Indianapolis Supercross Photo Report from the Note Pad
By Billy Rainford
Photos by Bigwave
I always take heat for using actual pen and paper to keep track of what’s going on at the races. For me, it’s just the way I’d prefer to do it. Here are some thoughts of mine from trackside that I jotted down at the 2022 Indianapolis Supercross at Lucas Oil Stadium.
As I headed to the photo den in one of the big meeting rooms at floor level in the stadium, I passed the room where all the KJSX kids were gathered getting ready for what was probably the biggest night of their young lives.
We had one Canadian lining up and that was #9 Trey Brandt from Alix, Alberta.
It was raining outside and it was very humid on the track.
I was watching the 450 qualifying and couldn’t figure out why I didn’t see #19 Justin Bogle on the track and then I saw his bike leaning against the finish line tower. I’d missed that whole incident between him and #10 Justin Brayton‘s bike! I saw it on IG though. Wow. Bogle managed to come back out but Brayton didn’t pass concussion protocol:
In the 2nd qualifying session, they get a gate drop and Tanner Ward had a good gate pick and got out to second place position early. “He’s really looking like he belongs out there in AMA Supercross” is what I have written down in my note pad.
#48 Cameron McAdoo was ready to put in another heater to try and knock #18 Jett Lawrence off the top of the list but didn’t realize he’d passed the checkered flag. He was just flying past riders who were just rolling around to get off the track and it was funny, albeit very dangerous, as he finally noticed what was going on and shut it down.
#23 Chase Sexton chased #27 Malcolm Stewart around in the final 450 qualifier and the pair went 1-2 respectively. That is until #3 Eli Tomac took it late by almost a 1/2 second. At that point, everyone knew the field was in for a long night.
I got a DM from Matt Putt from NY State and we decided to get together for a burger during the break between the first and second qualifying sessions. Matt supported our old friend Jeff Mort a bunch of years ago. I drove out to the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas SX’s with Jeff. It was also the one time I got food poisoning and had to sit in the room at the Flamingo all week while everyone else had fun. Matt remembered.
The crowd went nuts for 2 reasons in heat #2. #11 Kyle Chisholm grabbed the holeshot and led most of the race until Lawrence came from a fall in turn 1 to pass Chisholm for the win.
#116 TJ Albright just rolled over the line and in the heat race. He was a DNS for the LCQ.
#44 Pierce Brown went down hard in this one.
Note: I love how Oneal has taken this incident and run with it and not from it. Seems to be the best and only way to deal with something like this.
Tanner was 12th early and then worked his way up to 8th by the checkered flag. Like I said, he looked good and definitely has the potential to do well down south.
The two of them put on a great show. Unfortunately, they came into lapped traffic early and it made things challenging. Lawrence ended up winning with a 6-second gap over McAdoo.
#285 Marshal Weltin loaned #56 Josh Osby a bike after he parted ways with his former team. Marshal looks at home making SX moves and finished a career bast 13th in the Main.
The lead 450 group was into lapped traffic 5:00 into the Main! You just knew that was going to be a factor when lap times were down around 45 seconds.
I stayed in this corner most of the 450 Main because it just looked like it was going to provide some excitement.
It sort of freaked me out but these two shots were back to back on my camera.
The series heads to Seattle next weekend where we pick up the 250 West class in what could be a mudder. Outdoors in Seattle in late March? Yes, we’ll have a mudder.
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