It was a challenging night for Team Honda HRC’s Cole Seely at round 12 of the AMA Supercross series in Detroit, Michigan, as a first turn crash left him fighting for position throughout the entire main event. Seely got a decent jump out of the gate and was charging into the first turn when another rider set off a domino effect, hitting him from behind and ultimately sending him to the ground. He swiftly remounted his CRF450R and went into salvage mode, quickly trying to work his way through the field. After the completion of the first lap, Seely was 16^th but by the halfway point he had made his way into 10^th, which is where he would finish.

NOTES

• On Friday, Team Honda HRC’s Cole Seely and GEICO Honda’s Christian Craig, along with Adam and Tyler Enticknap headed to Genthe Honda Powersports in Southgate, Michigan for a pre-race supercross party, where fans had the opportunity to get autographs from their favorite riders.
• The Detroit track showcased some unique elements including an uphill banked first turn, small Talladega style turn that saw riders go into the stands and a challenging sand turn immediately following a whoop section. “The track was actually pretty basic and flowed really well, which is why I liked it,” said Seely. “It was really fast compared to what we’ve been racing on, lending itself for some good racing. The Talladega turn is always a unique aspect of Detroit and I think it’s pretty cool. The sand can be tough; it never really broke in so it was loose and changed every lap.”
• The competition was fierce in practice, with the top riders battling hard for the best mark during the qualifying sessions. A mere .819 seconds separated the top 12 riders. At the end of the daytime program, Seely landed eighth at 52.438.
• Seely started the night on positive note, pulling the holeshot in 450SX heat 1 and leading every lap of the seven-lap race to take the win. This marks Seely’s first heat race win of the season.
• On Saturday, April 1, Team Honda HRC will head to St. Louis, Missouri for round 13 of the AMA Supercross series.

THE FOCUS: Andrew Short Takes On the Mexican Desert

Honda brand manager Andrew Short was absent at the Detroit Supercross, having spent most of the previous week competing in the four-stage Sonora Rally, which was won by Monster Energy Honda Rally Team’s Ricky Brabec. Short, who recently learned rally navigation, campaigned the Mexican race aboard a Honda CRF450X to finish third overall behind Brabec and Ox Racing Honda’s Mark Samuels.

“I had a lot of fun in Mexico,” Short said. “It was a really cool experience to see all the hard work and passion that goes into making a rally. I met a lot of cool people, including the HRC Rally team. For me though, it was the ultimate test—a combination of thinking, riding and technique.”

Short made a mistake on day one, attributing it to excess speed prompted by overexcitement. “I got really lost, made a few wrong turns and trusted some people’s directions that I probably shouldn’t have instead of following my own instinct,” he said. “It was actually a great learning experience but I lost a lot of time on that first day. Each day though, I got a lot stronger and better. The sand dunes were massive and you’re just going off navigation, so that was completely new for me. I’m physically and mentally tired but overall it was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget. I can’t wait to do another one.”