ith the supercross series winding down (I’m writing this with two races to go), I thought it would be a good time to sift through the good and the bad from the 2019 season. Before the main event blasted off at Anaheim 1 this year, very few would have picked Cooper Webb to be your 2019 champion. Even though “Coop” showed amazing speed and grit on the 250, it hadn’t translated to the 450 yet; his two seasons at Yamaha didn’t have many bright spots. Was that due to bikes? Personal issues? Attitude? Confidence? All the above? Regardless, his ride at the opening round was quietly impressive, and things just kept getting better from there.

Meanwhile, the big names everybody expected to dominate were all riding in the front seat of the struggle bus. Eli was having a hard time finding the sweet spot with his setup on the new KX450 and also trying to make up for lost time after an injury kept him on the couch for most of December. By the time he found his mojo, the series was almost over. Even Eli admitted he just wanted to get the bike sorted out so they could come out swinging in 2020.

Last year’s champ, Jason Anderson, quietly announced he was out for the series with a broken arm. He downplayed the injury, but scars that run from your elbow to your wrist these days indicate a severe injury or a terrible doctor. Time will tell which it was. Ken Roczen seemed much more reserved in his efforts over previous seasons—it’s hard to blame the guy after two major injuries in two years. Roczen had a couple main-event wins snatched from him in the closing laps, but you could tell he wasn’t the same rider he was in the beginning of 2017.

Marvin Musquin was coming back from a knee injury, and his lack of prep was on display early. Once he got up to speed, you could see the urgency he felt to win; the last thing you want to see when you’re struggling is your teammate crushing it and leading the series. This season has likely been harder on Marv mentally than any of the other contenders.

All of the issues with the expected contenders opened the door for breakout rides by Blake Baggett. After winning in Glendale, Blake continued to post solid results all season long, proving that he’s no longer an “outdoor-only” guy. Baggett will have to find a little more consistency to be in title contention, but the speed is there. And you can always work with speed.

It was also a rough go for the class rookies. Aaron Plessinger wasn’t able to tap into the magic he had on the 250. I kept waiting for a breakout ride, but it ended up just being a break. Aaron had a spectacular ejection in Daytona and left with a broken bone in his heel.

Zach Osborne didn’t even make the season opener, as a crash left him with a broken collarbone. Once he returned, he struggled to find the leaders’ pace but posted some top-tens as the series rolled on.

Joey Savatgy was the most consistent rookie, but he had his share of issues as well. A shoulder dislocation slowed him midseason, leaving him to limp through the remainder of his rookie year. These three can take comfort in watching Webb win after he had two difficult seasons before finding the winning formula.

The uncertainty of this series was really fun to watch. The only thing better would have been watching all the major players battle for wins each weekend and having different winners each round. But that doesn’t happen often as one rider generally takes hold and goes on a run. For now, it’s time to look ahead to Lucas Oil Pro Motocross. Right now, it’s a 42-rider tie for the lead. Who you got?