Upsets Rule Anaheim 2 Supercross Triple Crown Event

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.

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.

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