Cycle News Staff | January 8, 2022
The 2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series kicked off with a bang. We’re back for a traditional season opener at Angel Stadium for Anaheim one. There was certainly no shortage of action on the track, but Christian Craig (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) and Ken Roczen (Honda HRC) topped the competition.
450SX Main Event
Both of the Honda HRC machines holeshotted the 450 main event, with Chase Sexton taking crossing the line first. Ken Roczen passed for the lead in turn two with Adam Cianciarulo (Monstr Energy Kawasaki), Justin Barcia (Red Bull TLD GasGas) and Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM) rounding our the early top five.
Ken Roczen rode a perfect race and lead all 22 laps of tonight’s main event. Kenny’s been open about struggling throughout December with a non-Covid illness and how this affected his off-season training program. Despite this and the carnage behind him, he hit his marks lap after lap and took the win at the 2022 season opener.
Roczen led every lap tonight.
Cooper Webb came home second tonight. The 2021 series champion fought his way through the pack after starting lap one in sixth place. Webb made his way through the likes of Anderson, Sexton and Barcia before crossing the line second.
Webb fought hard for second place.
Justin Barcia’s Anaheim One win streak came to an end tonight as the Red Bull TLD GasGas rider finished third. Barcia ran up front for the majority of the main event, but his aggressive block passes may have slowed him up in the long run. There’s no doubt the #51 rode defensively tonight, just ask Jason Anderson who got the short end of the stick with Bam Bam.
Barcia and Webb went at it.
Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM) turns in a fourth place ride tonight after suffering a horrible start. The French rider crossed the line 15th on lap one and even hit the deck with Malcom Stewart (Rockstar Husqvarna). Both riders tangled after the long rhythm section, but Musquin remounted faster and ultimately secured the better position. Stewart finished seventh and even stopped Musquin after the race for a lengthy chat.
Musquin and Stewart had some words after the race.
Chase Sexton rounded out the top five at Anaheim. The Honda HRC rider holeshotted tonight’s race and looked to be Roczen’s main challenger early on. He crashed twice tonight, once after cross-rutting into a corner and once in the whoops. Sexton again shows promise this year and clocked the fastest lap time in the main event.
Sexton was all over Roczen, but mistakes cost him.
Jason Anderson will be left wondering what could have been tonight. The Kawasaki rider ran as high as third tonight but found himself on the ground after battling with Justin Barcia. His results won’t show it, but the #21 looked solid on his debut ride.
Anderson looked good early on but tangled with Barcia. Tomac came home sixth.
Both of the Star Racing Yamaha riders didn’t exactly live up to their pre-season hype. Eli Tomac finished uncharacteristically outside of the top five, coming home sixth. Dylan Ferrandis got off to a poor start but showed promise as he worked his way as far up as sixth. He eventually finished in 16th.
2022 A1 450SX Podium
(FINAL RESULTS)
450SX Results (Top 10)
| 1. |
Ken Roczen |
(Hon) |
22 laps |
| 2. |
Cooper Webb |
(KTM) |
07.296 |
| 3. |
Justin Barcia |
(GG) |
10.381 |
| 4. |
Marvin Musquin |
(KTM) |
15.867 |
| 5. |
Chase Sexton |
(Hon) |
15.881 |
| 6. |
Eli Tomac |
(Yam) |
20.320 |
| 7. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hus) |
21.531 |
| 8. |
Joey Savatgy |
(KTM) |
26.982 |
| 9. |
Aaron Plessinger |
(KTM) |
29.726 |
| 10. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
34.851 |
250SX main
Big news going into the 250SX main is the absence of both Jalek Swoll (Rockstar Husqvarna) and Colt Nichols (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha). These two heavyweights suffered massive crashes in their respective heat races and did not line up for the mains.
2022 A1 250SX Podium.
Vince Friese (MotoConcepts Honda) is back in the 250 class and holeshotted the main event over Seth Hammaker (Pro Circuit Kawasaki) and Christian Craig. A bunch of riders flinched and jumped the gate which resulted in many poor starts. Michael Mosiman (Red Bull TLD GasGas) and Nate Thrasher (Star Racing Yamaha) were among those who tagged the gate.
Michael Mosiman looked fast early on with a heat race win. Mistakes however, cost him big time in the main. He crashed in the whoops on lap one and crossed the line 22nd. The GasGas rider forced his way through the pack, battled with lappers and ultimately logged a sixth on the night.
Vince Friese started the main with a great opening few laps. The Smartop Moto Concepts Honda racer ran up front early on and led a total of three laps. After getting passed by the front runners, he dropped back and finished fifth.
Christian Craig took a few laps to make his way into the lead but once he did he never looked back. The Yamaha pilot was the only other leader tonight and led a total of 13 laps en route to victory. Craig again looks comfortable on the Yamaha and is surely going for that elusive 250 class title.
Once Craig got to the lead there was no looking back.
Seth Hammaker showed how well his off-season went with a second place tonight. The Pro Circuit rider ran second for the majority of the race and held off hungry competitors like Garret Marchbanks and Hunter Lawrence. A great start to the season for the young Hammaker who was the best of the PC Kawasaki’s tonight.
All smiles for Hammaker. He claimed second tonight.
Hunter Lawrence (Honda HRC) rounded out the podium tonight in third. He started in tenth and quietly picked off riders lap after lap. The second-half of his race looked to be much faster than the first as he passed Marchbanks on the final lap. Lawrence nearly got Hammaker too, but a “Hail Mary” effort by Hammaker saw him cross the line 0.4 seconds ahead.
250SX West (Top 10)
| 1. |
Christian Craig |
(Yam) |
16 Laps |
| 2. |
Seth Hammaker |
(Kaw) |
05.625 |
| 3. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
06.054 |
| 4. |
Garrett Marchbanks |
(Yam) |
8.160 |
| 5. |
Vince Friese |
(Hon) |
26.635 |
| 6. |
Michael Mosiman |
(GG) |
36.824 |
| 7. |
Jo Shimoda |
(Kaw) |
41.598 |
| 8. |
Robbie Wageman |
(Yam) |
44.917 |
| 9. |
Dominique Thury |
(Yam) |
52.585 |
| 10. |
Carson Mumford |
(Suz) |
56.276 |
2022 Anaheim One Supercross Qualifying Results
Supercross is back! We’re live at Angels Stadium of Anaheim for round one of the 2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Season. Practice just wrapped up and in the 250 and 450 classes and nerves are always at the usual all-time high for round one. Here’s what we saw.
Malcom Stewart joined the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Team over the off-season. He qualified first here at A1.
This is Eli Tomac’s first race aboard his new Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha YZ450F. He qualified second.
Jason Anderson is now riding for the Monster Energy Kawasaki Team. The 2018 series champion finished third in qualifying.
Christian Craig was fastest amongst the 250’s.
Michael Mosiman clocks in in second.
QUALIFYING
450SX Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hus) |
57.216 |
| 2. |
Eli Tomac |
(Yam) |
57.302 |
| 3. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
57.365 |
| 4. |
Chase Sexton |
(Hon) |
57.561 |
| 5. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Yam) |
57.650 |
| 6. |
Marvin Musquin |
(KTM) |
57.679 |
| 7. |
Ken Roczen |
(Hon) |
57.701 |
| 8. |
Cooper Webb |
(KTM) |
58.036 |
| 9. |
Justin Brayton |
(Hon) |
58.103 |
| 10. |
Justin Barcia |
(GG) |
58.245 |
250SX West Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Christian Craig |
(Yam) |
57.480 |
| 2. |
Michael Mosiman |
(GG) |
57.685 |
| 3. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
57.947 |
| 4. |
Seth Hammaker |
(Kaw) |
58.134 |
| 5. |
Jo Shimoda |
(Kaw) |
58.313 |
| 6. |
Colt Nichols |
(Yam) |
58.477 |
| 7. |
Garrett Marchbanks |
(Yam) |
59.150 |
| 8. |
Vince Friese |
(Hon) |
59.201 |
| 9. |
Jalek Swoll |
(Hus) |
59.204 |
| 10. |
Derek Kelley |
(KTM) |
1:00.085 |
2022 Anaheim 1 Supercross Rnd 1 Results
2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship
Round 1
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Anaheim, California
January 8, 2022
