Live Written Updates from Daytona Supercross

Chance Hymas looked to have the holeshot but Tom Vialle knifed underneath in turn one, and then went wheel to wheel with Max Anstie. Anstie got caught on the inside tough block and went down, dropping the championship leader to last. Vialle took off with the lead, and it was Hampshire and Kitchen battling through and catching Hymas for second. Three laps in, Hampshire got into second after the tussle with Hymas. Hampshire immediately ran down Vialle and the battle for the lead was on, Hampshire then used the outside of the off camber to take over the spot. At the same time Kitchen got around Hymas for third. For about two laps Kitchen was closing on Vialle but then disaster struck. Kitchen tried to wheelie into a gulley after the finish instead of hopping in—and that kicked the back of his Kawasaki up violently and resulted in a huge endo. It was a massive wreck and a lap later the red flag came out, leading to a staggered restart.

Hampshire held the lead on the restart ahead of Vialle Hymas Hammaker Bennick and Mumford, then Hampshire bobbled and Vialle almost got by. Anstie started in 11^th and made his way up to eighth quickly. The running order with two minutes to go was Hampshire, Vialle, Hymas, Hammaker, Vohland, Mumford, Anstie, Bennick, Thrasher and Munoz in the top ten.

The final battle to watch up front was between Hymas and Hammaker for the final podium spot, as Hampshire had Vialle covered just ahead. A few spots back, Anstie passed Mumford to put his Yamaha into sixth in a points-salvaging ride.

With two laps to go Hammaker really started pushing Hymas, and he tripled through a section where Hymas doubled, and that was enough to get the final podium spot.

“It’s special,” said Hampshire. “Man, I lost my dad a few months ago, and this was his race. This is the only race we used to come to. He was here with us today. Some guy came up to us in the pits with one of my dad’s jerseys. I don’t know, it was just special today. I felt good, I had that comfort and that’s what was missing in those first two races. Finally got to burn one down in Daytona! That one was for dad.”

Hampshire, after a bad round one, is now down 14 points. Vialle is down six on Anstie, second ranked after his runner-up finish.

“He passed me early and I was leading for a couple laps,” said Vialle. “It was hard the track is tough and tricky. We went pretty much the same speed, I was pretty close but I think I missed a little bit, missed a couple of rhythms on the far right. But it’s still a long championship and we’re right there.”

Hammaker took third, his first podium of the season, winning the battle with his trainer partner Hymas.

“That was pretty wild, me and Chance were going at it the whole main event, felt like being at the Dog Pound,” said Hymas. “All the work is paying off. Second year in a row I’ve been on the podium at Daytona and we’ll keep the momentum rolling into next weekend.”