Ryan Nitzen | January 27, 2024
We’re back in Anaheim for round four of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series. This is the first Triple Crown of the year and the final California round before the series heads east. Sunny skies and a dry track are welcomed conditions after back-to-back mudders. Let’s get into the action!
After three exciting main events each its Cooper Webb and Levi Kitchen standing atop their respective podiums.
Main Events
450SX Race 1
Jorge Prado grabbed the holeshot and early lead before Chase Sexton overtook the top spot. Once Sexton grabbed the lead it was game over for the rest of the field. He led every lap of main one and held a comfortable lead over second place.
Sexton ran away with the win in race one. Photos: Brown Dog Wilson
Cooper Webb moved to second early in the race with a big pass through the whoops. He held off a hard-charging Ken Roczen to secure second in race one.
Cooper Webb kept it cool in second.
Roczen looked fast for the entire first race and was caught in a battle between Webb and Jason Anderson for the duration of the shortened main. Kickstart Kenny starts the night with a solid podium finish.
Ken Roczen held off a charging pack to take third.
450SX Race 2
Jason Anderson commanded race two. The Kawasaki rider took over the lead on lap two and absolutely checked out from the rest of the field. He jumped two different rhythm lanes and opened a lead of over five seconds before taking the convincing win.
Anderson dominated race two.
Cooper Webb started up front and again finished second. The number-two is holding a strong pace tonight and currently leads the points going into the final main of the night.
Another second for Webb in race two.
Jett Lawrence and Aaron Plessinger battled it out for third with Lawrence eventually taking the final podium spot late in the race.
Lawrence and Plessinger battled in the end of race two with Jett getting the spot.
A large group became bunched up in the mid-pack with Roczen, Prado, Sexton, and the like all duking it out. Sexton ended up hitting the deck in the whoops before finishing 11th.
450SX Race 3
Eli Tomac returned to form with a big win in the final main event. The number-three meant business as he moved into first in turn two and proceeded to lead every lap thereafter. He put himself in a good position overall with the win but the real battle raged behind him. He tied for third overall but earned the tiebreaker with the win and later bumped to second with Anderson’s penalty.
Tomac won the final main of the night.
Chase Sexton took second in the final race of the night. He started up front but gave up the spot to Tomac and later to Jett Lawrence. A crash from Lawrence on the final lap bumped Sexton back to second in the race but fifth overall.
Sexton rebounded for second in race three.
Aaron Plessinger finished third in race three after a shakeup on the last lap. He also moved up into a podium position overall after Anderson’s penalty.
Plessinger took third in race three and third overall.
Jett Lawrence worked up to second but crashed in the whoops on the last lap. This mistake dropped him from second to sixth overall.
Lawrence crashed in the whoops on the final lap.
Jason Anderson raced his way up from a crash but was later docked positions for “gaining an advantage” while off the track. He’s credited with eighth in race three and fourth overall.
Anderson crashed at the start of race three.
450 Overall Podium. (Anderson was later penalized)
450SX Overall Results (Top 10)
| 1. |
Cooper Webb |
(Yam) |
2-2-5 |
| 2. |
Eli Tomac |
(Yam) |
5-7-1 |
| 3. |
Aaron Plessinger |
(KTM) |
6-4-3 |
| 4. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
4-1-8 |
| 5. |
Chase Sexton |
(KTM) |
1-11-2 |
| 6. |
Jett Lawrence |
(Hon) |
7-3-4 |
| 7. |
Ken Roczen |
(Suz) |
3-6-10 |
| 8. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
10-5-6 |
| 9. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Hon) |
8-15-7 |
| 10. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hus) |
11-10-9 |
250SX Race 1
Main one for the 250’s set the tone for the night with a close battle from start to finish. Levi Kitchen kicked things off with a big holeshot and held the lead from start to finish. He fended off attacks from RJ Hampshire late in the race but kept it together to take the first win of the night.
250 Start.
Hampshire charged hard from a fourth place start to take second. He passed into second place and made a run at Kitchen but couldn’t get close enough to make a pass stick.
Levi Kitchen won the opening race of the night.
Nate Thrasher rounded out the box in race one. He ran second for most of the race but fell victim to Hampshire in the final few laps.
Hampshire stayed close in second.
Jordon Smith made his way to fourth after a poor start. He passed Ryder Difrancesco on the final lap to get the spot. Ryder D rounded out the top five after starting second.
Last week’s winner, Nate Thrasher, rounded out the podium.
250SX Race 2
Phil Nicoletti grabbed the holeshot in race two and held the lead for the early parts of the main event. Behind him, both Nate Thrasher and Jordon Smith hit the deck and started from the back.
Hampshire and Kitchen battled it out for the win in race two.
RJ Hampshire started just behind Nicoletti and looked for a way around in the early laps. He made the pass and held off a closing Levi Kitchen for the duration of the race. The two went wheel-to-wheel on the final lap but Hampshire managed to come away with the lead.
Kitchen went toe-to-toe with Hampshire.
Nicoletti ran in a podium position for most of the race with Jo Shimoda hot on his heels after a bad start. Shimoda made the pass on the final lap to grab the final spot on the podium.
Jo Shimoda battled up for a third.
Nate Thrasher and Jordon Smith both suffered falls in race two. Smith worked his way back to eighth with Thrasher rounding out the top 10.
Points leader Jordon Smith struggled with crashes but still holds the red plate.
250SX Race 3
Levi Kitchen grabbed the start in the final main event of the night in what was a winner take all situation. He led early on but knew he controlled the overall win by being in the top spot. Kitchen crossed third and took the overall victory with a 1-2-3 finish. He now ties Jordon Smith for the points lead.
Nate Thrasher won the final main event.
RJ Hampshire got off to a poor start but rode on a mission towards the front. While working his way up, Hampshire threw it away in the whoops and dropped from fourth to eighth. In the end he settled for seventh and took second overall for the night.
Kitchen cruised it in for third and the overall win.
Nate Thrasher got around Kitchen near the half-way point and ran away with the moto victory. He tied for third on the night but a win in the final race broke the tie and earned him the final spot on the podium.
Shimoda ended the night with a second in race three.
Jo Shimoda finally showed us a glimpse of speed as he raced up to second place in the final main event. He technically tied with Thrasher for third but Thrasher’s win broke the tie and put Shimoda fourth overall.
250SX Podium.
250SX Overall Results (Top 10)
| 1. |
Levi Kitchen |
(Kaw) |
1-2-3 |
| 2. |
RJ Hampshire |
(Hus) |
2-1-7 |
| 3. |
Nate Thrasher |
(Yam) |
3-10-1 |
| 4. |
Jo Shimoda |
(Hon) |
9-3-2 |
| 5. |
Jordon Smith |
(Yam) |
4-8-4 |
| 6. |
Anthony Bourdon |
(Suz) |
8-6-8 |
| 7. |
Julien Beaumer |
(KTM) |
12-5-6 |
| 8. |
Ryder DiFrancesco |
(GG) |
5-7-12 |
| 9. |
Garrett Marchbanks |
(Yam) |
6-16-5 |
| 10. |
Phillip Nicoletti |
(Yam) |
7-4-18 |
Qualifying
450SX
A technical layout awaited the 450 riders as they attempted to qualify into the Triple Crown night show. That means only 18 riders qualify straight from practice to the three main events. Justin Cooper set the pace with the fastest time in the 450 class, the first time he’s been the fastest qualifier. He’s ahead of Chase Sexton and Jason Anderson who both are looking to rebound after a tough weekend in San Diego. Points leader Aaron Plessinger’s best time was good enough for 14th.
Justin Cooper qualified first at A2. Photo: Brown Dog Wilson
Sexton clocked in for second.
Jason Anderson rounded out the top three.
450SX Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
57.933 |
| 2. |
Chase Sexton |
(KTM) |
58.271 |
| 3. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
58.322 |
| 4. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hus) |
58.346 |
| 5. |
Jett Lawrence |
(Hon) |
58.581 |
| 6. |
Ken Roczen |
(Suz) |
58.690 |
| 7. |
Eli Tomac |
(Yam) |
58.960 |
| 8. |
Cooper Webb |
(Yam) |
59.324 |
| 9. |
Jorge Prado |
(GG) |
59.491 |
| 10. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Hon) |
59.627 |
250SX
The 250SX West riders got a chance to show their stuff on a dry track for the first time in two weeks. The best times of the day came from the first session as the track wore in with ruts and bumps later in the day. RJ Hampshire put down the fastest lap just ahead of Levi Kitchen and Jo Shimoda. Points leader, Jordon Smith was fourth along with last week’s winner, Nate Thrasher in fifth.
RJ Hampshire put down the best time in the 250SX class. Photo: Brown Dog Wilson
Levi Kitchen was just a tenth off in second.
Shimoda qualified third.
250SX West Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
RJ Hampshire |
(Hus) |
59.058 |
| 2. |
Levi Kitchen |
(Kaw) |
59.190 |
| 3. |
Jo Shimoda |
(Hon) |
59.404 |
| 4. |
Jordon Smith |
(Yam) |
59.769 |
| 5. |
Nate Thrasher |
(Yam) |
59.993 |
| 6. |
Julien Beaumer |
(KTM) |
1:00.026 |
| 7. |
Ryder DiFrancesco |
(GG) |
1:00.564 |
| 8. |
Mitchell Oldenburg |
(Hon) |
1:00.611 |
| 9. |
Garrett Marchbanks |
(Yam) |
1:00.633 |
| 10. |
Carson Mumford |
(Hon) |
1:00.711 |
Supercross Futures Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Drew Adams |
(Kaw) |
1:02.207 |
| 2. |
Mark Fineis |
(Yam) |
1:02.683 |
| 3. |
Parker Ross |
(Hon) |
1:02.721 |
| 4. |
Gavin Towers |
(Yam) |
1:02.788 |
| 5. |
Cole Davies |
(GG) |
1:04.144 |
| 6. |
Preston Boespflug |
(Suz) |
1:04.257 |
| 7. |
Reven Gordon |
(Kaw) |
1:04.321 |
| 8. |
Landen Gordon |
(Kaw) |
1:04.448 |
| 9. |
Blake Gardner |
(Kaw) |
1:05.310 |
| 10. |
Alvin Hillan |
(Hon) |
1:05.438 |
Press Day Video
In The Pits
Tonight’s the first Triple Crown race of the year which means you’ll see two bikes per rider under the factory trucks. This allows them to swap bikes if needed in between the main events. Photos: Ryan Nitzen
Three 450’s under the Star Racing Yamaha tent.
Red plate for Aaron Plessinger after his big win last weekend.
This is the first time AP has sported the red plate.
Triple threat under the TLD GasGas rig.
The Troy Lee team is sponsored by Sony Pictures who is promoting their new Ghost Busters movie. Check out this week’s team gear.
Who you gonna call?
Think we could fit a bike in the back?
Jordon Smith continues to lead the 250 points.
Ken Roczen’s bike. He’s been running a seat bump the past few rounds.
Jo Shimoda is looking to turn things around with some dry conditions.
The HRC Honda team is sporting this new look for 2024.
The engine on Hunter Lawrence’s CRF450R. Drool.
Lots of Yellow on the Twisted Tea HEP Suzukis.
The Motoconcepts team still had this retro look on their backup bikes.
Garrett Marchbanks nearly won the 250 main a week ago.
