Good, Bad and Ugly | 2023 Millville 3

'Good, Bad and Ugly' reflects on miscellaneous points from the seventh round of the 2023 Pro Motocross series, Millville. What would you put under each subheading? Travel to the forum to join the discussion or share ideas on social media (@VitalMX on Twitter and Instagram). For now, however, read on for some thoughts on Chase Sexton, Aaron Plessinger and Seth Hammaker.

GOOD

Motocross fans across the globe breathed a sigh of relief on Saturday, July 15. Chase Sexton edged closer to his true form and therefore it is not ludicrous to think that a fiery battle for 450MX victories could play out in weeks to come. It is long overdue. It's brilliant that the series has arrived at such a moment, but it is not a surprise. Why did it feel like many people forgot that Sexton missed three rounds? Not only that, but people discounted his form from a year ago and presumed that what we saw at RedBud and Southwick was 'peak' Sexton.

The mind boggles. There has been so much discussion about what Jett Lawrence would be doing against Eli Tomac, but the same should have been asked about Sexton. Yes, he was in action at the beginning of July. The fact that the rider was on track does not mean that he was ‘there’ though. Such a flippant attitude served as a reminder of why so many athletes are hesitant to return and race themselves back into shape. Is Sexton set to wipe the floor with Lawrence? No. Is Lawrence set to wipe the floor with Sexton? No. The good news is that sounds like quite the battle.

BAD

This is not too bad, considering the circumstances, but it must be rather frustrating. Aaron Plessinger has finished fourth in the last six 450MX motos. Now, he has dealt with back issues and a lack of training. It has been far from easy and so it is very impressive that he is even operating with such consistency. There is no doubt that he wants more though, especially when the door has been swung wide open for someone to capitalize and construct some valuable momentum. Plessinger has had an erratic time of it since moving into the 450MX division. Is that an understatement?

Plessinger has had just five podiums in thirty-five starts. Is he capable of more than that? Absolutely. This should have been a summer where he improved on those career statistics and gained valuable momentum, which would serve him well when the class is bolstering with talent. It feels like '7' has been waiting for that opportunity to breakthrough for some time. There have been flashes, sure, but nothing sustainable. This is his chance and something out of his control is stopping him from capitalizing.

UGLY

It had been a turbulent twelve months for Seth Hammaker. '35' navigated those rough waters and started to reap the rewards of such tenacity with impressive rankings at both RedBud and Southwick. Momentum, which is so valuable in this sport, was in his corner for the first time in quite a while and it felt that success was brewing. Unfortunately, lady luck reared her ugly head once again at Millville and horrific starts meant that he had to charge from dead last each time. Finishing in nineteenth and eleventh place was impressive, considering the circumstances, yet no one will offer props.

Hammaker's back is against the wall again now. Rebounding well at Washougal, which is likely to happen, will put him back on the right track. The priority should be exactly that, because another tricky race would put him back into those rough waters and it is difficult to escape once in that spot. It is possible that '35' could be the feel-good story of the summer if he can continue to run results like he did at both RedBud and Southwick. Who would have thought that would be the narrative?