Four-For-Four (X2)
No, this is not the Wendy’s deal I am talking about here. For the second straight year in a row, there have been four different riders to win the first four 450SX main events of Monster Energy AMA Supercross.
2021
Rd 1 (Houston 1 Supercross): Justin Barcia (GasGas)
Rd 2 (Houston 2 Supercross): Eli Tomac (Kawasaki)
Rd 3 (Houston 3 Supercross): Cooper Webb (KTM)
Rd 4 (Indianapolis 1 Supercross): Ken Roczen (Honda)
Rd 5 (Indianapolis 2 Supercross): Roczen (2nd win)
2022
Rd 1 (Anaheim 1 Supercross): Ken Roczen (Honda)
Rd 2 (Oakland Supercross): Jason Anderson (Kawasaki)
Rd 3 (San Diego Supercross): Chase Sexton (Honda
Rd 4 (Anaheim 2 Supercross): Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
This was also the 15th straight season with at least four different winners, and this was the 39th season of at least four or more different main event winners. Since inception of AMA Supercross in 1974, only nine seasons have had three different winners or less.
For the 15th straight year in a row, there have been at least four different AMA Supercross premier class main event winners. The last time there was only three different winners was in 2007. #SXHistory#Supercross#SX2022#2022A2SX#SupercrossLIVE#DropTheGate
— Mitch Kendra (@mitch_kendra) January 30, 2022
With Eli Tomac winning tonight and becoming the fourth different rider to win a 450SX main event this season, this was the 39th season of AMA #Supercross with had at least four or more different main event winners. We still have 13 more rounds! #SX2022#2022A2SX#SupercrossLIVE
— Mitch Kendra (@mitch_kendra) January 30, 2022
However, this does not gaurentee we will see a ton of different winners this year. For example, even last year when we saw four different winners to start the year, the trio of Tomac, Roczen, and Webb split race wins until Marvin Musquin won the 16th round. It appeared Chase Sexton was on his way to earning his first maiden win at the finale and become the sixth different winner but then Webb stamped his second 450SX title with a statement ride to win the finale. So, the year ended five different winners.
Prior to this season, in the previous 48 full seasons, the average is five different winners per season. You have to imagine Webb will get the ball rolling soon and click off a few wins, so that’s at least five different winners. Maybe with the return of the Triple Crown races (three of those events this season), we might see different winners? Or maybe the top riders will continue to click off wins. The paddock heads to Glendale, Arizona, this weekend for the first Triple Crown race of the season on Saturday.
Yamaha Sweep
Today, our man Aaron Hansel took a look at the times OEMs have swept both main events in the same night, which happened on Saturday night when Tomac’s first Yamaha followed a win by Christian Craig.
From '17 through '21, this Tomac-and-a-250SX-rider sweep happened 13 times on Kawasaki (3 times in ’17, 3 times in ’18, 5 times in ’19, plus once in both ’20 & '21). Tomac's first win with Yamaha came on a night when Christian Craig won. #SXHistory#Supercross#SX2022#2022A2SX
— Mitch Kendra (@mitch_kendra) February 1, 2022
The Tomac-Craig sweep was the first Yamaha sweep since the Blu Cru Justin duo of Justin Barcia (450SX) and Justin Cooper (250SX) won the 2020 Anaheim 1 Supercross main events.
Rider Vlogs
Wageman Bros Robbie & RJ
Quote from the Paddock
Eli Tomac | 1st in 450SX
“It was a solid night. We have been improving every weekend, and we put ourselves in the game tonight with that start. It’s so nice when your work during the week pays off. I executed a good start in the main and was riding well; I was just consistent tonight and felt solid everywhere. It’s really cool how we’ve been improving every week, and now we’re on the podium and leave with the red plate. We are going to keep improving, keep getting better, and with a little bit of fine-tuning, we’ll be there. Consistency is going to be key this season, and we’re going to try and keep it going.”
Jason Anderson | 2nd in 450SX
“To come away with second tonight was solid. I felt a bit off all day and that led to a few mistakes in the heat race which set me back as far as gate pick. When it came time for the Main Event, I knew I could put it all together aboard my KX™450SR and fight for a win on this track. I made the most of the start and came out of the first turn about fifth. I executed a few really quick passes to get out front and was leading the race until I mistimed that triple-triple line after the finish. I was able to get the rhythm clean the rest of the race and my speed was strong throughout. It’s nice to have a podium finish tonight, I just have a few things to clean up to improve for next weekend.”
Chase Sexton | 3rd in 450SX
“I felt really good tonight. This weekend the whoops section of the track was unpredictable and had a lot of edges, but I feel like I managed them well. The track was good though. I had fun all day. It was a pretty technical track especially with a long set of whoops and a long rhythm section that was pretty tough. It was nice to have a long lap time and not so many laps in the main event though. My bike felt good all day but it’s an ongoing process; I just have to be better. I stalled my bike once but only lost a second or so. Eli [Tomac] and Jason [Anderson] were riding really good, but I expect to be in the mix with the frontrunners this year. Last year I learned a lot so I’m trying not to make those mistakes I made last year. I want to be on the podium every weekend and racing with these guys. I just have to get better for next weekend.”
Dylan Ferrandis | 4th in 450SX
“We had a really challenging track, but I was feeling good on the bike, and the lap times were great all day. I finally got a good start in the heat race, which I was really happy about, and finished third. In the main event, I went on the outside, which wasn’t ideal, but I didn’t really have a nice spot on the inside. It was an okay start, but I got pinched in the first turn and was pretty far back in position. Then I just charged the best I could, made many passes, and finished fourth. The bike is good, and I felt strong in the whoops, so there are a lot of positives from today, but after the podium last week, I wish I would have finished on the box again. This season, the competition is tough, so it’s not always easy. I just gave everything I had, and fourth was my position today.”
Said Monster Energy/Star Yamaha Racing 450 team manager Jeremy Coker:
“Honestly, the whole day was good. Earlier this morning, I felt really positive about how the day and night were going to go. This whole season, we’ve been executing during the day and not executing at night, and today we changed that. Both guys had an amazing start in the heat race. Eli had a good start in the main, and although Dylan’s start was average, he came through the pack like a madman. He had a really good chance to finish on the podium but kind of got a little stagnant behind Malcolm (Stewart) for a few laps. He pushed past that to finish fourth and gain some points. Eli rode a flawless race. He did everything he needed to do and executed above 100%, and the results showed.”
Malcolm Stewart | 5th in 450SX
“We were struggling a little bit in practice but we really turned the night around once the gate dropped for racing. In the Main Event, I got a really good start – we're slowly starting to get these starts now and I'm really excited about that. I know that we're P5 but we're still in the fight and we'll be ready to go for Phoenix – it's the Triple Crown baby! I'm excited for this one, it's one of my favorite races and it’s always a good time. I love the stadium and just love the vibes there, so I'm really looking forward to it.”
Marvin Musquin | 6th in 450SX
“I wanted to rebound this weekend and not do what I did last weekend. I was in a decent position off the start and made a mistake, missed a rhythm and lost one or two spots, but I ended up sixth tonight. I had the potential to do a little better but man, it was difficult for me through the whoops, I was losing time there, but the rest of the track I was doing great. Overall, a little bit more consistent Main Event, a little better fight and we move forward to the next round.”
Justin Barcia | 7th in 450SX
"All-in-all, it was a good day. We were having a lot of fun in practice! I felt like it was one of my better practices of the year so far and I was getting comfortable on the bike. I got a really bad start in the Main Event and with how the field is so fast right now, I wasn’t able to get where I wanted to be so seventh was the best finish I could pull off tonight. I’m going to go back to the drawing board, get my starts dialed and we’ll be back in Phoenix and ready to be back on the podium!”
Cooper Webb | 8th in 450SX
“Extremely tough night tonight at A2. I didn't get a great start and I was pretty buried in the pack early on. I was able to make some passes and get up to around seventh, and then ended up falling backwards a few spots. I was able to get back up, make some more passes and ended up eighth. Definitely not a great night at all, but the only thing we can do now is regroup and try to get better for next weekend in Arizona."
Dean Wilson | 9th in 450SX
"My night was definitely an improvement. I just have to keep trying to improve each week and work on my riding, especially my starts. I wouldn't say I'm totally happy with the result, but it was a solid Main Event and I’m looking forward to the Triple Crown next weekend!"
Brandon Hartranft | 12th in 450SX
"In the main event I had a decent start, made some block passes and then just stayed at around eleventh or twelfth. It’s the best I've ridden this year and I feel like I still have more in me. It's been consistent progress since Anaheim one. And it's only round four, so we aren’t done yet!"
Said Twisted Tea/HEP Motorsports Suzuki team manager Dustin Pipes:
"Brandon continues to set new career highs and his riding has continued to progress throughout the first part of the season. I’m happy with his mindset and confidence throughout race day. It's a total 180 compared to the young rookie we had last season. Justin fought through a tough race to finish with a solid result. More steps in the right direction. We’ll continue to test and get better throughout the week with the goal of continued improvements."
Ken Roczen | 13th in 450SX
“Our weekend was a nightmare. I've been struggling lately with my bike setup, just not really getting comfortable. It was a tough one for us but we did decent; when nighttime comes, it seems like we always get our stuff together. I got second in the heat race, and we got the holeshot in the main event. Things were going pretty decent. I struggled with the whoops so that was definitely not my strong point; I almost went down there once, and the same lap I got taken down by [Jason] Anderson – unfortunately left the door open. Probably not the right turn for him to put on a pass, but obviously it got me and I crashed pretty hard right there. I had to make a stop after that to get all the sand out of my goggles, and our night was pretty much over after that; I could only salvage 13th place, but we never gave up. We’re quite a few points down. It’s a bummer, but I’m looking forward to next weekend to get some consistency in and do some training and riding; I couldn't really do that last week. Hopefully we’ll head to Phoenix with a bit more confidence and more riding time under my belt.”
Said Honda HRC team manager Lars Lindstrom:
“Tonight we had some real ups and downs. Qualifying wasn’t too bad, especially with Chase being fastest of all, and Hunter and Kenny being in the hunt for the top spots as well. Hunter didn’t have the best of starts in the main, and definitely had more competition then he’s had the last few weeks in the top five, but was able to claw his way back to a podium, and has a few places that he can work on to be on the top spot. Kenny ripped a great start and was smart in the first turn to holeshot the main, but unfortunately was cleaned out by another rider, ruining Kenny’s chances at a podium. That really hurt us in the points, and we were obviously frustrated with that. Chase rode fantastic all day. He took pole position in qualifying, then timed the gate perfectly in the heat to holeshot and dominate for the win. He didn’t have the best start in the main but rode smart and solid to get into third, with great passes and total control. His maturity level and confidence have really impressed me so far this year; it’s exciting to watch.”
Justin Bogle | 14th in 450SX
"I ended up fourteenth. That's not where we want to be, but we've got something to start from and we'll take it. I'm happy with that. Moving forward, we at least have something to springboard off of and we'll try to put in some consistent, good main events."
Mitchell Oldenburg | 15th in 450SX
“It was nothing too crazy this weekend, just good to get the laps in and put another Main Event together. Like I’ve said all along, the 250 East Coast region is our focus, so right now I’m just trying to get some gate drops and be in the flow of race day for when it matters. I’m already starting to put in practice sessions on the 250 and will get a few days in this coming week. Even with that said, I know I’m better than my results and I’m looking forward to this weekend.”
Justin Brayton | 21st in 450SX
“Anaheim was similar to San Diego with good pace in Timed Qualifying and a solid Heat Race. Things were going well in the Main Event until I made a late-race mistake in the rhythm section. I feel like I’m making rookie mistakes this year for some reason, so I’ll have to clean those up so that I can get back into the top-10. My riding is good and the team is awesome, so I just have to get away from the mistakes of the last two weeks.”
Aaron Plessinger | 22nd in 450SX
“I actually started off pretty good. I felt really good on the bike, had the best qualifying and just felt the most comfortable I have so far. After a solid heat race, I was en route to having a really great night but I didn’t get the greatest jump on the start of the Main and it kind of all went downhill from there. I was in the back battling and then I tried to go for one of the outside passes and ended up smashing a hay bale and landed on the ground. It ended the night for me but nothing is broken or injured too bad, so we’ll be back and ready to rumble in Phoenix.”
Adam Enticknap | DNQ for main event
"I got second place in free practice and then pole in first timed practice. The results didn't show what was going on. I feel like I made a lot of strides in the right direction. I'm definitely gaining a lot of confidence from this race and feeling more like “me” every single week on the bike and on the track."
Christian Craig | 1st in 250SX
“The day started out pretty good. The track was tricky and slippery, but I kept the ball rolling. I qualified well and then went into the heat race, had a good start, and battled with my teammate a little bit. I had a good ride in that one and was able to take the win. In the main event, I just focused on myself and clicked off my laps. I had a good battle with another rider and ended up passing him. I’m stoked to get my third win of the season and extend my points lead. We’re going to try and keep it going and not change anything; just keep doing what I’m doing.”
Said Monster Energy/Star Yamaha Racing 250 team manager Jensen Hendler:
“We had a very good weekend in Anaheim at the fourth round of the season. The day got off to a good start, with Christian qualifying first and Nate third. We went into the night show and made it straight to the main with a great 1-2 finish in the second heat race. Christian got off to a decent start in the main, made his way into second fairly quickly, and brought home another first-place finish. Nate didn’t get as good of a start but battled his way forward and rode a smart race to finish fourth. Overall it was a very good weekend. We were able to extend our lead in the championship with Christian by 11 points, and Nate continues to fight his way forward and is getting better every weekend.”
Michael Mosiman | 2nd in 250SX
“I’m stoked to be here! It’s not too often that these things happen and when they do, I’m just going to enjoy it. Such a good race with Christian, he’s riding so good – I learned a thing or two from him and I think he learned a thing or two from me. We had clean racing out there and it was an absolute blast! I’m going to enjoy it tonight and work on some things. I look forward to challenging him all year and see if we can get some more wins.”
Hunter Lawrence | 3rd in 250SX
“We had a tough day at Anaheim 2, as we just didn't have the pace. We were kind of struggling from the get-go – a little behind the eightball from the start; we had our work cut out for us. The track was tough during the main event, and everyone was similar in regards to pace. It wasn't a track that people got fatigued on at all; it felt like the distance was easy on the track tonight, but the track was rough. It was a tough one, but we're looking to rebound, come back strong and kick Phoenix off with a bang.”
Nate Thrasher | 4th in 250SX
“It was a good day overall. We had a good qualifying and a good heat race; I just made a couple of mistakes that kind of cost me the win. I didn’t get the best start in the main event and had to come from behind. I just didn’t get around people fast enough and got a little tight there at the end. It wasn’t my best ride, but I felt like I had the speed tonight for a podium and was maybe even able to fight for a win. It was a tough race, and I did the best I could, but it’s not where I want to be. We’re going to keep fighting and keep working, and maybe next weekend, go for a podium.”
Jalek Swoll | 5th in 250SX
“It was a what-could-have-been night for me but it was still a step in the right direction. I felt really good but a freak accident happened and I was getting covered in gas, which is not ideal. It is what it is. I’m going to put it behind me, take the positives and carry it into the week of training and we should be back ready to compete for one of those top-three spots next weekend.”
Carson Brown | 6th in 250SX
Jo Shimoda | 7th in 250SX
"I had an okay start and quickly moved my way to fifth. Most of the race I was in fifth position and just slowly catching up until late in the race when I could see the podium position right there ahead of me. With only a couple of laps left I was really close to third and then Friese crashed in the whoops, and I collided with him. It’s unfortunate that we both fell, but my riding is improving, and I think we made small improvements overall tonight so I’m looking forward to Glendale next weekend.”
Carson Mumford | 8th in 250SX
“I stayed clear of the carnage and tried to ride my own race. I struggled with one of the rhythm sections, but overall had a solid night getting a P8 and moving into seventh in points. I’m ready for the Triple Crown next weekend.”
Vince Friese | 19th in 250SX
“There was some good stuff to take away from the night, and I think that my riding was better, but I’m still learning the little bike. My speed was better, and my starts have been on point. I was really close in both races to achieving the goals I have for this season, which is to win a Heat Race and to podium in the Main Event. I was coming around for the white flag in both races,” he recalled. “In the Heat, I barely clipped a Tuff Block with my clutch lever, and that’s all it took. I felt like I was riding really well in the Main Event. I didn’t have the pace to fight with the top two, but I felt like I put up a good fight and pushed for a little bit. It was going to be a good battle for the last spot on the podium between me, Hunter, and Jo. We were coming around to the white flag and were all right there. I wish I could have held onto that one, but it wasn’t meant to be. I got a sideways in the whoops, which were tough all night, and had a little crash. When I popped my head up, I took a front tire to the face. I bit my tongue really bad, but that was about the only major thing I got out of it. I’m a little sore, but not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. I’ve already got a few workouts in, so that’s good, and I plan to ride this week to get ready for the weekend.”
Dilan Schwartz | DNQ for main event, crashed out of heat race
"It was a tough day, but I felt like the night show was going to be good. I had a little first turn crash and landed on my shoulder wrong. We're going to get it checked out and hopefully be back for next weekend."
250SX Futures
Ryder DiFrancesco | 1st in 250SX Futures
“I feel like I learned a lot from my experience racing the SX Futures event in Oakland that I was able to apply to my day here in Anaheim. From learning the track quick in practice to attacking the track even when it’s beat up at the end of the race, the more I do these things the better equipped I’ll be to do them well. It was awesome to get another win and I’m loving the whole experience of pitting with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team. I’m looking forward to going at it again next weekend in Glendale.”
Gavin Towers | 2nd in 250SX Futures
"Super pumped to get my first @supercrosslive futures out of the way and get up on the podium. P2 on the evening and ready for next weekend at Glendale!!
Thanks Team"
Luke Kalaitzian | 3rd in 250SX Futures
"First @supercrosslive @supercrossfutures done and dusted! The track was super gnarly for the main so I’m happy to walk away with a 3rd and build on it next weekend at Glendale! Thanks to everyone who makes it possible!"