Last week, Justin Hill took tenth. He told me that a tenth last year would have been a good weekend for him, but it’s not acceptable now.

“I feel so much better this year,” said Hill. “Everything. I feel like I can ride the way I’m supposed to ride, and when I do that, I can do 40 laps without getting tired. Last year, it was just little things adding up. Mistakes, or having to work so hard to do the things I wanted to do on the track.”

I got to visit the Kawasaki track last Monday and saw Eli Tomac and Adam Cianciarulo hard at work. Tomac talked of arm pump last weekend, we’ll see if he has a fix for round two.

In the 250 class, Justin Cooper said he sported an ear-to-ear grin all week after taking his first career win last week. He changed nothing on his bike this week, but, in general the 250 riders didn’t struggle with the Anaheim track nearly as much as the 450 guys. Cooper actually felt the track was at its best in the main event! That shows you how much changes between the 250 main event and the 450 main event.

Austin Forkner admitted to me that he was extra nervous last week, not only because it was the opener but also because he had not raced since dropping from the 2019 season with a torn ACL in April.

It’s a constant theme here—riders explaining how much more relaxed they are compared to the opener, and also talking about making progress with bike changes during the week. Will round two look different than round one? We’ll see.

First Timed Practices

Justin Cooper jumped to the top of the board early in this session, only to be topped by teammate Dylan Ferrandis. Austin Forkner became the first 250 rider to uncork a big 3-3-3-1 rhythm we saw Adam Cianciarulo do on a 450. The line requires a rider to go wide, though, so it actually isn’t faster. Forkner was hovering around 4th and 5th during most of this session. His teammate Cameron Mcadoo was looking quick and running second fastest for a moment, but then he wadded it up huge entering a rhythm lane. He eventually got up under his own power but looked shaky—we’ll have to check on McAdoo’s status for the rest of the night.

Ferrandis ended up topping the session over Cooper and Craig.

In the 450s, Justin Barcia was first to bust out a big quad-over-table out of a corner. He then strung together a 4-3-3 line on the next lap. That became a preferred line with several riders busting it out, including Adam Cianciarulo, who went to the top of the board. Eli Tomac took top time for awhile, then Cianciarulo got it back. Adam has now topped all five practice sessions so far this year. Jason Anderson logged a late flyer to get to second over Ken Roczen and Justin Hill, with Malcom Stewart fifth.

Final Timed Practice

Cameron Mcadoo tried to give it a go in this practice after his huge crash earlier, but after one lap, he headed back to the pits. He will most likely be out for tonight.

That was the bad news for Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki, but the good news was that Austin Forkner looked better in this session, and he moved to the top of the board over Dylan Ferrandis. Then Ferrandis immediately took it back, and Justin Cooper slid back into second. It would stay that way for the rest of the session, with Ferrandis and Cooper 1-2, and Forkner third. Christian Craig has looked solid all day and was fourth. The much-improved rookie Jett Lawrence was fifth fastest, and looks much smoother than last week, when he was dealing with food poisoning and some tough whoop sections. This track works much better for the Aussie newcomer.

Blake Baggett was the first rider on track in this session, just as he was in the first timed session earlier today. Justin Barcia was again the first to pull the 4-3-3 in the side rhythm lane. Adam Cianciarulo again led the session, and then Barcia pulled into second. Then Eli Tomac took the second spot. Cianciarulo led the session but was putting in another fast lap when he tried to avoid a downed Fredrik Noren, and AC went too high on the berm and washed his front end and went down. He was okay. Two laps later, he went down in a corner again!

Those crashes were minor, but Adam’s speed is major. He was eight tenths faster than anyone else in this session, and has now topped all six practice sessions this year. Think about that!

A few other notes: Blake Baggett finished fourth at Anaheim 1, the best he's ever done at the opener, by far. Unlike previous years, Baggett didn't have to go and completely redesign his motorcycle after the opener, and he says he is running exactly what he had in last week's main event. He didn't log hot practice times, and neither did Cooper Webb, but both were seen experimenting with racing lines and passing areas instead of trying to huck the huge jumps. 

Aaron Plessinger went down last week and tweaked his ankle, but he says he felt fine this week. He made a few changes to his bike, nothing major, and his team said he had a good week at the test track. Justin Barcia didn't change anything from last week (of course). Zach Osborne was under the weather at Anaheim but is finally feeling better, he only rode on Thursday.

250 Heat 1

Derek Drake ignited a huge first turn pileup by sliding wide in turn one and did a complete 360, stuffing his wheel into the face of oncoming traffic. Michael Mosiman snuck through to get the holeshot but Christian Craig BLEW by in the whoops. Then Luke Clout ran third. Craig held on for the win over Mosiman, while points leader Justin Cooper overcame a bad start to get around Clout and take third. Clout’s fourth was good, but fellow Australian Aaron Tanti missed the main by one spot, pressing Derek Kelley and Cheyanne Harmon for the final spot. Kelley and Harmon held on, Tanti and Drake, who mounted a comeback after his wild rider through turn one, are LCQ bound.

 250 Heat 2

Austin Forkner and Mitchell Oldenburg battled for the holeshot in this one, and Oldenburg edged ahead to lead early. Forkner found room on the inside to pass Oldenburg at the start of the second lap. Ferrandis, meanwhile, was way back after another bad start and getting caught in a first-turn melee. Up ahead, Forkner checked out while Oldenburg dealt with pressure from Alex Martin. Then came Jacob Hayes, who eventually yielded to Ferrandis. Further back, Jett Lawrence crashed into Taiki Koga. Both riders went down, Lawrence recovered to get into the main with a ninth, but Koga was shaken up badly. He was eventually able to get up under his own power.

 450 Heat 1

The first 450 heat was nuts. Vince Friese grabbed his customary holeshot, with Roczen in second and Alex Ray third. Ray crashed over the tunnel jump, Roczen made a quick pass on Friese and got away. That was key because the rest of the field got bunched up behind Friese. That led to wild battles between Malcolm Stewart, Cooper Webb, Blake Baggett and Eli Tomac. Malcolm BLEW past Friese in Tomac sliced through the whoops, but then bobbled and Friese got by again. The teammates battled side-by-side which allowed Webb, Tomac and Baggett to get even closer! Finally Stewart made the pass on Friese stick, then Tomac also busted through. Tomac spent a few laps tracking Stewart down and finally made the pass over a dragon's back to claim second. Then came Stewart third, while Webb dealt with heavy, heavy pressure from Baggett. Baggett tried to pass the champion over and over, but couldn't find a way through.

 450 Heat 2

Zach Osborne holeshot but bobbled, allowing Justin Bogle to lead over Cianciarulo Davalos and Anderson. Bogle held a solid lead but then crashed with 3 minutes to go, allowing Osborne to take the lead over Cianciarulo. Then came Davalos, Anderson, Hill, Plessinger and Barcia. Bogle held a few bike lengths over Osborne and looked fine out front until he crashed by himself in a rhythm lane. This allowed Osborne to take the lead, and he held it for a few laps until Cianciarulo came by. The rookie went on to take the heat race win—the sensation continues.

Bogle was able to recover and take the final transfer spot from Dylan Merriam. Justin Brayton’s bike broke while he was in a transfer spot, so now the veteran is LCQ bound.

LAst Chance Qualifiers

Derek Drake did what he needed to do, getting out front early in the 250 LCQ. Aaron Tanti quickly maneuvered into second with Mitchell Falk right behind.

 Chad Reed holeshot the 450 LCQ much to the relief of the fans. Justin Brayton was able to net a good start even from the outside gate #factorybike and got to second. Brayton got Reed to take the lead and the win. Kyle Cunningham rolled through and got to fourth, then third, then passed Reed to take second. In the battle for the final spot, Alex Ray was able to stalk down Dustin Winter to steal the final transfer to the main.

Forkner led Lawrence and Craig early, then came Hartranft, Cooper and Martin. Lawrence made one heck of a go, keeping Forkner honest for 10 minutes, even getting back to the rear wheel a few times. What a ride by the rookie! Finally Lawrence bobbled hard when he cased a rhythm, and then Cooper shot by to second. Right after Lawrence bobbled, Craig went down super hard in a rhythm and was slow to get up, ending his night.

Cooper got to second but Forkner weathered the storm, pulling away a bit. Cooper closed back in late but ran out of time. With all the chaos of the GEICO Honda riders, Brandon Hartranft pulled through to third, with Alex Martin closing from fourth. They got close on the final lap but Hartranft held on for his first career podium. Martin was fourth and Lawrence looked super tired but held on for fifth.

Good ride by Jacob Hayes for sixth ahead of Aussie Luke Clout. Mitchell Oldenburg was eighth ahead of Carson Brown and Derek Drake. Craig, who was in fourth when he crashed, ended up 22^nd but did ride back off to the pits.Ferrandis came back to 12th after his early crash and visit to the mechanic's area.

The Rockstar Husqvarna teammates of Zach Osborne and Jason Anderson thundered into turn one side by side for the lead, Osborne snagged the holeshot. Roczen filed into second and then made the move on Osborne for the lead. Justin Barcia made a quick pass on Anderson for third and then zapped Osborne. Adam Cianciarulo was next, he passed Osborne but Osborne got him back, and that slowed AC enough for Anderson and Brayton to get by him.

Roczen continued to pull away while Tomac started stalking from the back. It was Roczen, Barcia, Anderson, Osborne, Brayton, Cianciarulo and Tomac. Finally Cianciarulo made a move on Brayton, then a slick pass to get Osborne back.

Late in the race Roczen had a big lead over Barcia. Anderson, in third, made a charge at Barcaa for a few laps but Barcia responded and held him at bay. On the last lap, Cianciarulo tipped over, losing spots to Osborne, Tomac and Stewart.

Roczen, finally, wins a supercross race for the first time since his devastating crash at Anaheim in 2017. Barcia takes second to retain the points lead and Anderson collects his first podium in exactly a year with third. Tomac, from way back, was fourth ahead of Osborne.