Team Honda HRC’s Cole Seely finishes the Monster Energy 450cc AMA Supercross Series a strong third in the series standings.
Team Honda HRC’s Cole Seely has been named 450SX Rookie of the Year in the 2015 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, according to a press release by his team.
The Rookie of the Year award goes to the eligible rider who has accumulated the most points throughout the season. Throughout the 17-race Monster Energy AMA Supercross season, which marked his first full-time campaign in the premier division, Seely earned no fewer than 10 top-five finishes, including five podiums and his first career 450cc main event victory. He finished a strong third place in the final points standings.
“Getting Rookie of the Year and being handed the third-place medal was a pretty big deal to me,” Seely said. “It’s a huge honor because there are some fast guys who came up this year; it was a very talented rookie class. The last six years have been a steady climb, so it’s nice to know that I’m still climbing. I want to take what I’ve learned this rookie year and apply it next year, when I’ll have a better understanding of how the season works and what to expect.”
Seely said that the biggest change he had to make during his rookie 450 Supercross season as compared to a 250cc regional series campaign, was to make sure that he paced himself through the longer 17-round schedule instead of just the eight regional rounds he was used to.
“I had to learn to save myself for Saturday by not exerting myself too much between Monday and Thursday,” Seely said. “The race weekends fly by so fast, and then you’re right back to your routine. You have to make your program work and have everyone coordinating with each other to have the same goals in mind throughout the whole week.”
With the AMA Supercross season behind it, Team Honda HRC will begin its run in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, Saturday, May 16, in Sacramento, California. Seely said he is excited to start the outdoor championship.
“I’ve never raced a 450 outdoors, so it’s really going to be a learning process,” Seely said. “This summer, I expect to learn the most I ever have in my entire career. I feel like I suited the 450 a lot better than the 250 for Supercross, and I think that’s even more true for outdoors.”
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