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.
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.”
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.
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."
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
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
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.
