Seth Hammaker Climbs to Third After Consistent Performance in St. Louis
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker has displayed remarkable resilience in the SuperMotocross Playoffs, moving from a fifth seed to third in points following two second-place finishes. At the recent event in St. Louis, Hammaker maintained a steady performance, achieving finishes of 3-3 for an overall second place, now trailing the leader by 14 points heading into the decisive triple-points finale in Las Vegas.
“I’m in a good spot,” Hammaker stated in the post-race press conference. “It was a solid day all around. I felt better physically today. Obviously, we were inside. It wasn’t as hot out.”
Hammaker has been managing colitis, which he noted significantly affects his stamina during long races, particularly in challenging weather conditions. He described the two-moto format of the SMX series as more strenuous than a single Main Event in Monster Energy Supercross, highlighting the importance of conserving energy throughout the week leading up to the races.
He elaborated on his St. Louis performance: “Had two more consistent motos than I had been, and the second moto was a big step in the right direction regarding consistency in lap times. I wanted to try to get Jo [Shimoda], but he was riding pretty well on a track that kind of had a limit to it.”
Hammaker’s initial playoff round in Concord was tumultuous. After a significant crash during qualifying, he rebounded to lead much of the race before being overtaken by Haiden Deegan late. Although the subsequent motos were canceled, he secured a second overall but faced a five-point penalty for jumping a red cross flag.
As the championship decider looms, Hammaker is focused on securing a win in Las Vegas: “Just want to go in there and try to win the race and see where that puts me. It’s been a pretty good year so far.”
