Words and photos from Gizmo Racing Yamaha
When people think of the action in Nashville, Tennessee, country music and the bright lights of Broadway usually come to mind. However, this past Saturday afternoon, it was all about the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series.
The event featured the return of Freddie Noren and Valentin Guillod, both back in action after recovering from injuries. CJ Benard also came in with momentum, building off three of the strongest performances of his young Supercross career.
In the 450 class, Noren showed impressive pace right out of the gate, qualifying 19th overall as if he hadn’t missed any time. In his Heat Race, he finished 11th, just two spots shy of a transfer position. Undeterred, Freddie capitalized in the LCQ, getting a strong start and quickly moving into the lead. He maintained control throughout the short race to secure the LCQ win, his and the team’s first victory of the season. In the Main Event, Noren’s performance was stronger than his 21st-place finish suggests. He climbed as high as 16th and was running in a position to finish 19th before a late-race incident. With only a few laps remaining, another rider made a mistake that took out Noren’s front wheel, sending him to the ground. Despite the hard hit on the tough Nashville track, Freddie remounted and finished the race. While the crash wasn’t ideal for his recovering body, he reported that he’s okay and plans to line up again next weekend in Cleveland.
In the 250 class, Valentin Guillod qualified 26th, while CJ Benard continued his consistency by qualifying 19th and once again placing inside the top 20. However, mistakes in the Heat Races sent both riders to the LCQ. Guillod got off to a strong start in the LCQ and moved into a transfer position on the opening lap, but a slide-out in a turn ended his chances. Benard, after a poor start, pushed through the field but ultimately came up short. When the checkered flag flew, CJ finished 7th and Valentin 10th, both just outside the transfer spots.
Despite the results, there were positives to take away. The speed and riding ability were there; minimizing mistakes will be key. With that in mind, the team looks ahead to Cleveland, where all three riders will aim to rebound and continue building momentum.
Freddie Noren #63 – Freddie said, “Definitely a rough main event and I wasn’t excited about that but it was fun to win the lcq! My injury from before Detroit is still bothersome but getting better”.
Valentin Guillod #39 – “Positive point, my shoulder is going good. Unfortunately I did an amateur mistake in the lcq, they watered on the concrete, I lost the front, it was like ice.” said Val after the race.
CJ Benard #775 – CJ said this after the event, “I’m close but close isn’t enough I have the speed but my starts have been holding me back. going to really work on that this week and fix it for next week.”
