New Zealand rising star Cole Davies delivered another standout performance in Round 2 of the 250SX East AMA Supercross Championship, charging to second place in the main event at Daytona Supercross inside Daytona International Speedway.
The podium finish sees Davies sitting fourth in the championship standings on 39 points heading into Round 3 in Indianapolis this weekend. At the top of the table, Pierce Brown leads the way on 45 points, setting up an early-season battle in the competitive 250SX East class.
Davies left Daytona with mixed emotions. While a second-place finish at one of Supercross’ most iconic venues would satisfy many riders, the young Kiwi made it clear his expectations are higher.
His assessment was refreshingly honest: the speed is there, but the starts must improve.
Davies believes that when everything clicks, he has the pace to beat anyone in the field. However, he pinpointed the opening laps as the critical factor holding him back. After consistently strong starts last season, he knows that rediscovering that form could be the key to unlocking race wins.
Daytona proved to be a weekend of progression.
“We wrapped up Daytona with a 2nd place in the Main Event. A decent result, but it’s not where I want to be,” Davies said.
“Both qualifying sessions weren’t the greatest for me, especially Q2. I was overriding and really didn’t find my groove. The upside was it was clear what I needed to improve on coming into the night show. I knew the track was going to change, and we were going to be there fighting for a win.”
In the heat race, Davies crossed the line third after initially slipping backwards.
“We finished the heat race in 3rd, and to be honest, it took me a while to get moving. I dropped back to 5th at one point, but we started to piece everything together towards the end, and I was feeling confident coming into the main event.”
The main event itself was a showcase of resilience.
“The Main Event was good fun. Unfortunately, I got a terrible start. The gates weren’t prepared all day, which would make for a challenging launch. I came out of the first turn in 12th and began to make my way through the pack.”
From 12th off the opening lap, Davies sliced his way forward with calculated aggression, adapting to Daytona’s notoriously evolving surface.
“I really enjoyed racing Daytona. Growing up watching it was always epic, and experiencing how quickly the track changed and knowing I could adapt and ride unique lines was fun. We came away with 2nd, only just 4 seconds off the win. It was a solid ride, but still not where we want to be.”
Despite finishing just four seconds shy of victory, Davies remains focused on the bigger picture — putting himself in a position to control races rather than fight through traffic.
“All in all, it was a decent weekend. I need to start these main events up front to make my race a little easier on myself. We know what we need to do. Next up is Indianapolis!”
With the speed undeniable and confidence high, a clean launch in Indianapolis could be all that stands between Davies and his first win of the season.
Header Image: AMA Supercross
