Webb Triumphs in Anaheim 2 Triple Crown Showdown

Monster Energy AMA Supercross enthusiasts witnessed a sensational night of racing at Angel Stadium as Cooper Webb secured victory at the Anaheim 2 Supercross, marking the first of three Triple Crown events this season. The Triple Crown format, combining results from three races, added an extra layer of intensity to the competition, and Webb emerged victorious with consistent (2-2-5) race performances.

Angel Stadium, with its clear skies, provided the ideal backdrop for the spectacle that unfolded. The event, considered by many as the true start of the season following two mud races, drew a spirited crowd of 43,753 fans.

Eli Tomac - Second place 450SX Class, Anaheim 2 - Photo Credit- Feld Motor Sports, Inc

Second place 450SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

In the 450SX class, the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team showcased its prowess. Eli Tomac, going (5-7-1), thrilled the crowd with a stellar performance, clinching second place overall. Webb's teammate, Aaron Plessinger of Red Bull KTM, secured third place with (6-4-3) results, maintaining his lead in the championship points.

Webb shared his thoughts on the unique Triple Crown format: "If you do really well the first two [races], the third one sometimes is easy… I had a lot of wiggle room [in Race #3] and could just, honestly, have a solo ride in fifth place. But it is a little bit weird, for sure, to not go over the checkered flag first. But I think that’s kinda the unique thing about the Triple Crown, is we’ve seen a lot of this happen."

Eli Tomac expressed his determination after the first two races: “I was pretty frustrated after those first two [races]. I was like, ‘Okay, here I’m just – what am I now, fifth – seventh place guy right now?’ I don’t know. I just had to go do something, I had to get off the gate there, so it was good. It was good. Had a good flow. I was able to get the whoop combo down, and I felt like that was important for me, and yeah, felt good.”

Aaron Plessinger - Third place 450SX Class, Anaheim 2 - Photo Credit- Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

Third place 450SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

Looking ahead, Aaron Plessinger is eager to carry the red plate into Detroit: “I knew Detroit was the next race and I really, really wanted to carry the red plate into Detroit given the events that happened last year. That’s gonna be a special race and yeah, I’m ready for it."

In the Western Regional 250SX Class, Levi Kitchen of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki showcased his determination, claiming the overall win with (1-2-3) race scores. Kitchen becomes the fourth different winner in four rounds, highlighting the competitiveness in the class.

Levi Kitchen - First place 250SX Class, Anaheim 2 - Photo Credit- Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

First place 250SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

Levi Kitchen reflected on the tight competition: “We’re all really close right now. Obviously I want to be the dominant guy, but yeah, it’s closer now. You can’t start in like fifth and sixth with these guys and have them up front. You’d have to have a pretty amazing – I don’t even know what you’d have to do to be able to get up to them."

RJ Hampshire - Second place 250SX Class, Anaheim 2 - Photo Credit- Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

Second place 250SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“For the first time in my career I had a flat tire on a Supercross track, so yeah, it was eventful. I knew something was wrong, didn’t necessarily know what until it shot me off in the whoops… I was fine the next couple laps, and then once that rear tire breaks the bead and it’s off the rim, that’s when it gets really, really scary. But overall it was an awesome night. That first and second moto were sick. If we could do that every weekend, I mean, we’d probably get paid a lot more because that was a show. [smiles]. But like I said, that was fun. All in all, it was a really solid day.” – RJ Hampshire

Nate Thrasher - Third place 250SX Class, Anaheim 2 - Photo Credit- Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

Third place 250SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“[The new bike is] the same motor package but a whole different chassis. So all the suspension characteristics are completely different. So we’re still leaning, but I think I got a good package this weekend. I felt like it was a big step in the right direction for me, and we’re still learning, still working, still trying to get a little bit better, but last week [in testing] I think we found a little bit and it showed this weekend… It was a very hardpack track out there today and on the bike I was racing a couple weekends ago I was struggling pretty bad with the hardpack. So yeah, it was definitely a little bit better spot for me.” – Nate Thrasher

Cole Davies - First place in Futures Class, Anaheim 2 - Photo Credit- Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

First place SX Futures Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“It was an awesome battle. We were just going back and forth. And it was super tiring, I was breathing so hard and, you’re just glad to be on top… I couldn’t even feel myself. I was like so frickin – I was like in a dream it felt like.” – Cole Davies (#17)

As the series heads to Detroit, Michigan, for Round 5 at Ford Field on Saturday, February 3rd, the daytime schedule will add a unique element to the racing experience, starting at 3:00 PM Eastern Time. The event will also kick off the 9-round Eastern Regional 250SX Championship.

Stay tuned for more fierce competition in the pursuit of victory in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. Every race is available live on PeacockTV, with select rounds airing on NBC, USA Network, CNBC, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. Don't miss the action-packed spectacle as the riders gear up for more intense battles in Detroit.

For ticket information, visit Moto.Events. The journey continues, and the excitement only intensifies as the season progresses.

Daxton Bennick Wins Supercross Futures Amateur Race at Anaheim Supercross

Amateur Program Delivers Great Racing Under the Lights at Angel Stadium

ANAHEIM, CA – January 30, 2023 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Daxton Bennick showed the form and composure of a seasoned Supercross pro on his way to a strong victory in the first round of the 250SX Futures Class of Monster Energy AMA Supercross. Angel Stadium of Anaheim was packed and loud for Round 4 of the pro season and the Supercross Futures race that took place midway through the night’s racing program. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Casey Cochran, who was competing in the B Group, earned second overall while teammate Talon Hawkins grabbed the holeshot and had an eventful race to garner the final podium position.

The Supercross Futures program was conceived to provide a stadium Supercross experience and path to the pros for the next generation of racers. Four rounds are held throughout the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season with the top five finishers qualifying for an AMA Amateur National Championship held in Salt Lake City, Utah during the final event of the full 17-round pro season.

When the gate dropped Talon Hawkins nabbed the holeshot in front of 17 other racers. He mis-timed the first rhythm section and Casey Cochran took over the lead spot with Hawkins and Altherm JCR Yamaha’s Cole Davies right behind. Davies’ wild ride through the whoops on the opening lap allowed Daxton Bennick and EBR Racing Yamaha’s Julien Beaumer to get around Davies. Beaumer landed hard on a following jump and his handlebar rotated in the clamps; he was forced to slow his pace.

Cochran led the field of young racers until, similar to Davies’ opening lap troubles, Cochran had a bobble in the whoops that allowed Hawkins to re-take the lead in the next rhythm lane. With 3:38 remaining on the race clock of the six-minute plus one lap race, Bennick made an inside move under Cochran to take second while just behind them Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan crashed trying to re-take fifth position from KTM USA’s Preston Boespflug. The mistake sent Deegan, a race-win favorite, back to ninth.

Bennick steadily reeled in Hawkins and with just over a minute left on the race clock, Bennick used a fast run through the whoops to get cleanly into the lead. On the final lap Hawkins ran into trouble, allowing Cochran to grab the runner up spot as Hawkins recovered to finish in third place.

The 250SX Futures Class races again in Arlington, Texas on February 25th, which will also be the second of three Triple Crown-format events for the professional racers. All Monster Energy AMA Supercross events are streamed live on Peacock with select events also broadcast on NBC, USA Network, and CNBC. For the full schedule, results, video highlights, and ticket sales to any of the remaining Monster Energy AMA Supercross events, please visit SupercrossLIVE.com.

250SX Futures Class podium

250SX Futures Class podium (riders left to right) Casey Cochran, Daxton Bennick, and Talon Hawkins. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

SX Futures Class Results

  1. Daxton Bennick, Morganton, N.C., Yamaha
  2. Casey Cochran, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
  3. Talon Hawkins, Temecula, Calif., Husqvarna
  4. Cole Davies, Waitoki, NZ, Yamaha
  5. Haiden Deegan, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha
  6. Preston Boespflug, Winchester, Calif., KTM
  7. Gage Linville, Park Lake, Ga., Honda
  8. Slade Varola, Simi Valley, Calif., Kawasaki
  9. Braden Spangle, Mead, Wash., Yamaha
  10. Dylan Cunha, Modesto, Calif., Yamaha

Assets:
2023 Anaheim 2 Photo Gallery
Anaheim 2 Press Conference
Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

Media Contacts:
Sean Brennen
Feld Motor Sports – Senior PR Manager – Supercross
sbrennen@feldinc.com

About Feld Motor Sports:

Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting specialized arena and stadium-based motorsports entertainment. Properties include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the SuperMotocross World Championship. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment, Inc. Visit monsterjam.com, SupercrossLIVE.com, and feldentertainment.com for more information.

About Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship:

Monster Energy AMA Supercross is the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship on the planet. Founded in America and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) since 1974. Over 17 weeks, Supercross attracts some of the largest and most impressive crowds inside the most recognizable and prestigious stadiums in North America to race in front of nearly one million live fans and broadcast to millions more worldwide. For more information, visit SupercrossLIVE.com.

About the SuperMotocross World Championship:

The SuperMotocross World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the SuperMotocross World Championship combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 31-event series that culminates in a season-ending two round playoff and SuperMotocross World Championship Final. Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.

About the American Motorcyclist Association:

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit americanmotorcyclist.com.

Source: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

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