2016 AMA Supercross Anaheim 1 Race Results

Jason Anderson Grabs First-Career 450SX Victory

Cooper Webb Kicks Off Title Defense With Win in Western Regional 250 Class

[caption id="attachment_57406" align="alignright" width="300"] Jason Anderson celebrates his first 450SX victory.[/caption]

Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, saw Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Jason Anderson win his and the brand's first-ever 450SX Class Main Event at the season opener tonight. In front of a sold-out crowd of 45,050 at Angel Stadium, Anderson became the class' 60th different winner all time. In a season headlined by the unparalleled depth of talent in the field, six different riders were in position to finish on the podium during the 450SX Class Main Event. Defending Western Regional 250SX Class Champion Cooper Webb, who rides for the Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha team, made a statement tonight by winning the class' opening race of the championship.

The 450SX Class race was initially halted by a red flag when Team Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's James Stewart and Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey collided on the second lap. Stewart was unable to line up for the restart.

Team Honda HRC's Cole Seely captured the SupercrossLive.com Holeshot Award after the restart of the 450SX Class Main Event, while Autotrader/Monster Energy/Yamaha's Justin Barcia moved into second place in the second turn.

On Lap 3, Team Honda HRC's Trey Canard and Dungey collided and Dungey went down, remounting in seventh place. Canard advanced to third place on Lap 5 and second place on Lap 6. Anderson took over third place on Lap 7 and advanced to second place on Lap 8.

Anderson passed Seely, who led the first 12 laps of the race, to take the top spot on Lap 13. The second-year premier class rider never looked back on his way to a career milestone.

"Honestly, I just felt great out there tonight," said Anderson on the win. "I was coming through the pack and just made it happen. You work hard to do this as a kid, and it feels great."

On the race's last lap, Dungey passed Seely for second place.

"I got off to a good start on the restart but crashed," said Dungey. "I am glad to have rebounded and to have a solid finish."

[caption id="attachment_57404" align="alignright" width="300"] Supercross Lites Winner's Podium[/caption]

Troy Lee Designs/GoPro/Red Bull/KTM's Jessy Neson opened the Western Regional 250SX Class Main Event with the SupercrossLive.com Holeshot Award with GEICO Honda's Jordon Smith and his teammate Jimmy DeCotis following in second and third, respectively.

Webb pulled into third place on Lap 1 before taking over second place on the following lap. While riding in third place, Smith crashed and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Zach Osborne took over third place.

Webb passed Nelson for the lead on Lap 10 and rode the seventh win of his career.

"It's awesome to start the season like this," said Webb. "I don't like to lose so this really makes tonight great. I was patient and pulled it off. I'm looking forward to next weekend in San Diego."

2016 AMA Supercross Anaheim 1 Race Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z3wixLc4eU&list=PLS9EW4D0HArlodtRtiwrQJ4QMqZFMFcT9

Source: Supercross Live

Jason Anderson and Husqvarna Make History With 450 Supercross Victory at Anaheim 1!

Zach Osborne Earns Podium in 250SX

[caption id="attachment_57408" align="alignright" width="300"] Jason Anderson - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

January 9th, 2016 will forever hold a place in Husqvarna history as Jason Anderson took home a monumental win at the first AMA Supercross round in 2016, held at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California - a career first for both himself and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in 450 SX competition. To add to an already historic night, Zach Osborne and his Husqvarna FC 250 race to a 3rd place podium finish.

Jason Anderson has found a new level this season. He has regained his focus with a strict training regimen, and is reaping the rewards as a result. He earned a quick transfer to the 450 main after moving from sixth to second in his 450 heat. In the main, Anderson pulled a third-place start and was looking aggressive. He started to focus on moving through the ranks, but was halted after a red flag in the second lap due to a down rider. Anderson was mid-pack on the restart, and immediately started moving ahead. Looking determined and committed, he flew through the pack before making the pass for second in lap eight. He moved into the lead on lap 13, and held strong to the finish. The historic Anaheim 1 450 win marks his first in his career, not to mention the first-ever 450 win for Husqvarna. The red plate with now grace his Husqvarna FC 450 at round 2, next Saturday in San Diego.

"I got my first win!" said Anderson. "Tonight at Anaheim 1 was awesome. I got off decent in the first start, but then they red-flagged it so I was a little bummed. My second start was mediocre, but I just started making my way forward and eventually took the win. I'm so pumped. The guys I was passing were waxing me last year, so to even be battling with them was a cool deal."

[caption id="attachment_57407" align="alignleft" width="200"] Zach Osborne - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Zach Osborne was off to a great start in his 250 heat race and fought his way to the lead by the end of the first lap. He dominated the heat and took home the first heat race win of the 2016 season. He pulled a mid-pack start in the main and immediately starting making passes to move up the ranks. He was on the move early in the race before settling nicely into the third-place spot before taking home his first podium of the season.

"Today was a good day for the whole team," said Osborne. "It's awesome for us to leave Anaheim 1 with Jason earning the red plate and me landing on the podium with third in the championship. I had good lap times all day. I went out and won my heat race, and rode a little conservative in the main event but still pulled off a podium so it's been a great day."

Christophe Pourcel took 1st gate pick in Heat 1 after setting the 2nd fastest overall time in qualifying practice and finished seventh in the heat after a mid-pack start and would eventually qualify for the main through the semi. He moved up to fifth in the main before moving back through the pack and finishing 18th.

"I was in a good position in the main," said Pourcel, "but the red flag wasn't good for me. I ended up outside and didn't get a good start. I know I have the speed, and Jason is riding good so I can learn from him, too. I'm going to keep pushing and will try to be in the top five."

Source: Husqvarna Motorcycles

Ryan Dungey Places 2nd at Opening Supercross Event

[caption id="attachment_57410" align="alignright" width="200"] Ryan Dungey - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Ryan Dungey earned 2nd overall at the opening round of the AMA 450 Supercross Championship Series held at Angel Stadium.

The reigning champion had a rough start to his day after failing to transfer from his heat race into the main event. At the gate drop, he earned a 6th place start. He quickly moved into 5th on lap two before suffering a crash before the finish line jump. He fell back to 11th after the crash. He rebounded and tried to make up positions before the end of the heat but he could not pass into the top four and had to head back to prepare for the semi race.

His teammates, Dean Wilson and Marvin Musquin, also struggled in their heat race. Wilson started in 3rd place while Musquin was 5th. Wilson remained close to the top two riders and began to close in on them for the lead position. While battling for the top spot he crashed on the third lap of the race and dropped to 10th place. Musquin also was not able to move into the top four and both riders went to the semi.

Musquin was placed in semi race number one where he earned a 2nd place start. He remained in that position throughout the race and easily qualified into the main event. Dungey and Wilson were in the second semi race. Dungey nailed the holeshot and stretched out to an early lead while Wilson was in 2nd place. Dungey continued to pull away out front and led every lap to take the win while Wilson finished 2nd to also earn a transfer spot.

When the gate dropped for the main event, Dungey was sitting in 4th around the first corner while Wilson was 11th and Musquin was 20th. Dungey began to close on the 3rd place ride of James Stewart on the second lap. On the third lap of the race, the two riders collided in a corner resulting in Stewart crashing and the race being red flagged. The riders returned to the gate for a restart.

[caption id="attachment_57411" align="alignleft" width="300"] Ryan Dungey 2016 AMA Supercross Anaheim 1[/caption]

On the restart, Dungey again had a top five start while Wilson was 11th and Musquin outside the top twenty. Dungey began to pressure the top riders on the opening laps before washing out in a corner and dropping back to 8th. Wilson would battle around the top ten for the majority of the race and eventually finished 9th overall. Musquin came from a near last place start to a 14th place result. Dungey was able to charge from his 8th place into the top five by the halfway point. He then began to set his sights on the podium spots. He passed into 3rd with a couple laps remaining and then began to catch the 2nd place ride of Cole Seely. On the final lap, Dungey made a pass on Seely and took the runner-up position.

"I'm really happy to earn a 2nd place result here at Anaheim," stated Dungey. "I had a small tip over that cost me tonight but to charge back into a podium spot is a good way to end the first round. I was able to earn some valuable points in the championship and I am very satisfied with this result."

Next Event: Round 2 - San Diego, CA - January 16, 2016

Source: KTM North America

Jimmy Decotis Career Best Highlights Jittery Opening Night For GEICO Honda Team

[caption id="attachment_57416" align="alignright" width="200"] James Decotis - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

The opening round of the professional supercross season always brings out anxiety in the riders, and the GEICO Honda team had to deal with that during Saturday's Monster Energy AMA Supercross an FIM World Championship race. All four riders showed speed, but the results were hampered by the opening night jitters. Least impacted was Jimmy Decotis, who led the squad with a career-best fourth in the 250SX West Region class, and was happy to deliver when the pressure was highest.

"I'm happy that the best showing I had on the bike came in the main event," said Decotis, of Massachusetts. "I've had good lap times in practice before, good laps in heat races, but something always seems to happen in the main events. I felt I rode strong and consistent the whole time. I think I could have made a run at [Zach] Osborne for third, the podium, but he's been in that position before and I haven't. It's a good step for the first round. Honestly a few weeks ago we were contemplating waiting a few weeks and racing East! I was pushing for it, but I'm glad it came together like it did now."

Right behind came teammate Jordon Smith, who was running third before a crash dropped him to fifth. "I think it was lap seven, I tipped over coming out of one of the corners," said Smith, a second year pro from North Carolina. "I was having a good race, my GEICO Honda is really fast and I got a good start. It was one of the first times I've ever been up front in a supercross. Last year [rookie pro season] I got a fourth but it was a come-from-behind race, so this time it was good to run at the front of the pack. I just need to get used to it. I can definitely take some positives from it."

There were positives for Christian Craig, as well, who led most of his qualifying heat race in his first supercross since 2013. He ended up second. His main event fell apart when he tangled with another rider and damaged his front wheel, pushing him back to a 17th place finish.

[caption id="attachment_57412" align="alignleft" width="300"] Justin Bogle - Photo: Simon Cudby[/caption]

"I was feeling confident after practice," said Craig, of California. "Got a holeshot in the heat and led for four laps. Cooper [Webb] passed me where a rider was down and yellow flags, I didn't know you could pass through there, kind of a mistake on my part not knowing the rule. Ended up second. Went into the main and knew I could run top five or get on the podium. I ended up tangling out of the gate with someone. Made some quick passes, was going to pass [Joey] Savatgy and I clipped his front wheel. Pretty much ended my night, my wheel hit his footpeg and it broke a couple spokes in my front wheel, I had to pull into the mechanic's area to get them pulled out. I went back out there and salvaged what I could. I'm healthy and looking forward to next weekend to show what I've got."

Team rider Justin Bogle made his debut in the 450SX class, but it was a tough one considering he had recently broken his foot and only got back on a bike this week. He finished 13th.

"My starts were really good, but I'm not really there speed-wise yet, so it was hectic," said Bogle, "I learned a lot from those guys. Main event was just tough, I got shuffled back pretty quickly. Coming in, the way I came in, whatever, I've been here before starting the season off with injuries, it's not an excuse, but I haven't done a twenty lapper in months. So, here goes the roller coaster. The good news is, we'll do it again next weekend."

Next weekend's race comes on Saturday night, January 16th, at Petco Park in downtown San Diego, California.

Source: GEICO Honda

Ken Roczen Fights Back to 5th at Anaheim SX

[caption id="attachment_57419" align="alignright" width="200"] Ken Roczen[/caption]

RCH Suzuki Factory Racing's Ken Roczen and Broc Tickle turned in solid performances during Saturday night's Monster Energy AMA/ FIM World Supercross season opener at Angel Stadium, Anaheim in California.

After being collected in an early-race incident during the second 450SX heat race of the night, RCH Soaring Eagle/ Jimmy John's/ Suzuki Factory Racing's Roczen had to race his way through the semi into the Main Event where he ultimately went on to finish fifth aboard his Suzuki RM-Z450. Tickle turned in a strong performance but ended-up one spot short of a top-10 finish.

"It was a hard fought night," commented RCH co-owner Carey Hart following the event. "I know a lot of people had high expectations of Ken in the opening round but the championship isn't won on the first night. He showed a lot of heart, speed and a lot of skill. He came from dead last in turn two to finish fifth. I'm glad both Ken and Broc got through in one piece. It was a pretty crazy night with guys hitting the ground and how rough the track was, but onward and upward. Ken's fifth in the points and that's admirable considering everything that happened.

"Broc did great. He had a little bit of a slow start but hey, it's the first race. Ricky (Carmichael) and I always talk about the series not really starting until Atlanta. We have to get through the first handful of races smart and consistent and Broc did just that. We'll do some work this week and come out swinging next weekend in San Diego."

[caption id="attachment_57418" align="alignleft" width="300"] Ken Roczen[/caption]

The 450SX Class Main Event was initially halted by a red flag when James Stewart and Ryan Dungey collided on the second lap. As a result of the red flag, the field was re-racked at the starting gate but Roczen and Tickle didn't get the start they were looking for.

"It was a very, very rough night for me," explained Roczen. "We started off in the heat race and I got cleaned-out right away. My bike was just way too banged-up to go on, so we had to get everything fixed to be ready for the semi. In the Main, my start wasn't that great. I was pretty far to the outside so that made it tough. On the restart after the red flag, I tried to cut to the inside and went down in the second turn so I had to come from dead last and pass guys one-by-one. I think it turned out to be a decent ride. We got up to fifth and salvaged some decent points.

"It's a big confidence builder for the whole team to come from dead last and finish fifth. Obviously, it's not where we want to be but it is what it is for this night. Luck was definitely not on our side tonight so I'm glad to come out of here healthy. A lot of people crashed."

Tickle spent much of the day trying to establish a comfort level on the tricky Anaheim race course. After finishing seventh in his heat race, he also had to race his way into the Main Event via the semi where he secured his spot on the starting gate with a fifth-place showing. He went on to finish 11th and heads into the second race of the season 11th in the standings.

[caption id="attachment_57417" align="alignright" width="300"] Broc Tickle[/caption]

"All-in-all, it was pretty rough," said Tickle. "I struggled throughout the day. I had a hard time getting comfortable and the track was awkward for me. As the day went on, I improved and ended up 11th in the Main, so that's not too bad. Obviously, not where I wanted to be so I'm looking forward to improving next week. I just need to work on some little things. I know where I belong. The way I've been riding during the week has been really good so I'm disappointed to finish 11th. We're going to work on some stuff this week and hopefully that will help us be better for San Diego."

Carmichael, a five-time series champion, spent the night wearing his broadcaster's cap, providing an insider's look from the track surface for the FS1 television audience. Following the race, the team co-owner offered a candid but optimistic view of his team's performance.

"Well, it was a rough night," Carmichael said. "On the bright side of things, Ken and Broc came out of here with some points but I think it'll get better from here. Everyone will get in their race routine and go on. We just have to keep applying the pressure. It's a 17-race series. From a team owner's standpoint we obviously want to be better. We want to win but all things considered, it was ok. I'm proud of the team for thrashing and getting Ken's bike back together. They worked their butts off in the pits and we came away with a couple decent finishes."

Monster Energy AMA Supercross rolls on next weekend when Roczen, Tickle and the rest of the RCH contingent visit PETCO Park in San Diego, California.

Source: Team Suzuki

James Stewart Suffers In Anaheim Supercross Crash

[caption id="attachment_57420" align="alignright" width="300"] James Stewart[/caption]

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing's James Stewart looked solid in his return to competition aboard his Suzuki RM-Z450 for the start of the 2016 Monster Energy AMA/ FIM World Supercross season on Saturday night at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, but while battling near the front early in the Main Event he was hit by another rider and suffered a hard crash.

The race was red-flagged, but Stewart was shaken-up enough that he was unable to make the restart.

After nearly a year-and-a-half hiatus, many wondered how long it would take for Stewart to shake off the cobwebs. It didn't take long for that question to be answered as he was blazingly-fast aboard his powerful and nimble-handling Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 and turned-in the third best time of the day in qualifying, clocking a 1:01.092 around the challenging Anaheim circuit in America.

"I'm encouraged by how I feel in the comeback," Stewart said after qualifying. "I'm excited, the whole team is excited and it's great to be back in the competition."

Stewart ran a smart race in his Heat to finish third and put himself safely into the Main.

[caption id="attachment_57421" align="alignleft" width="300"] James Stewart[/caption]

Everything seemed to be lining-up for an excellent final, especially after a rocket-start off the line and battling for the lead in the early going. But then disaster: On the third lap Stewart ran a wide arc through a 180-degree turn and then cut down to try to repass Jason Anderson, when suddenly Stewart's Suzuki was slammed by another rider. Stewart was flung-off the high-side of his Suzuki, landed hard and knocked unconscious. He came to rest in a bad part of the track and officials red-flagged the race for the rider's safety.

It was a difficult way to end what was, up to that point, a great weekend.

"James came in ready to race," said Yoshimura Suzuki Team Manager Mike Webb. "Everything was going to plan, maybe even better than we expected. He was strong in timed qualifying, went out and qualified directly into the Main from his Heat race, had a great start in the final and then out of nowhere he ends up on the ground due to no fault of his own. It's a real shame for all the work he put into this comeback, but I'm hopeful he'll be able to bounce back soon and quickly put this behind him."

Stewart is being evaluated and his status for next week's race in San Diego is day-to-day. The team will issue an update when available.

Stewart was the only rider flying the Yoshimura Suzuki colours. His team-mate Blake Baggett continues to recover from injuries suffered in pre-season practice. Baggett is making good progress and is hoping to return to racing at the end of the month when the series visits Oakland, California.

Source: Team Suzuki