KTM and their Austrian brothers and sisters showed brilliance in Birmingham, with KTM and Husky owning the 450 podium and two spots in the 250 class. Below are some comments from the racers who showed something special.

Chase Sexton: “Triple Crowns are tough because even if you win the first two Races, just like what happened to RJ [Hampshire in the 250SX Class], something can go wrong in the first turn. Thank God my starts were good tonight; I got the holeshot. I rode pretty solid. I wasn’t doing the [triple jump] in the last Race, just being a little conservative. It was a good race, Coop rode good, and I’m stoked to get that monkey off my back and get another win and get this season going in the right direction finally… This is my favorite part of the season, these last seven or eight rounds. It seems like it's where I really shine… Coop is riding really good, he’s a fighter, so it should be a good fight to the end.”

Malcolm Stewart: “I just made a mistake in practice and caught Justin Hill’s front wheel [in mid-air]. I hit my hip pretty good. The good news is I’ve got a solid group with my team. They just said, ‘Just go out there and give it everything you’ve got.’ Huge shout out to Doctor G for getting me back in [shape] to go out there and do these three Races… It’s awesome and I’m so blessed to get back up on here [on the podium]. Yeah, baby, maybe I’ve earned a little bit of fishing money now!”

Aaron Plessinger: “I just feel like I’m on a roll, like I’ve found another gear, found a good groove. The boys at the practice track, they’re keeping me on my toes. The Baker’s Factory [Training Facility] is a riot right now; we’re going off. Aldon’s keeping us in shape… It was just a good night. Good starts, good riding, I led a lot of laps, and then just couldn’t seal the deal. But we’re up on the podium… all these fans out here in Alabama, they were insane. We’re going to keep it up and hopefully podium the season out.”

Cooper Webb: “You just can’t make that mistake like I did in the first Race. That pretty much dictates your night. I had luck at Dallas, and tonight [I didn’t]. You just can’t put yourself in that position. Obviously that last one was a great ride for me. I finally applied myself well. It’s a bit of a bummer to get fourth [overall], but I feel like I was riding good, that first one really cost me… they say all good things come to an end, so the podium streak’s gone… We’ll regroup and come back swinging, that’s for sure.”

Nate Thrasher: “I really felt coming into this season that this was going to be my year. Tampa went okay, I ended up crashing on the first lap. But then we just kept fighting every round. I just knew that I’m tough enough to be out there. This week I was finally able to do two days [of practice] before coming to this race and those two days were great. I’m super excited and I’m just ready to get the ball rolling. We’re not out of [the championship] yet!”

RJ Hampshire: “You could tell, even the first two races, I just didn’t have the spark. I felt good in practice and then was just flat. I don’t know if it’s things catching up to me or what, but I just didn’t have that intensity. And then I butchered the start in my last Race. My starts were saving me [in Race 1 and 2]… We’re still in this thing and looking forward to Boston in a couple weeks [for the next 250SX East race].”

Tom Vialle: “I’m happy to survive that Triple Crown. It’s always a pretty sketchy race. In the second moto I finished fifth; I made a lot of mistakes and lost some ground and that might have put me out for the overall tonight. But I want that win really bad. I’m working for it and hopefully in the next few races I can do it.”

Seth Hammaker: “The night that could have been… but I’m healthy, that’s a lot of what we’re working on this year. That first Race, just gotta learn from it and be better the next time. If you learn off of your mistakes that’s the best thing you can do. Those were good performances in the last two Races, I’m proud of that.”

Justin Barcia: "Birmingham should've been better than it was! I was feeling really good, first race would've been a top-five before an endo, and then I flew off into the nets, which was a bummer. The second race, I was top-five and I was happy with that, and then the third race was unfolding in the same way before another endo knocked the wind out of me for a second. Everything was going well tonight, just a few too many mistakes cost me. I like Seattle, I got my second 450SX win there, so I'm aiming for a podium next weekend!"

Austin Forkner: "There is something positive to take from tonight! I feel like I have shown some potential at each round, but I just need to put all of that together. I was caught in that pile-up on lap one of the first race – even though I started around fifth – and that was a bummer. I was stuck behind a crash in the final race too. It is frustrating, but I can see the potential. I just need to figure out a way to show what I am capable of."