The soft, spongey soil of Lucas Oil Stadium is legendary in the moto world for all the wrong reasons. It doesn’t just get rough; it develops deep, unpredictable ruts that can swallow a 250 in a heartbeat. Round 9 of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship brought the Triple Crown format to Indy, and the pressure was through the roof.
With the Triple Crown, the traditional heat race structure goes out the window. Only the top 18 riders from qualifying go straight to the main events. Everyone else has to fight for their lives in the LCQ. It is a high-stakes sprint that leaves very little room for error.
The Dirt Legal DBDRacing WMR KTM crew showed up looking sharp in their 110 Racing x Dirt Bike Depot gear. The bikes were dialed with fresh HBD graphics, and the team was ready to give it all that they have. With Gage Linville and Jaxen Driskell still sidelined with injuries, the mission fell to Marcus Phelps and Jace Kessler.
The Battle Against the Indiana Ruts
Indy is unique because the dirt stays soft and moist inside the stadium. By the time the night show starts, the transitions between jumps are carved into slot-car tracks. If you miss your line by an inch, the bike can hook a rut and send you into the cheap seats.
Marcus Phelps came into the weekend with some serious momentum after a solid performance at Daytona. But Daytona is a hybrid track with a base that holds up better than the floor in Indy. Marcus fought hard to find that one perfect “heater” lap during the timed qualifying sessions.
Because the field was so stacked, those fractions of a second mattered. Phelps ended up in the Last Chance Qualifier, ready to charge into the top four.
Then, the mechanical issues struck. A hiccup at the gate left Marcus in 16th place heading into the first turn. On a track this technical, passing is a nightmare. He put his head down and clawed his way back to 9th, visibly catching the lead pack, but he simply ran out of time.
Kessler Toughs Out a Brutal Crash
Jace Kessler was also excited to show his improvements after a tough outing in Florida. Unfortunately, the Indy track is not a forgiving place to find your rhythm. During the first qualifying session, heavy traffic prevented him from putting down a clean lap.
Things took a turn for the worse in the second session. Jace clipped a tough block, which is essentially a giant foam cube wrapped in plastic. It doesn’t sound scary until it kicks your bike sideways right before a massive triple.
The mistake launched Jace into the face of the following jump. It was a heavy impact that would have ended the night for most people. Thankfully, his 6D Helmet and chest protector airbag did their job. He walked away, but he was feeling the effects of the turf tag.
Despite being battered and sore, Jace lined up for the LCQ. Between the physical toll of the crash and a promising jump off the metal grate, he couldn’t find the pace needed to move through the field. It was tough, but showing up to the line after a wreck like that shows the kind of grit this team is built on.
Regrouping for Birmingham
Indy was a blunt reminder of how unforgiving Supercross can be. When the track conditions turn sour and the luck doesn’t go your way, it makes for a long night. However, the team is keeping their heads up.
The squad is heading into a much-needed off-week now. This break is huge for the riders. It gives Phelps and Kessler time to heal up and allows the mechanics to fine-tune the KTMs. According to the official Supercross Live schedule, the next stop is Birmingham, Alabama, on March 21st.
We expect to see a much healthier and faster team when the gate drops in the South. The East/West Shootout is always a wild card, and the DBDRacing crew is ready to mix it up.
From the Stadium to the Street
Watching these guys fly over 70-foot triples is enough to make anyone want to go out and grab a bike of their own. There is nothing quite like the power-to-weight ratio of a modern dirt bike. But here is the catch that most riders run into.
You buy a killer bike, you spend thousands on parts, and then you realize you are stuck riding it in circles at the local MX park. Or worse, you try to find a trail that hasn’t been closed off by a gate. Most of these high-performance machines come with a title that says For Off-Road Use Only.
That little phrase means you can’t ride to the store, you can’t commute on it, and you certainly can’t cruise down the local backroads without looking over your shoulder.
Most people think they have to go through a long list of hoops at a local office just to get a plate, but that usually ends in a flat-out “no” from a clerk who doesn’t know a sprocket from a spark plug.
This is exactly why we started Dirt Legal. We think that if you own a vehicle, you should be able to drive it where you want. We handle all the confusing paperwork and state-specific hurdles so you don’t have to.
Whether you have a KTM like the guys on the team, a side-by-side, or even a surplus Humvee, we can get you a real license plate and a title.
If you are tired of your bike gathering dust in the trailer, let’s get it on the pavement.
