“We didn’t have the (Supercross) Futures races or anything like that, so it pretty much all came down to Loretta’s,” Sexton said, referencing the latest amateur program to be introduced to the Supercross world.
The Illinois native distinctly remembers the moment he found out he’d be making his first pilgrimage to Tennessee. It was 2006, and 6-year-old Sexton was at a regional race attempting to qualify for the national event.
“It was a mud race at the regional and I didn’t think I made it. I was like crying, but then my dad told me I made it,” Sexton said. “It was a big deal.”
That summer, he made the hot trek to Hurricane Mills, lined up with the 51cc (4-6) AMA Class 1 and finished 11th. The next year wasn’t quite so kind, as Sexton struck out completely and didn’t make it to the starting gate.
“It was kind of a rough go at it the first couple years,” Sexton recalled.
His amateur trajectory changed in 2011 when he won the 85 (9-11) Stock championship during his first run with Yamaha. Though the team wasn’t a factory operation — rather “right under” factory level, as Sexton describes — his performance set the tone for his career.
“That was the kick-start. After that, I was factory Yamaha,” Sexton said. “And from then on, I’ve been on a factory team.”
He signed with Honda Factory Connection’s amateur squad in 2015, won a second Loretta Lynn’s title in the Open Pro Sport class in 2016 and made his professional debut with Honda HRC in 2017.
But like most riders who make the jump from the amateur to pro ranks, Sexton struggled to find his footing once he entered the 250cc class.
“I think my first-ever pro race, I got lapped by Zach Osborne,” he recalled with a laugh. “When I was amateur, I was riding good enough to be at the top, but when you go to a pro race, everything changes. You’re racing guys that you looked up to.”
From the 42-rider fields of Loretta Lynn’s to the 22-rider starting gates of AMA Supercross, Sexton found the intensity only heightened. Not only that, but lining up with and battling against his childhood heroes also required a mental adjustment.
“It’s hard to put the transition into words,” Sexton said.
The 23-year-old reached his pinnacle this season, as he brought Honda its first 450 Supercross championship since 2003. Looking back, it’s hard for Sexton not to credit Loretta Lynn’s with opening the door.
Meanwhile, for Aaron Plessinger, one of the first things that comes to mind when he thinks of Hurricane Mills is the creek that runs through the property.
“The best memories were made in the river and jumping off the bridges and hanging out with friends,” Plessinger said. “Being there for a week, you’re there for the race, but it’s like family vacation. Everybody’s pumped they already made it there and if stuff goes wrong, so be it.”