Words and Images courtesy Toyota Redlands BarX Yamaha
Faced with what was widely regarded as one of the most difficult racetracks and treacherous conditions in recent memory for the AMA Supercross Championship, Toyota Redlands BarX Yamaha was left to grind it out inside St. Louis’ The Dome at Americas Center during Round 12 of the SMX World Championship. The second 250SX East/West Showdown of the season became a battle of survival for the majority of the field and despite showing promising speed leading into the Main Event, race conditions hindered the ability of Parker Ross and Lux Turner to work their way through the field. After a heartbreaking injury to Dilan Schwartz early in the day, Ross and Turner gave their all during the toughest race of the season and now set their sights on the upcoming stretch run of the West Division Championship.
#40 – Parker Ross – 18th place
After missing out on a Main Event transfer at the previous race, St. Louis ultimately proved to be the rebound Ross needed. Despite a slow start in qualifying, he was confident in race conditions and his ability to secure a direct transfer out of the Heat Race. A solid start put him in position to grab a top-nine result and a spot in the Main Event. When the final race of the night got underway, Ross was mired in the fight for the top 15 in what became a battle against the track as opposed to other riders. Ross did his best to keep his Yamaha on two wheels and brought home an 18th-place result that allowed him to leave St. Louis healthy and focus on a strong finish to the season.
“St. Louis was definitely a learning day. The track was super tricky and it was really hard to find a flow on it. I’m happy I made things much easier on myself this time around, but I just made too many little mistakes in the Main Event and that held me back in the pack.”
#42 – Dilan Schwartz – DNS
After a solid comeback race two weeks ago, Schwartz was eager to build in St. Louis. Unfortunately, he never got the opportunity as a crash in the first qualifying session of the day ultimately took him out of action. It’s another heartbreaking outcome for Schwartz, who has taken a step forward in his Supercross progression this season. While further tests will confirm the extent of an ankle injury for Schwartz, the good news is he suffered no broken bones and was even determined to race through the pain until medical personnel confirmed he would need to sit out. Optimism is high for Schwartz’s prospects of a return when the West Region is back in action.
“I got some scans done to my ankle on Monday and they were able to confirm that I have some ligament damage. Surgery was an option, but fortunately not a necessity. I’ve opted to not get surgery and will instead focus on rehab over the next few weeks with the hope of getting back on track as soon as possible.”
#43 – Lux Turner – 19th place
The St. Louis round started great for Turner with the 15th fastest time in qualifying. He added to that with a stellar start in the Heat Race where he ran second for several laps before bringing home a direct transfer with a sixth-place finish. Unfortunately, he found himself buried deep in the field to begin the Main Event and endured through misfortune in the deteriorating conditions. He kept digging and was able to bring his Yamaha home in 19th place, eager to move on from the weekend and set his sights the finishing the West Division strong. Turner had some added support in St. Louis from his WMX Champion sister Lachlan and had a chance to discuss their sibling success on the Peacock broadcast.
“Everything in St. Louis went good other than the Main Event. I didn’t get a great start but I was ready to fight for a shot at the top 10. I had a silly crash and that was all she wrote after that. I’m not happy with how things turned out but I’ll get back to work and be better for the final races.”
“St. Louis turned into a rough weekend for the boys. Things started well in qualifying as everyone showed good speed. Unfortunately, Dilan crashed and as the day went on the track got more chewed up. In the Main Event neither Parker nor Lux were able to execute, plain and simple. We need to be better and we will be better. We’ll go back to work for the next few weeks and come out swinging in Denver.”
– Bradley Taft, Team Manager
