 Highlights

• Things were looking up following timed qualifying as Tomac and Webb occupied the No. 2 and 3 positions behind (eventual) race winner Jett Lawrence (Honda). And you could throw a blanket over the three in terms of fastest qualifying time as Lawrence was at 48.52, Tomac at 48.55 and Webb at 48.56.
• Race 1 saw Anderson out to an early podium position on Lap 1 (3rd), but he’d be unable to hold that spot the entire 16 laps, settling on a respectable 5th at the checkers. But at the same time Anderson ran well, Webb, who was leading Anderson, was forced to crash (by a lap racer), which pretty much ended any chances of the overall podium early for the No. 2 racer in the 450 class overall standings.
• Race 2 would again see Anderson lead all Monster Energy 450 racers early, coming around the opening lap in 4th position. Anderson would move up to 3rd place on the next lap, and held the position through Lap 10. A mistake would allow multiple racers past as Anderson went from 3rd to 5th, then back to 6th on Lap 11 – a position he’d hold through the finish. Webb would charge hard late in the contest and finish a spot ahead of Anderson (6th)
• The third and final race (Race 3) had Webb out early (4th), with Anderson and Cooper right behind in 5th and 6th. Webb would again lead the Monster Energy 450 racers, running a consistent 4th place over the 16 laps. Anderson was right behind in 5th, sewing up the top position (4th overall) out of the Monster guys for the night.

250 ESX Highlights

• Oddly enough, Indy 250 ESX Triple Crown race winner, McAdoo, was more than a second behind the top qualifier, Max Anstie (Honda), in qualifying. McAdoo qualified with the 7th fastest time (50.56), behind other notable Monster Energy racers Hymas (4th in timed qualifying), Hammaker (5th) and Deegan (6th).
• Indy 250 ESX Race 1 saw Monster Energy’s Bennick jump out to the early lead in the 13-lap contest, though he was caught and passed by McAdoo on Lap 2. McAdoo would control the remainer of the 12-minute plus one lap race, winning by 5.3 seconds over Deegan.
• Similar circumstance in Race 2 as Deegan took the race lead on Lap 2 (over Triumph’s Jalek Swoll), and led through to the checkers for the win. McAdoo stayed clean on the start (4th) and was able to race to a highly important 2nd place finish in Race 2, ahead of Vialle.
• Race 3 got underway with McAdoo out in 4th, however, Deegan got caught up at the start and came around in 17th place on the opening lap – which was going to be highly difficult to make up in the shortened main event. McAdoo did what he needed to do, racing consistent, fast, and placed where he needed to – 3rd – to win the overall, his first of the season. Deegan raced his brains out to get back to 6th, which got him on the podium. Bennick had his best race of the night, placing 4th.

Notes & Quotes

• Coming into Indy Monster Energy’s McAdoo had three consecutive ESX 2nd place finishes. And he was due for a win, according to NBC announcer Ricky Carmichael. “You keep knocking out those 2nds like that and that win is just around the corner.” 
• Deegan would dominate the second moto, which set up an epic Monster Energy duel with McAdoo as both racers had won a main event and placed 2nd in the other.
• “Had he gotten a better start out of the gate, he’d have dodged that,” said Carmichael of Deegan’s Race 3 first turn collision with a Tuff Block, which sent him to the ground and out of contention for the Indy race win. 
• Added Deegan: “I’m not exactly sure how I hit it (Tuff Block lane barrier)… I just got spit in a 180.”
• Unable to share in McAdoo’s celebration was his father, who McAdoo said couldn’t get out of work, something which we’ve all been able to relate to at one time or another. “Shout out to my dad,” said McAdoo. “He had to work today. He’s in construction and he’s only like an hour and a half away from here, but he couldn’t make it. So love you, pops!”
• When handed the red 250 ESX leader plate, McAdoo responded: “That gives me chills. That’s surreal to me, still. I’ve had it twice (before) and, yeah, I’m just gonna keep working for this and keep doing our best.”
• “I hate this. It really changed the night,” said Carmichael of when Webb was unable to dodge a lapped racer who had checked up in front of him, and went down – pretty much ending his bid for the overall 450 Indy Triple Crown podium.
   

Up next: Wagon’s west for Monster Energy AMA Supercross at the series heads to Seattle’s Lumen Field for Round 11 of the series, Saturday, March 23rd, featuring the return to Round 6 250 WSX racing.