Upsets Rule Anaheim 2 Supercross Triple Crown Event

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Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA — January 28, 2023

Motocross fans, it is Anaheim Two, Round Four of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, and the third event in the 2023 SuperMotocross World Championship Season. That sounds a little bit confusing, and it’s all mother nature’s fault. Round Two was set for Oakland the week after the season opened in Anaheim on January 7th. However, the event was postponed due to the severe weather conditions that plagued California during that time frame.

Things will only be out of sync for a few more weeks as Round Two will run on February 18th. After Round Six in Tampa, Florida, and before Round Seven in Arlington, Texas. Now that we have cleared that up, let’s focus on the excitement in store for the second visit of the year to Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The first “Triple Crown” event of 2023.

The big question is, will Eli Tomac and Jett Lawrence continue the domination of their respective classes? After winning back-to-back events, how will they perform when the top 22 qualifiers face each other in three consecutive motos?

250 SX Top Qualifiers

POS. # RIDER BIKE BEST TIME
 1 18 Jett Lawrence Honda CRF250R 57.998
 2 24 RJ Hampshire Husqvarna FC 250 RE 58.784
 3 56 Enzo Lopes Yamaha YZ250F 58.842
 4 33 Pierce Brown GASGAS MC 250F 59.064
 5 43 Levi Kitchen Yamaha YZ250F 59.183

To no one’s surprise, Jett Lawrence(18) posted the fastest qualifying time by almost a full second over RJ Hampshire(24), the rider closest to him in the standings.

450 SX Top Qualifiers

POS. # RIDER BIKE BEST TIME
 1 23 Chase Sexton Honda CRF450R 57.564
 2 21 Jason Anderson Kawasaki KX450SR 58.283
 3 94 Ken Roczen Suzuki RM-Z450 58.371
 4 1 Eli Tomac Yamaha YZ450F 58.529
 5 2 Cooper Webb KTM 450 SX-F FE 58.81

Eli Tomac(1) will have the fourth gate pick for Race One in the 450 SX class. Ahead of Cooper Webb(2), but watching Chase Sexton(23), Jason Anderson(21), and Ken Roczen(94) line up before him.

250 SX Race One

Hampshire fired out of the gate to grab the holeshot with Lawrence, uncharacteristically back in fifth. Lawrence rode patiently, picking off riders one by one as he moved forward to challenge Hampshire. At the midway point of the race, Lawrence took a spill coming out of a sharp left-hand turn. By the time he gathered himself and rejoined the action, he had dropped to the eighth position.

A furious charge over the last half of the moto brought Lawrence back to third behind Hampshire and Pierce Brown(33). He still controls his own destiny. If he finishes first in the next two races, he can still take the overall event win. It was the first loss in a moto this year for Lawrence.

Cameron McAdoo(48) captured an eighth-place finish after suffering a brutal crash in qualifying.

POS. # RIDER BIKE TEAM/SPONSORS
 1 24 RJ Hampshire Husqvarna FC 250 RE Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
 2 33 Pierce Brown GASGAS MC 250F Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing
 3 18 Jett Lawrence Honda CRF250R Team Honda HRC
 4 43 Levi Kitchen Yamaha YZ250F Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
 5 49 Mitchell Oldenburg Honda CRF250R Smartop MotoConcepts Racing Honda
 6 40 Stilez Robertson Yamaha YZ250F Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
 7 34 Max Vohland KTM 250 SX-F FE Red Bull KTM
 8 48 Cameron Mcadoo Kawasaki KX250 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki
 9 83 Cole Thompson Yamaha YZ250F Team Solitaire Heartbeat Hot Sauce Yamaha
 10 41 Derek Kelley KTM 250 SX-F AEO Powersports KTM Racing

450 SX Race One

Chase Sexton(23) showed that qualifying speed racing to the holeshot in the first race for the bigger bikes. Eli Tomac(3) crossed the line in sixth. Jason Anderson was mired mid-pack at the start.

Sexton leads the pack / Photo Courtesy of Feld Motor Sports

By mid-race, Tomac had worked his way into third. Sexton had checked out on the field with Ken Roczen(94) sitting comfortably in second. The top three finished that way, with Dylan Ferrandis(14) just out of contention for a podium spot. The biggest drama of the moto saw Anderson closing hard on Cooper Webb(2), taking him out on the final lap to capture the fifth position. Webb finished seventh.

POS. # RIDER BIKE TEAM/SPONSORS
 1 23 Chase Sexton Honda CRF450R Team Honda HRC
 2 94 Ken Roczen Suzuki RM-Z450 Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki
 3 1 Eli Tomac Yamaha YZ450F Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
 4 14 Dylan Ferrandis Yamaha YZ450F Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
 5 21 Jason Anderson Kawasaki KX450SR Monster Energy Kawasaki
 6 9 Adam Cianciarulo Kawasaki KX450SR Monster Energy Kawasaki
 7 2 Cooper Webb KTM 450 SX-F FE Red Bull KTM
 8 7 Aaron Plessinger KTM 450 SX-F FE Red Bull KTM
 9 28 Christian Craig Husqvarna FC 450 RE Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
10 17 Joey Savatgy Kawasaki KX450SR Rick Ware Racing

250 SX Race Two

Lawrence easily dominated the first two events of the year. Facing some real pressure for the first time, how will he respond? Lining up next to Hampshire in the starting gate, Lawrence got a wheel in front on the start and squeezed Hampshire out, relegating the race-one winner to the rear of the pack.

Phillip Nicoletti(69) grabbed the holeshot with a battered and bruised McAdoo in second over the line.

Maybe it was karma. Early on lap one, Lawrence got bumped by another rider and went down for the second time in the evening. He rejoined the race in last place. A mid-race crash by Hampshire forced him to withdraw and drop from contention for the overall win.

Nicoletti held the lead until the final minute of the timed portion of the moto when Stilez Robertson(40) made a pass for the lead. Levi Kitchen(43) snuck past for second place, and Nicoletti held on for third. Lawrence finished sixth, passing McAdoo, who finished seventh, on the last lap.

Kitchen and Robertson congratulate each other after surprising win in 250 SX / Photo Courtesy of Feld Motor Sports
POS. # RIDER BIKE TEAM/SPONSORS
 1 40 Stilez Robertson Yamaha YZ250F Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
 2 43 Levi Kitchen Yamaha YZ250F Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
 3 69 Phillip Nicoletti Yamaha YZ250F Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha, 6D Helmets, MotoSport, ORW
 4 49 Mitchell Oldenburg Honda CRF250R Smartop MotoConcepts Racing Honda
 5 41 Derek Kelley KTM 250 SX-F AEO Powersports KTM Racing
 6 18 Jett Lawrence Honda CRF250R Team Honda HRC
 7 48 Cameron Mcadoo Kawasaki KX250 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki
 8 34 Max Vohland KTM 250 SX-F FE Red Bull KTM
 9 56 Enzo Lopes Yamaha YZ250F Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha
 10 111 Anthony Rodriguez Honda CRF250R Smartop MotoConcepts Racing Honda

450 SX Race Two

Jason Anderson established himself as the early leader in race two for the 450 cc riders. Roczen again held second, with Aaron Plessinger(7) in third. Race one winner Sexton was fourth, and Tomac sat back in seventh.

Positions began to change rapidly as Sexton suffered a fall and dropped to eighth. Tomac climbed the leaderboard into the third spot. He and Roczen staged a classic back-and-forth battle until Tomac took the runner-up position when Roczen missed a corner and went off track.

Anderson held on for the win as Tomac was not able to run down the leader. Roczen, Webb, and Sexton finished third through fifth.

POS. # RIDER BIKE TEAM/SPONSORS
 1 21 Jason Anderson Kawasaki KX450SR Monster Energy Kawasaki
 2 1 Eli Tomac Yamaha YZ450F Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
 3 94 Ken Roczen Suzuki RM-Z450 Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki
 4 2 Cooper Webb KTM 450 SX-F FE Red Bull KTM
 5 23 Chase Sexton Honda CRF450R Team Honda HRC
 6 14 Dylan Ferrandis Yamaha YZ450F Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
 7 7 Aaron Plessinger KTM 450 SX-F FE Red Bull KTM
 8 51 Justin Barcia GASGAS MC 450F Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing
 9 17 Joey Savatgy Kawasaki KX450SR Rick Ware Racing
 10 28 Christian Craig Husqvarna FC 450 RE Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

250 SX Race Three

  1. Levi Kitchen 6 points
  2. Stilez Robertson 7 points
  3. Mitchell Oldenburg 9 points
  4. Jett Lawrence 9 points

The opportunity for the overall event win is wide open between four riders. Seizing the moment, Lawrence goes to the front immediately. However, he cannot shake Kitchen, who settles comfortably into the second spot. Lawrence must finish four positions ahead of the Yamaha rider to outpoint him for the triple crown victory.

Past the halfway point, Lawrence was four seconds into the lead. Levi Kitchen held a six-second gap over Robertson in third place. While the intervals grew, the positions never changed, and Kitchen captured the overall title. Robertson and Lawrence rounded out the overall podium.

POS. # RIDER BIKE TEAM/SPONSORS
 1 18 Jett Lawrence Honda CRF250R Team Honda HRC
 2 43 Levi Kitchen Yamaha YZ250F Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
 3 40 Stilez Robertson Yamaha YZ250F Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
 4 34 Max Vohland KTM 250 SX-F FE Red Bull KTM
 5 48 Cameron Mcadoo Kawasaki KX250 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki
 6 49 Mitchell Oldenburg Honda CRF250R Smartop MotoConcepts Racing Honda
 7 41 Derek Kelley KTM 250 SX-F AEO Powersports KTM Racing
 8 33 Pierce Brown GASGAS MC 250F Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing
 9 111 Anthony Rodriguez Honda CRF250R Smartop MotoConcepts Racing Honda
 10 79 Dylan Walsh Kawasaki KX250 Revo Grindstone Kawaski

250 SX West Points Standings

POS. # RIDER HOMETOWN TOTAL POINTS
 1 18 Jett Lawrence Zephyrhills, FL 75
 2 48 Cameron Mcadoo Sioux City, IA 59
 3 24 RJ Hampshire Minneola, FL 58
 4 49 Mitchell Oldenburg Godley, TX 54
 5 40 Stilez Robertson Bakersfield, CA 52
 6 56 Enzo Lopes Chesterfield, SC 46
 7 43 Levi Kitchen Havana, FL 44
 8 69 Phillip Nicoletti Bethel, NY 44
 9 41 Derek Kelley Riverside, CA 43
 10 79 Dylan Walsh Wildomar, CA 37
 11 34 Max Vohland Granite Bay, CA 36
 12 33 Pierce Brown Sandy, UT 33
 13 83 Cole Thompson Brigden, ON 32
 14 111 Anthony Rodriguez Tallahassee, FL 28
 15 508 Hunter Yoder Menifee, CA 23
 16 59 Robbie Wageman Newhall, CA 18
 17 42 Joshua Varize Perris, CA 13
 18 93 Jerry Robin Hamel, MN 12
 19 85 Dilan Schwartz Alpine, CA 12
 20 53 Derek Drake Lake Elsinore, CA 11
 21 76 Dominique Thury Schneeberg, GER 7
 22 162 Maxwell Sanford Pasadena, MD 7
 23 84 Mitchell Harrison Leesburg, FL 7
 24 102 Wilson Todd Barrine, QLD 6
 25 98 Geran Stapleton Clyde North, VIC 5

 

450 SX Race Three

  1. Eli Tomac 5 points
  2. Ken Roczen 5 points
  3. Jason Anderson 6 points
  4. Chase Sexton 6 points

The 450 cc class enters the final race even closer than the 250s. One point separates the top four riders. At the gate drop, Anderson, Webb, Sexton, and Tomac are the first four across the holeshot timing line. Roczen did not get the good start he accomplished in the first two races and came out seventh.

Sexton was the first to make a move passing Webb. Tomac closed on Webb and looked to get by as well. However, Tomac came out of a corner and hit a jump at the wrong angle. Landing on a tuff block, Tomac crashed and fell to 14th in the field.

Continuing his drive to the front, Sexton took the lead at the halfway point, with Webb passing Anderson into second soon after. The top three held their positions to the checkered flag as Sexton gets his first Supercross triple crown win. Tomac finished 13th.

POS. # RIDER BIKE TEAM/SPONSORS
 1 23 Chase Sexton Honda CRF450R Team Honda HRC
 2 2 Cooper Webb KTM 450 SX-F FE Red Bull KTM
 3 21 Jason Anderson Kawasaki KX450SR Monster Energy Kawasaki
 4 94 Ken Roczen Suzuki RM-Z450 Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki
 5 14 Dylan Ferrandis Yamaha YZ450F Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
 6 51 Justin Barcia GASGAS MC 450F Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing
 7 7 Aaron Plessinger KTM 450 SX-F FE Red Bull KTM
 8 9 Adam Cianciarulo Kawasaki KX450SR Monster Energy Kawasaki
 9 17 Joey Savatgy Kawasaki KX450SR Rick Ware Racing
 10 28 Christian Craig Husqvarna FC 450 RE Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

With Sexton’s win, Anderson and Roczen completed the podium. Tomac finished sixth overall.

450 SX Points Standings

Tomac held onto the points lead, but Sexton and Webb moved to within four of the defending champion.

POS. # RIDER HOMETOWN TOTAL POINTS
 1 1 Eli Tomac Cortez, CO 69
 2 23 Chase Sexton Clermont, FL 65
 3 2 Cooper Webb Newport, NC 65
 4 94 Ken Roczen Clermont, FL 58
 5 21 Jason Anderson Rio Rancho, NM 55
 6 14 Dylan Ferrandis Tallahassee, FL 54
 7 51 Justin Barcia Greenville, FL 48
 8 7 Aaron Plessinger Hamilton, OH 45
 9 9 Adam Cianciarulo New Smyrna Beach, FL 43
 10 45 Colt Nichols Murrieta, CA 39
 11 17 Joey Savatgy Clermont, FL 39
 12 28 Christian Craig Clermont, FL 34
 13 15 Dean Wilson Menifee, CA 28
 14 46 Justin Hill Yoncalla, OR 27
 15 27 Malcolm Stewart Haines City, FL 15
 16 47 Fredrik Noren Indian Trail, NC 14
 17 12 Shane McElrath Oakland, FL 14
 18 11 Kyle Chisholm Valrico, FL 12
 19 25 Marvin Musquin Corona, CA 11
 20 60 Justin Starling Riverview, FL 11
 21 519 Joshua Cartwright Fort Worth, TX 7
 22 78 Grant Harlan Decatur, TX 6
 23 44 Benny Bloss Oak Grove, MO 5
 24 751 Josh Hill Huntersville, NC 5
 25 80 Kevin Moranz Topeka, KS 4