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2022 Anaheim Two Supercross | Kickstart

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CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE 2022 ANAHEIM TWO SUPERCROSS

There were a lot of questions that needed to be answered in our return to Angels Stadium for the 2022 Anaheim Two Supercross. A mix of winners in the early rounds had created a very tight championship chase, the closest in the history of the sport, and everyone wondered if the parity would continue, if a new rider would step to the top of the podium, and if the teams in the pits could sort out the ongoing issues that had disrupted their progress. 

The weekend in Orange County had its shares of highs and lows, from crashes by championship contenders to historic wins for riders and OEMs. Here’s a quick recap of the key stories from round four.


TEAM HONDA HRC

Team Honda HRC is still sorting out their CRF450R and a look at the two bikes will reveal different details. Chase Sexton openly said that ongoing testing, including a swap to XTRIG triple clamps/allowed modifications to the aluminum frame for increased rigidity/Renthal FatBar, has helped him get closer to his preferred feel and finish on the podium in the past two races. Ken Roczen continues to try his own things with the second-year bike, including a decision to pair the factory triple clamps with Renthal Twinwall bars, but run-ins with Anderson have kept from reaching his potential in the past two weeks.

Roczen and Sexton made remarks about how similar their bikes were before the season started. We’ve heard that both like the power delivery of the current engine package, and that a similar setup is being used by MXGP rider Tim Gajser, but unsurprisingly, they continue to search for suspension and chassis feel. They’ll get three chances to try the bike on hard-pack conditions in Glendale, return to Anaheim for a third and final test, and then head East.


KTM – HUSQVARNA

The same applies to Red Bull KTM and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing. The Austrian brands were eager to show the Factory Edition and Rockstar Edition models at the highest level, and things started off well at Anaheim One with two of them in the top-five and all four in the top-10. Aaron Plessinger was the first to say that his preseason setup was off the mark, as he admitted they changed “pretty much everything” between his ninth-place ride at A1 and runner-up result at Oakland.

Ricky Carmichael pointed out how the riders looked a bit unsettled at Anaheim Two, and this time, only Malcolm Stewart finished in the top-five. Like Honda, the European teams will see how the bikes fare on the fast, firm dirt in Glendale and then return to Angels Stadium for one last check. Expect the early rounds of East Coast to be very important for Webb, Stewart, Musquin, and Plessinger; three of the four riders spent much of their preseason riding in Florida and know the bike in softer, tackier conditions.


STAR RACING

Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha has none of those concerns. The team is in an ideal position after four exciting races, as the wins clicked off by riders put them at the top of the championship standings and their bikes are adorned with the point leader’s red plates. It’s interesting to see how the Star Racing operates on race day, with new hires like Brent Duffe/Christian Kauffman/Jensen Hendler under the 250 tent, longtime employees Josh Ellingson/Alex Campbell/Jeremy Coker working nearby at the 450 tent, and their expansive roster of riders constantly bouncing between the two.

Not to bring up the move to Florida again, but yeah, this is another important element to the team’s recent success. With the series on the West Coast for an extended period of time, but the former race shop in Temecula gone, Star Racing’s mechanics have taken up space in Yamaha’s Cypress work bays and are living together in Orange County.

The bikes look great, too. Eli Tomac talked to us at-length about the power of the YZ450F during Friday’s downtime, and confirmed that he’s the only rider who’s ever asked for more the engine. Despite the bike’s brute force reputation, Tomac has made it look easy to ride in a variety of conditions and shown that it cut under any make or model in a turn. Craig is doing the same with the YZ250F, and his run of results have intensified talks of him moving to the 450 Class in 2023.


CHASE SEXTON

Chase Sexton is the leader of the next generation. With one win to his credit, a podium, a fifth, and a ninth, the Team Honda HRC rider is slotted second overall in the series standings and looks like he could stay there all season. Sexton worked from seventh on lap one to third on lap five in Anaheim Two, quick progression the deep field, and crossed the finish line six seconds after winner Tomac. That result cemented his status as third-fastest on the stopwatch and one of the few that can reel in Tomac or Anderson, even when they do have a bit of an advantage.


JASON ANDERSON

Ready to believe El Hombre is a title contender? The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider was admittedly out of sorts during his Heat Race, which included a momentary run off the track, then pushed his way to the front of the pack, literally, in the 450 Main Event. Is there something going on with Anderson-Roczen? Their two run-ins in two weeks is eyebrow raising, but from the look of things, the 21 would do it to anyone if they were in his way.

Hearing Anderson say that he wasn’t clicking in the Heat Race then somehow managed to pull it together for the feature was something. He was duped into going three-three into the elevated turn, as he mistakenly thought that Tomac was doing it and closing ground, then over-cooked the corner and stalled the bike. Would he have held onto the win? Tough to say, especially at that point in the Moto; there was a lot of time left and Tomac was on the move, but there are plenty more races to see.


ELI TOMAC

Is Eli Tomac about to go on a tear? Never before has he held the championship lead this early in the season, and a big win in the 450 Main Event at Anaheim Two helped him pull even further ahead in the standings. Like we said above, Tomac looks good on the YZ450F. He has made positive comments about the bike’s wide feeling between his legs, has sorted out the KYB suspension configuration and chassis balance with team technician Ricki Gilmour, and likes the feel of the cable actuated clutch.

ET and Star Racing get along well. He’s said that riding with young guys while learning the team around him as been a nice, new challenge and that it’s given him added motivation late in his career. Will this be enough to get his second-year option in motion, if not for longer?

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Michael Antonovich

Michael Antonovich has a wealth of experience with over 10 years of moto-journalism under his belt. A lifelong racing enthusiast and rider, Anton is the Editor of Swapmoto Live and lives to be at the race track.

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