Predictably Unpredictable
Good luck if you’re tasked with making odds on where Nate Thrasher will end up on any given night. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider has been all over the results this season. He’s taken a win in San Diego, crashed out for the night in his heat race in Glendale, and has been everywhere in between. In Denver he could go out and lead every lap, or he could finish outside the top ten, and neither would be surprising. -Hansel
Last Chance
Okay, so technically Jo Shimoda has two chances left to get his first win of 2024 out of the way, but it’s going to be a lot easier in Denver than it will be a week later in Salt Lake City when he has to compete against the best riders of the 250SX East Region in the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Showdown. Shimoda’s second half of the season has been stronger than the first—he’s been on the podium the last four races in a row and was runner-up at the last two. Can he take center stage in Denver? -Hansel
Last Chance X2
Phil Nicoletti, the grumpiest athlete in all of professional sports, recently announced he’d be retiring at the end of the year. That means this Saturday in Denver is the last chance (no way he podiums in the showdown, let’s be real) he’ll ever have to get on the podium in supercross. It’d be a longshot, he’d have to finish ahead of some seriously talented riders, but it’s not impossible. Can the curmudgeon of supercross notch a career best in Denver? -Hansel
Pivotal Points and Penultimate Pressure
The situation at the top of the points in the 250SX West Region is extremely tight—RJ Hampshire leads Levi Kitchen by two points with two rounds remaining, making Denver a crucial night for both of them. Kitchen, who crashed hard in Nashville and gave up a ton of points by finishing 14th, can’t afford to let Hampshire pad that lead heading into the final round. Compounding matters is that the final race of the series is the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Showdown, which will add a degree of unpredictability to an already pressure-filled night. Who will come out of the penultimate (you knew you were going to here that word somewhere this week) round with better field position? -Hansel
The Scene of the Crime
Eli Tomac is a huge fan favorite these days, but nobody loves him like the crowd in Denver. They go absolutely crazy for him in Empower Field at Mile High every year! And, after he ruptured his Achilles tendon there last year, you can bet the fans are going to have some extra energy, and decibels, this Saturday. Will it be enough to help propel him to his second win of the season? -Hansel
Quick Swing
When Cooper Webb and Jett Lawrence were tied for the championship lead all we could talk about was how quickly things changed for Lawrence, who was up by 21 points just a few races prior. Well, that was only two races ago and suddenly he’s back up by 12 points over Webb with just two rounds remaining. If Webb wants to have a fighting chance in Salt Lake City, he’s going to have to win in Denver, and hope Lawrence has some bad luck. -Hansel
Time to Eat
Injuries are an unfortunate reality in this sport, but they don’t come without benefit. When the field is thinner, like it always seems to be this time of year, it allows for privateers to compete for higher spots and more money and makes it possible for guys on the bubble to make it into the main event. Kevin Moranz, Anthony Bourdon, and Devin Simonson, for example, all put it in the 450SX main in Philadelphia. Who will rise to the occasion in Denver? -Hansel
Mile High
Jason Anderson has turned things around, going 4-4-3 the last three weekends. He also rides better on more dry, hard packed dirt, since he grew up just south of Denver in New Mexico (which is relatively close in the world of dirt bikes). We know he rides good there since he took home the win in the Mile High City two years ago, will we see him on the box again this weekend? -Sarah Whitmore
Matter Of Time
Justin Cooper has had a solid rookie season; he only has two results outside of the top ten (not counting San Francisco where he failed to qualify in the mud). But considering how fast he is in qualifying, it is just a matter of time before he turns his season best finish, a fifth in Birmingham, into a podium. Question is, does he still have time to do it this season, or will it be 2025? -Whitmore
Layout
Interesting track design this weekend in Denver, where the track crosses over the start straight four different times. With all of those switchbacks, will it create opportunity for passing? Or will it turn into a follow the leader situation? We will have to see how the lines develop but there might be some opportunity for some block passes. -Whitmore