Buffalo, NY: Two big things recently happened to Team Dunlop Elite alum Chase Sexton; He won his second consecutive Supercross East title in 2020, then signed with the American Honda factory team to compete in the 450 class for the first time.
Sexton joins 2020 Supercross champion Eli Tomac in furthering the Team Dunlop Elite legacy. Tomac’s championship win this year completes a sweep of all AMA Pro titles for Team Dunlop Elite alumni—graduates have now won every AMA Pro Supercross and AMA National Motocross title.
For Sexton, the Team Dunlop connection was a key to his success. “I started on Team Dunlop when I was on 50s, and the support they’ve given me over the years has just been great. I never got noticed that much when I was a kid, but Dunlop picked me up anyway and have been a big help ever since,” he says.
“I’ve worked a lot with the Dunlop staff. At the races, Brian Fleck will come over and talk with me after a couple practices and see what I’m thinking. If it’s slick, he might talk about going with a bigger tire for traction, or if there are ruts he might talk about using different tire pressures. I put a lot of trust in him to make the right decision, and it’s really nice to have him there.
“Being a Team Dunlop Elite amateur rider was really cool because a lot of really fast guys have come out of it,” said Sexton. And he’s not kidding.
Team Dunlop, now in its 14th year, is one of the most successful amateur motocross support programs in the country. Over the years, Team Dunlop Elite alumni have won every AMA Pro SX and MX title and packed podiums, including Sexton, Tomac, Blake Baggett, Austin Forkner, Justin Barcia, Aaron Plessinger, Adam Cianciarulo, Ashley Fiolek, Justin Bogle, Justin Hill, Jessy Nelson, Garrett Marchbanks and more.
Dunlop’s support of amateur motocross racing is unrivaled in the U.S. In 2019 alone, riders chose Dunlop’s Geomax® tires to win 33 of 36 titles at the Loretta Lynn’s amateur nationals, take every title at Mini O’s, and also win every moto and title in the inaugural Supercross Futures championship.
“We’ve watched Chase progress as an amateur, then hit the pro ranks at full speed,” said Rob Fox, Amateur Motocross Support Manager. “We are really proud of him and all the other Team Dunlop Elite riders who chased their dream of winning a professional championship. For Dunlop, supporting that dream is what it’s all about.”
Sexton’s advice to the next generation of Team Dunlop riders is simple: Never give up on your dreams.
To learn more about the Team Dunlop program, visit: www.teamdunlop.com
For info on the 2020 Team Dunlop Elite riders, visit the rider profile page on Supercross Live: https://www.supercrosslive.com/teamdunlop
