2020 Anaheim One Supercross | Qualifying Report

2020 ANAHEIM ONE SUPERCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

An eventful afternoon of timed qualifying has just concluded at Angel Stadium, site of the 2020 Anaheim One Supercross. We’ve wondered how the competition would stack up for the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series and after a number of practice sessions, two riders were significantly quicker than the rest. There were a few hard slams by riders in the 250 class today, as Brandon Hartranft and Austin Forkner both took tumbles in the whoops, but neither were serious enough to cause concern and we’re entering the night show with a very healthy and very quick set of riders.

Anaheim is known for slick, hard-packed soil but today’s dirt stayed moist thanks in part to mild weather, and one should expect the track to turn rough and rutty by the end of the night, not slick and flat. The whoops will be one key area, as the soft dirt was destroyed by the powerful bikes and were cupped and uneven late in practice. A few riders found rhythm lane combinations, a nice option through the track’s design, but it seems like the perfect technique around every inch of the track will be more important than one risky send-it obstacle.

There’s a noticeable difference in pace from the top down in the 250 class. Ferrandis was the only rider in the small-bore division to post a 56-second lap time, and one of only four riders in the entire field, a testament to his skill and the power of the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha. His teammate Justin Cooper was the lone rider in the class to be in the 57-second range, with the rest somewhere between 58-seconds and 1:05 minutes a lap. Nine riders are within a second of each other, though, so that should make for very close racing in the pack.

The pace is closer and quicker in the 450 class. Incoming rookie Cianciarulo held the top spot on the board through both of the afternoon’s sessions, but his Monster Energy Kawasaki teammate Eli Tomac and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jason Anderson are just a tick behind in the 56-second range. Impressive to see that the SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda duo of Malcolm Stewart and Justin Hill out-timed Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen and Justin Brayton for spots in the top-five. Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb isn’t known for his qualifying prowess, as the defending champion was ranked fifteenth in the field. Keep an eye on him during the races, when it matters more.