One of the biggest surprises in the Detroit Supercross 250 East was Monster Energy Star Yamaha’s Daxton Bennick podium finish! A native of Morganton, NC, he rode like a veteran, consistent and strong to the finish. He didn’t look like he was trying because of how smooth he was riding. He admitted during the press conference that he felt so much pressure heading into his first professional rookie debut race and that after getting third place in the main event, he felt a huge weight was taken off his shoulders.

We saw the post of Dax Bennick’s dad, Todd Bennick, who was also a former professional racer and Freestyle Motocross rider, saying that the last time a rookie landed the podium in their very first professional race debut was ten years ago! Dax’s podium finish is indeed impressive—a better result than Jett Lawrence and Haiden Deegan’s first professional supercross race.

Can Dax Bennick be one of the few to win the championship in their first year as a pro? We’ll see after 8 more rounds.