2020 Anaheim Two Supercross | Race Preview

2020 ANAHEIM TWO SUPERCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

Back under the A for the second time this season. The 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series has returned to Southern California and Angel Stadium of Anaheim for the 2020 Anaheim Two Supercross, round three of the series (Yes, we know we threw a lot of numbers at you just now). After months of anticipation regarding the most talented entry list in recent years, we’ve seen how true that actually is with four different Main Event winners (Justin Cooper and Austin Forkner in the 250 class, Justin Barcia and Ken Roczen in the 450 Class) and many championship contenders dicing for spots further back in the running order. That should certainly continue tonight in Anaheim because now is the time for riders to score a big result. A win or podium finish now will be key, because there’s already a sizable difference in points and it’ll get harder to close that margin as rounds tick away.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY

Justin Barcia and Justin Cooper retained their rank at the top of the championship standings with second-place finishes in St. Louis. It was a miraculous result for the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing rider, as a bout of illness kept him from doing much other than riding laps on the track during the weekend. His riding was so solid that many didn’t realize he was under the weather until after the race. Like Webb at Anaheim One, this could be a key finish for Barcia later in the year and he holds a six-point advantage over Roczen in the standings for it.

Justin Cooper was lucky to get out of St. Louis unscathed. The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider was nearly caught up in a pair of opening lap incidents during the 250 Main Event, was deep in the pack, and forced his way up to second place by the final lap. Cooper’s results paired with Forkner’s folly at round one and Ferrandis’ opening lap crash at round two shows consistency from a young rider in an unpredictable class.

FORKNER & ROCZEN

All eyes will be on Ken Roczen and Austin Forkner this weekend. The two scored big wins in St. Louis, Roczen’s first since 2017’s arm injury and Forkner’s first since 2019’s torn ACL, and the success immediately puts them into title contention. Not saying that they weren’t after round one, but these wins prove that both have overcome their personal challenges and are ready to battle for the full season. 

Now, the bigger question will be how soon can they do it again? Forkner arguably needs his second win to come sooner, because the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider has to make up for the two-position penalty he was issued for cutting the track at Anaheim One and lost points. Roczen, meanwhile, could benefit from some time between wins. Too much too soon could put unreal expectations on the Team Honda HRC. 

Should the two leave Anaheim Two with another trophy, be it for the win or a podium finish, will be a massive help for the series ahead.

AMART & EL HOMBRE

Alex Martin and Jason Anderson are two riders to keep an eye on as we get further into the season. Martin was within a second of claiming a podium finish in St. Louis, but the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing rider has shown speed since the first practice session of the season. One of the more experienced racers in the field, Martin knows what to expect as the weeks continue on and should get better results soon. Jason Anderson’s third-place result in St. Louis was solid, but understated because the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider didn’t make too much noise on his way to the front. Yeah, he exchanged very close passes with some in the pack, but there was little attention paid his way with Roczen out front. Anderson likes it better that way, just doing the laps without all the hype. And he’s riding very, very well.

FERRANDIS & TOMAC

Dylan Ferrandis and Eli Tomac are the two riders that have to make things happen this week. Ferrandis’ fall in lap one of St. Louis was the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider’s first big mistake in over a year and his 12th place can be his only mulligan of the championship chase. Have to say, it was a wise move to jump in with the leaders as they worked their way through lapped traffic, because he picked off riders that probably thought they weren’t battling for position. A win in Anaheim Two would really turn things around.

Tomac’s results have been fair, but not mindblowing. He’s finished in the top-10 both times, which is huge considering the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider’s past struggles through opening rounds, and his run to a fourth-place finish in St. Louis from a poor start showed he has the racecraft to make things happen against the competition. Was getting to this point, while still healthy and fast, part of a bigger plan? We’ll find out soon. 

MAKING THE CUT

Qualifying for the 450 Main Event at Anaheim Two is going to be a challenge. A number of racers sat out the St. Louis round, due either to the long round-trip travel or because they were lured to Germany for the final round of the ADAC Supercross series, but the full field is back for round three. Seriously, look at the entry list below and pick the 22 riders that you think will be the final field tonight. Odds are very, very high that you won’t get it right. 

And with that said, you’ll really need to pay attention to the battles from 10th place back. These guys will be going for it.

THE TRACK

Anaheim One’s track left a lot to be desired. Weather in the weeks leading up to the race left the dirt soft and wet, and since Feld is not relying on lime as a drying agent after last year’s fiasco in San Diego, the A1 track broke down and was almost like an outdoor National with massive jumps. Rain hit the stadium from Thursday night to Friday, but because the whole course was built already, it shouldn’t be so bad this time. 

In fact, the track could end up being dry by the latter stages of the practice and then very slick during the night show, when the ocean air adds moisture. 

We like how Dirt Wurx used as much of the floor as they could, as there are long that run the length of the field with different options, two whoop sections, and even some split-lane lanes.