MINNEAPOLIS — Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson grabbed his third victory of the season during round seven of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
The top finish inside the domed stadium closed him to within three points of the championship points lead. Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb crossed the finish line in second, earning his second podium of the season with his Red Bull KTM teammate Marvin Musquin taking third place.
When the gate dropped for the 450SX event, defending champion Webb pulled the Holeshot and jumped out into the early lead.
Within three corners Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton moved into second and right onto Webb’s rear fender. With Anderson right on Sexton’s tail the three quickly pulled a slight gap on the rest of the field. In the opening minute of racing Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha’s Eli Tomac, the current points leader, tangled with his teammate Dylan Ferrandis and set his bike down on the face of a triple jump. The minor crash dropped Tomac to last place.
With just over five minutes off the race clock in the 20-minute plus one lap race, Sexton muscled his way around Webb and sealed the pass with a strong drive through the whoops. But the top-three rider breakaway didn’t extend its gap on the field. Instead, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart charged up from fourth place and re-established contact as Anderson pressured Webb for second.
When Anderson and Stewart got past Webb in quick succession, Webb’s teammate Musquin had the defending champ in his sights. In another flip of the traditional script, Webb mounted a charge on Stewart, who slid out in a flat corner with just under three minutes left on the race clock.
Just when the finishing order looked settled, Sexton’s front wheel tucked and torqued the bike to a quick stop on a jump face. The bike flung Sexton into the air. The crash warped the bike’s front wheel and the impact took Sexton out of the race.
The Monster Energy Supercross flames signaled Anderson’s third win of the season. Webb took second place and Musquin tallied his first 2022 podium. Tomac’s speed allowed him to recover to a sixth-place finish to hold onto the point lead.
In the opening round of the Eastern Regional 250SX class series, Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence took the win and the early points lead in what looks to be a very competitive division.
There were opening round jitters and anticipation as the Eastern Regional 250SX class kicked off in Minneapolis. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner jumped into the lead at the Holeshot stripe with Jett Lawrence quickly into the second spot ahead of Forkner’s teammate Cameron McAdoo.
Lawrence put an aggressive inside-line pass on Forkner less than a minute after the gate drop then rode a smooth and effortless-looking race to the first checkered flag of Eastern Regional 250SX class competition. Forkner held second place to the end, and McAdoo grabbed third after fending off a mid-race challenge by Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha’s Jeremy Martin. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire rounded out the top five.