MINNEAPOLIS (April 14, 2018) – Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Jordon Smith took over the second spot in the points championship after climbing back to the podium with a third-place finish at the final Triple Crown event of the season inside U.S. Bank Stadium. Smith’s consistency scoring finishes of 2-2-3 helped him collect his fourth podium of the season. Teammate Sean Cantrell notched a career-best supercross finish, ending up right behind Smith in fourth.
Starts were critical in the Triple Crown format and Smith rocketed his KTM 250 SX-F to the front of the pack in each of the three races. In the opening and shortest race of the night, Smith quickly moved into second and remained until the checkered flag. In the second Main Event, Smith eventually took over the lead before relenting and finishing second. With a 2-2 going into the final Main Event, Smith had a good chance at not only the podium but also the win. He took over the lead on Lap 2, but after contact with another rider forced him to the ground, Smith had to come from fourth to eventually finish third - a score that was good enough for third overall and second in the championship.
“Tonight was really great for me and I felt like I rode to my full potential,” said Smith. “It’s definitely a lot of points between us and first (12 points), but it’s nice to know we are putting the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM team in a good spot with two rounds to go. I’m glad the Triple Crown races are over, but they were fun and provided something different for the fans.”
The feel-good moment of the night went to supercross rookie Cantrell who finished with a career-best result in Minneapolis. The young rider proved he could learn from a tough first Triple Crown race to bounce back with a fourth overall. In each Main Event, Cantrell was able to get out of the gate and start no lower than sixth. The consistency and good starts paid off as he scored a 5-4-5 overall on the night.
“Getting that breakthrough race feels amazing,” said Cantrell. “I remember how disappointed I was after the last race because I felt like everything was going against me and tonight it seemed like we did it right. I’m so thankful to the whole team for their support and getting me to this point. I’d love to get another top five before the end of the season.”
The KTM Junior Supercross Challenge returned in Minneapolis and were an exciting part of the show. Madden Jones was unable to be caught as he rode great and led from start to finish. Troy Stickel came in the runner-up spot while Sammy Toupal rounded out the podium.
Smith and Cantrell started the day off in the newly-released GP Air Raceshop Jersey Ocean and GP Air Pant Mono Ocean before switching over to the GP Raceshop Jersey Navy and GP Air Pant Mono Navy. Both kits were paired with the SE4 Carbon Streamline Helmet.
See all of the 2018 gear sets and the 2018 Moto Helmets online and at your local TLD retailer.
250SX Class Main Event Results - Minneapolis, Minnesota
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- Jeremy Martin (Honda)
- Zach Osborne (Husqvarna)
- Jordon Smith (KTM)
- Sean Cantrell (KTM)
- Anthony Rodriguez (KTM)
- Joshua Osby (KTM)
- Brandon Hartranft (Yamaha)
- John Short (Yamaha)
- Thomas Ramette (Yamaha)
- Austin Forkner (Kawasaki)
250SX Class Eastern Region Points Standings
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- Zach Osborne, Husqvarna, 154
- Jordon Smith, KTM, 142
- Jeremy Martin, Honda, 138
- Austin Forkner, Kawasaki, 137
- Luke Renzland, Yamaha, 95
- Kyle Peters, Suzuki, 86
- Sean Cantrell, KTM, 78
- Brandon Hartranft, Yamaha, 73
- RJ Hampshire, Honda, 57
- Anthony Rodriguez, KTM, 57
KTM Junior Supercross Challenge
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- Madden Jones
- Troy Stickel
- Sammy Toupal
- Riley Edwards
- Ethan Sienkiewich
- Ray Ritter
- Ivan Drewlo
- Jake Macdonald
- Aidden Foist
- Kyleigh Hayes
