Racer X Outstanding Performance: Jason Anderson
Tuesday, May 1, 2012 | 5:15 PM
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The Rockstar Suzuki Racing Team didn’t exactly explode out of the gates last season in their debut as Suzuki’s official Lites factory team. In fact, most of their 2011 season was marked with disappointment, especially in comparison to the other factory Lites/250 teams. Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha and KTM all put Lites bikes into the winner’s column last year, and only Suzuki came up short.
This year didn’t start much better for the Rockstar team, but Blake Wharton finally provided a shot in the arm via strong riding, and a win, on the East. Now, finally, the Western boys got in on the act.
First, Martin Davalos finally closed the deal in a main event, delivering a podium finish after too many days of fast practice laps, heat race wins, and then zeros to show for it in the main.
One spot better came his teammate Jason Anderson. Once a shining star in the amateur ranks—a Suzuki teammate, in fact, of Eli Tomac, and a rider capable of beating the new West Lites SX Champion—Anderson’s pro career has not started at all like Tomac's, who won the first race he ever entered. Anderson’s 2011 rookie campaign was so bad, that Team Manager Dave Gowland actually sat him for a few races during the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, allowing Anderson to rebuild his training program from the ground up. Anderson progressed a bit toward the end of the summer, and carried that improvement to supercross this year. He rode better, but still, no podiums. As an amateur, Anderson was known as a fierce, aggressive, let-it-all-hang-out charger. So far as a professional, though, that fire seemed to be missing.
Anderson was finally able to break through in Salt Lake City.
Simon Cudby photo
Finally, on Saturday night, Anderson found that fire in a strange place. He ignited one of the most bizarre crashes we’ve seen, taking down Ryan Sipes (and himself) in a first turn wreck…on the parade lap! But the adrenaline from that seemed to carry him forward, as Anderson holeshot the main, and then pulled a move as slick as the parade lap crash was rough—his neck brace loose, Anderson, in mid air over a triple, ripped the brace off, and didn’t skip a beat.
He absolutely flew through the first few laps, but ultimately, he ran into some nerves in leading his first pro race, and his old amateur teammate and rival, Tomac. But he finished second for his first pro podium. A year later, Anderson and his team are finally delivering on his promise, and for that, we present him with this week’s Racer X Outstanding Performance Award.
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I'm looking forward to the Anderson and Sipes interviews about what happened on that practice lap crash. Does Anderson practice holeshots with his eyes closed???
ripping the neck brace over the triple- that was bad ass.
Good ride for Jason Anderson.
Also, looks like Milsaps is able to ride that crappy Yamaha in the main events and get on the box.
Wonder what JS7's excuse is going to be now?
Go Davi !
Disappointing ride from Alessi and Grant.
Happy for Anderson, but yeah, I want to hear what the *#$& happened w/the parade lap crash.
Woohooo I am so siked for my boy JA44. I have waited every dang race for this to happen since he turned pro. I was worrying that old 312 team green kawi rider/ horizon award winner was never gonna come back but its evident that he finally did. Hopefully hes fired up for wins now and not just podiums. Wait till u guys see a confident JA44 outdoors, hes a MOFOin BADA$$!
@Kawi567 - Haha! I hope we get a chance to see him at his best Outdoors. He seems like an extremely nice kid and a great rider. Hopefully he can be a title contender in the Outdoors. 18 more grueling days till Hangtown, everyday I get more excited.
I was there all day snapping photos, and he was out right haulin a$$ all day long, his style is fun to watch!
My expert opinyon is that his powerband got stuck on the peraid lap causing him to crash into Sipes. Congradulashions on yore wunderfull ride. I think you did a grate job!
Ryan Dungey should have won this. Did you not see his amazing performance after he was knocked down? Jason got passed and lost. Dungey did the passing and won.
He stood out last week and I was looking forward to more this week. He did not disappoint! Could this be the sleeper in Vegas?
Oh, and I'd center punch someone every parade lap from now on. You just knew he was going to get the holeshot after that.
I am glad to see Anderson get credit for his breakout ride. Hope he can do more and that ride should bvoost his confidence, at this level of racing it gets mental and you have to ride smarter. Good luck Jason!
Holy Christ mr. MotoRcross.. I hope you being cynical with that spelling. My brain hurts from reading that.. Maybe homeschooling isn't such a good idea for motOcross riders after all.
My eyeballs and still rolling like a slot machine is disbelief
2 things : 1) Jason's bizarre parade lap 'incident' was because Sipes COMPLETELY moved over on him & drifted over hard.... 2) He suffered from no 'case of nerves' he simply got beat.. & while i'm at it, at round 1 he had the lead until Durham whiskey throttled him in the 2nd corner, and in Oakland, he had 2nd in the bag until Musquin cleaned him... he's 5th in points, but should be 3rd at very worst......