The 2024 season is heading back out west this week in Seattle, which means the return of the 250SX West Coast lineup for the first time in six weeks. Title contenders Levi Kitchen, Jordon Smith, and RJ Hampshire are back in action for round 6 out of 10.
So…how´s been the things in the West side? Let´s take a mind refresh!
The contenders: Kitchen, Smith & Hampshire
Levi Kitchen held the red plate through the extended Western Regional break, as he holds a slim four-point advantage over Jordon Smith and five points over Hampshire. Jordon Smith came back from a rough accident to capture a top-five in Glendale, salvaging his position in the title fight. Smith is only down by four points going into the back half of the Western Regional. And RJ Hampshire nabbed his fourth career 250SX Class victory in Glendale and second of the season. It is the first time in his career he has scored multiple wins in a season. RJ only trails by five points going into Seattle.
Top 5 250SX West Coast Standings with four rounds to go:
- #47 Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) 106
- #31 Jordon Smith (Yamaha) 102
- #24 RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) 101
- #26 Garrett Marchbanks (Yamaha) 87
- #30 Jo Shimoda (Honda) 74
The threats:
Meanwhile, Garrett Marchbanks has contended for podiums all season but a 9-5 in the previous two rounds has pushed him 19 points off the red plate. And Jo Shimoda has earned 4-22-4-4-3 finishes for fifth in the point standings. He remains a threat for wins, while dark horses Mitchell Oldenburg and Nate Thrasher will be looking to get in the top spots battles. Don´t forget the rookies on its factory machines such as TLD GasGas Rider DiFrancesco and Red Bull KTM´s Julien Beaumer.
Mosiman IN | Vohland OUT
In other news, Michael Mosiman will make his return to racing under the Star Racing Yamaha´s tent. Mosiman has shown strength and the pace to run up front. He took home his first 250SX win at San Diego Supercross in 2022 and finished third in the Western Regional 250 class that season. Unfortunately, injuries sidelined him from a full season last year. Now he is eager to get back on the bike for the remainder of the rounds.
On the contrary, Maximus Vohland he will not return to racing for the remainder of the 2024 supercross rounds, as he continues to deal with complications after dislocating his hip in a practice crash in January.
One Triple, Two Showdowns:
There are five rounds left before the conclusion of the 250SX West Coast series, but only two runs under the “normal” format, as St.Louis will be the last Triple Crown and Nashville and Salt Lake City will hold the clash between two coasts.
250SX West Coast race to go:
| Round | Date | Venue | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | March 23 | Seattle | Main Event |
| 6 | March 30 | St.Louis | Triple Crown |
| 7 | April 20 | Nashville | East vs West |
| 8 | May 4 | Denver | Main Event |
| 9 | May 11 | Salt Lake City | East vs West |
Seattle track map:
