As if we needed more inclement weather for the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, in comes Seattle right on cue. This round is always circled as a potential mudder and this year is no different. With rains beginning on Thursday, the track will be covered in plenty of time. The real question will be what happens when the tarps come off sometime on Saturday mid-morning. We got lucky in Birmingham. Will we catch another break in the PNW? There are five more outdoor venues after we leave Seattle so keep an eye on the skies as we go down the stretch. Mud brings volatility in results and that may be the only thing that can keep this championship tight.

As for the track itself, no word yet if we will see any of the changes we saw implemented for Birmingham. The dirt will be soft and it will break down regardless of Saturday rain. That’s a Seattle staple and riders know to expect it. The start cuts diagonally across Lumen Field’s football floor and into a standard 180 left.

The first rhythm section traverses the length of the visitor sideline. On harder dirt, there would be opportunity to go big here but with Seattle’s soft dirt, watch for riders to simply double most obstacles with the garden variety triple thrown in. How that plays out is up in the air but remember the golden rule that if you can triple from a lower 3’ foot jump, that’s the ticket. Staying low and fast is the game.

After a netted 180 left, there is a long rhythm section of similarly built jumps. Sections like these leave a lot of room for creativity but remember, the soft Seattle dirt (along with rain) will render most of these sections more basic. If riders can put together triples, that’s about as wild as most will get. The tricky part is that riders will be jumping in and out of ruts, creating that footpeg dragging you’ll hear riders mention.