Yahoo Finance Fans Storm Hot Track at Daytona Supercross Causing Chaotic Scene
A Supercross tradition caused chaos at Daytona International Speedway Saturday night. Fans stormed the track moments after Jett Lawrence beat Eli Tomac while riders were still crossing the finish line.
Watching Supercross at Daytona is a surreal experience. Fans have access to stand on the front stretch of the Superspeedway and watch the race unfold on an SX track built on top of the infield green.
Daytona is the only Supercross venue where fans can storm the track to make it from their seats on the front stretch to the podium in time to experience the rush of a Supercross victory. This isn't a logistical option at most of the stadiums that the series visits. In years past, the finish line has been located on the far side of the track by the podium and riders are safely off track by the time the mob reaches victory lane.
This year, the track was flipped and the finish line was right next to the front stretch, providing fans with an up-close view of Lawrence's historic win over Tomac, who had won the event the five years prior. After Lawrence finished his burnout in front of the fans, hoards knocked over the barriers between them at the track and descended in pure chaos on the course.
With Lawrence's massive win, the field was spread out, which is why the track was still hot when fans rushed it. Jason Anderson, who was the last rider on the lead lap in ninth, had to slow down to navigate around fans on the final stretch of the course until he crossed the finish line 1 minute 39 seconds behind Lawerence.
While storming the field is not an official part of the Daytona Supercross season, it’s well-known throughout the fandom.
Nothing has been decided on the future of the fan storm, but when reached for comment, Daytona International Speedway said it was "reviewing the incident."
It’s easy to lose your footing on a Supercross track, especially during Saturday night's race where soft dirt and early rain led to some of the deepest ruts riders have seen so far in the 2024 season. While there were no major injuries reported, many fans slipped and slid when they first encountered the mud, experiencing instant karma for breaking onto the track.
I was standing by the Supercross podium as the flood of young adults crossed the track chasing Lawrence the same way the field had chased him for 20 minutes plus a lap.
Karma. 😂 #LeBigUSA 🎥 LeBig pic.twitter.com/uzMCGHLhTe
— LeBigUSA.com (@LeBigUSA) March 4, 2024
The amount of access that SuperMotocross provides to fans is second to none. Antics like storming a hot track can get that quickly limited. There are currently no plans to change how Daytona Supercross manages the finish, but after a scene like this, it seems inevitable.
The level of celebrity in Supercross is growing partially due to the popularity of young breakout stars like Lawrence and Haiden Deegan. With heightened stardom comes growing pains. When Lawrence did his bike burnout into the fence, in the excitement, a fan ripped his 100 Percent goggles off of his helmet. The grown man who did this looked as proud of his stolen souvenir as a child.
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