Nate Thrasher Scores First Podium Win at 250 ESX Triple Crown

Kicking his YZ250F back into gear following a week off for the Monster Energy AMA Supercross traveling tour, Nate Thrasher (Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha) was able to overcome a badly injured finger that’s been nagging him since the opening round of 250 ESX competition back in February to win the Birmingham, Ala., Triple Crown round at Protective Stadium on Saturday.

And in 450 class racing, Monster Energy’s Cooper Webb (Star Racing/Yamaha) overcame a slow speed crash in the opening race to win the evening’s final race, keeping his red # plate as the premier classes overall season points leader.

Thrasher, who raced consistently in the Triple Crown format (three shortened main event races vs. the usual one race), would actually finish in a tie with Husqvarna’s RJ Hampshire, each with eight points in the Olympic-style Triple Crown scoring format. Thrasher was then awarded the overall Birmingham SX victory based on his final race finish – 2^nd place to Hampshire’s 5^th.

“It was just a whole lot better day for me,” said Thrasher. “I was finally able to do some (practice) laps this week and it kind of just translated. Before this week I was just nowhere – not riding as tough. Just felt like one with the bike this weekend.”

Also riding the tires off his Kawasaki KX250F was Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker. Sans an opening race/opening lap tip over crash in a right hand bowl turn, Hammaker was the fastest racer at Birmingham, battling back from dead last (Race 1) to a respectable 9^th place in the short contest. Hammaker then won Races 2 & 3 to place 4^th overall on the night, and move up onto the 250 ESX overall season podium in 3^rd place overall. Also scoring top ten finishes at Birmingham for Monster Energy were Daxton Bennick (Star Racing/Yamaha) with a great ride to 5^thplace, and Hardy Munoz, racing a Yamaha, in 9^th.

Noteworthy from the 250 ESX class was Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Max Anstie’s crash during afternoon qualifying at Protective Stadium, where he reportedly suffered a broken leg (Fibula). Anstie was leading the 250 ESX overall points chase heading into Birmingham, and is now said to be out for the remainder of the 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season.

450 class racing at Birmingham was crash filled to say the least with Monster Energy-backed racers. As mentioned, Webb, the overall series points leader, suffered an unforced error early in Race 1, then flashed his usual speed and consistency to salvage a 4^th place finish (7^th/4^th/1^st). Webb’s teammate, Justin Cooper, would parlay a 6^th/7^th/6^th run into 6^th place overall. And spending the most time in the Alabama dirt with his bike laying on its side was Monster Energy’s Jason Anderson (Kawasaki), who literally crashed in all three races. Remarkably, Anderson was able to remount and battle back to a highly respectable 7^th place overall (5^th/8^th/12^th), holding onto his 6^th place position in the overall 450 class standings.

And in SMX Next racing at Birmingham Monster Energy/Kawasaki/Team Green’s Enzo Temmerman scored his first (semi) professional Monster Energy AMA Supercross victory. Qualifying in 6^th position, Temmerman won the 8-lap SMX Next main event by nearly seven seconds (6.970) over KTM’s Luke Fauser. Temmerman placed 2^nd at both the Glendale (Calif.) and Daytona Beach (Fla.) SMX Next rounds this season.

Birmingham 450 class results                                       250 ESX class results

4^th – Webb (Monster/Star/Yamaha)                                              1^st – Thrasher (Monster/Star/Yamaha)

6^th – Cooper (Monster/Star/Yamaha)                                           4^th – Hammaker (Monster/PC/Kawasaki)

7^th – Anderson (Monster/Kawasaki)                                             5^th – Bennick (Monster/Star/Yamaha)

Overall Standings (10 of 17 rounds)

450 class                                                                      250 ESX class

1^st – Webb, 211 points                                                                3^rd – Hammaker, 86 points

5^th – Cooper, 160 points                                                            4^th – Anstie, 78 points

6^th – Anderson, 151 points                                                         5^th – Thrasher, 78 points

Notes & Quotes

• “Going into the main event, I knew it was going to be splitting hairs, coming down to starts.” - Thrasher on how he won the Birmingham 250 ESX overall, mentioning the other top four finishers (Hampshire, KTM’s Tom Vialle and Hammaker) in the process.
• Silver lining in the 450 class was the fact that Webb left Alabama still holding the overall class lead. Through ten rounds of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, Webb is up on defending champ Chase Sexton (KTM) by eight points, 211-203.
• Thrasher’s first win of the 2025 season was also his first podium. And he moved up to 4^th place in the overall 250 ESX standings, despite a badly injured finger. “Yeah, racing on it (the finger) wasn’t allowing it to heal. So having the week off made a big difference,” he said.
• Again, Hammaker was a full on Monster Energy Beast in 250 ESX races 2 & 3, dominating the starts and beating overall points leaders Vialle (1^st) and Hampshire (2^nd) straight up in those races.
• Added NBC Sports race announcer Ricky Carmichael on Hammaker’s run from dead last to a top ten 9^th in the opening race: “Definitely respectable.”
• Talk about parity… Thrasher’s win made for an unbelievable five different racers, in five total 250 ESX rounds this season, that have won.
• Added Webb on his opening moto tip over mistake: “You just can’t make that mistake like I did in the first one. That pretty much dictates your night. I had luck in Dallas, and tonight, you can’t put yourself in that position.”
• Monster Energy-backed Justin Hill (KTM) would have landed well within the top ten, but a crash and 17^th place finish in the opening race would having him playing catch up, eventually finishing just a click outside the top ten in 11^th (17^th/9^th/8^th).

Up next: Big trek west for Monster Energy AMA Supercross as they load up the haulers and head to Seattle’s Lumen Field for Round 11 of the series this Saturday, March 29^th.