2023 Anaheim Two Supercross | Kickstart News and Photo Gallery

We first saw the CRF minibike-themed plastic and graphic scheme from Honda HRC at Anaheim One press day, but it wasn't until Anaheim Two that the team raced with the alternate look. Jett Lawrence's bike features the CRF50 colorway, which matched his A1 gear perfectly. While we were shooting this photo, Jett's mechanic Christien Ducharme jumped in to make sure the Dunlop logos on the tires were in perfect position. Haha!

Colt Nichols' and Chase Sexton's bikes, meanwhile, featured the CRF110 colorway. The back-up bikes that are allowed for the Triple Crown format, meanwhile, were left in standard trim.

The Firepower Honda team did not have backup machines handy for the Triple Crown, but as it turned out; no one in the paddock needed them anyway.

Benny Bloss returned to action at Anaheim Two after sitting out San Diego with a bruised tailbone suffered in an A1 crash. Bloss told us that he loves his 2023 Yamaha YZ450F and it is mostly stock. Major modifications on Bloss' bike are enzo racing suspension, an FMF slip-on muffler, ODI bars, and a Works Connection Launch Control starting device.

Which version of Jett's bike do you prefer?

We spotted an interesting addition to the LUXON triple clamps on Grant Harlan's Yamaha YZ450F. Grant told us that the dogbone is designed to add extra rigidity to the front end.

Harlan's 2022 Yamaha YZ450F race bike is also equipped with FCP engine mounts in the stiffer-than-stock configuration. "I feel like it helps the bike tip-in to corners much better, he said.

Though he operated out of the Rock River Yamaha semi, Grant Harlan is a privateer in the truest sense. He owns his 2022 Yamaha YZ450Fs and even works on them himself during the day. "I know my way around a bike pretty well," he said. "I don't mind being my own mechanic."

We spotted Jett Lawrence walking into the A1 pits for the first time, carrying a set of one-off boots that he broke in during the week prior, and wearing an Anti-Social Social Club hoody. A preview of things to come...

Sadly, Malcolm Stewart's Rockstar Energy Husqvarna sat idle at Anaheim Two, as he suffered a knee injury during the week that will sideline him through the rest of the Supercross series, and possibly through the rest of 2023.

Gold everywhere.

Christian Craig's entire Fox Racing kit was themed after a new Rockstar Energy flavor: Recovery Strawberry Lemonade.

If you absolutely love CC's Fox Racing kit, you're out of luck as it will never go into production for sale. Still, the Fox Racing design crew has been knocking it out of the park lately with the special kits they've been making for riders.

At first, we thought Christian's daughter Lennon was tending to his boots as they dried on the hand-made boot dryer, but she was actually sneaking some cookies. Haha! Notice the Western Regional 250 SX Champion front numberplate graphic that she carried everywhere at the race.

Colby Raha's Rockstar Energy Husqvarna FC 450 freeride bike was on display in the race team pits.

Almost every piece that could be powder coated or anodized black or gold, is!

Gold footpegs!

Chris Johnson's San Diego Powder Coating is a huge resource for the entire motocross industry, as they do the best work with powder coating dirt bike parts.

Raha relies on Dubya wheelsets for his massive sends.

Earlier in the week, Troy Lee and Polaris debuted a pair of collaboration vehicles, and they were on display at Anaheim Two next to the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/Gas Gas pits.

Marvin Musquin continues to sit on the sidelines as he is waiting to see a physician in France for a diagnosis on his wrist. Hoping for the best MM!

The Heartbeat Hot Sauce Yamaha team had some one-off Leatt gear for Anaheim Two, which incorporated the team's title sponsor logos into the design.

Even the graphic kit was different and featured the same design elements.

The Alpinestars and Anti-Social Social Club collaboration was super in-depth. The custom Tech 10 boots and Supertech helmet paintjob were designed to match all three sets that Lawrence would wear thoughout the event. Jettson wore this light pink set in practice and the first main...

...and this darker pink and black kit in the second main...

...and this yellow and orange kit in the final main, which he won with a start-to-finish romp. Which do you like best?

Two Kawasaki Electrode bikes were on display in the Monster Energy Kawasaki pits. Jason Anderson may need one in a couple of years.

Mandatory backup bike photo.

Jett Lawrence wasn't the only Alpinestars rider with special gear at Anaheim Two. Astars made three very special kits for its 450-class stars to honor the late Ken Block. Jason Anderson's kit was modeled after the driving suit that Block wore in 2021.

We like the simple, yet stylized paint job on Anderson's Airoh helmet.

Eli Tomac's Ken Block kit was on the wild side for the defending Supercross Champion, but it looked great on the track!

After his huge crash in the third 450 main event, we were told that Eli Tomac's Bell Moto 10 Spherical was "smoked." ET looked a little dazed as he remounted his bike, but when we spoke to him after the race he was crystal clear and told us that the helmet definitely did its job.

Dominique Thury missed the main events at Anaheim Two when a crash in the 250 LCQ knocked him to 13th.

Chase Sexton's Ken Block kit was as authentic as it gets, as it was designed by David Gwyther—who is better known as Death Spray Custom.

On the track, Chase Sexton's kit was stunning. And what better way to pay tribute to Ken Block than to win in his kit!

Another 13th on the LCQ: Gared "Stankdog" Steinke rode hard all day aboard his two-stroke Husqvarna TC 250 but he was nine spots shy of making the night show.

After missing the main event at San Diego, Cade Clason came out swinging at Anaheim Two. 19-17-20 scores gave him 20th overall aboard his PRMX Kawasaki.

Spaniard Joan Cros was ninth in the 450 LCQ. Before the series comes to a close, we expect Cros to be in the big show.

We asked Ken Roczen's mechanic Travis Soules if there were any changes made to the Progressive Insurance/Ecstar/Suzuki RM-Z450 this week. "Some pretty big suspension changes," he replied. "Kenny did a lot of testing with Factory Connection last week and he is really happy with the new settings they arrived at."

In spite of a massive crash in. the third 450 main event that relegated Eli Tomac to sixth overall on the night, the Momster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider will retain the red plate. With three rounds run, he enjoys a four-point advantage over Chase Sexton and Cooper Webb.

Cameron McAdoo had a horrendous crash in the first timed qualifying session when his left hand came off in the whoops and he was sent into a vicious endo. McAdoo was taken to the Alpinestars Mobile Medical Unit for evaluation. When McAdoo returned to the pits he looked as if there was no way he could carry on, but the Iowan dug deep, rolled around in the final timed qualifying session, then came out to earn sixth in the 250 class. Tough!

McAdoo's machine needed extensive repairs after his qualifying crash. Derek Dwyer had the #48 looking brand-new again in short order.

No caption is necessary, but we doubt that you'll find this on foxracing.com

Dean Wilson broke down the "Kit Pose" for us, step by step. Look for the full educational video inside this week's Life on Two Wheels Vlog, coming Wednesday.

Sketchy merch spotted! Get your own at alexray.co

Superagent Lucas Lyrtle and his son, Maverick.

Before the start of the night show, our very own Michael Antonovich was called to the podium and presented with the AMA Media Person of the Year Award for his performance in 2022. Go Anton!

Courtney and Griffin Roczen, ready for the racing to begin.

Another main event for our buddy Hunter Yoder! 13-19-12 finishes for 15th overall.

After years of racing in Brazil, Anthony Rodriguez returned to AMA Supercross and is steadily getting his rhythm back. 18-10-9 scores netted him 12th overall. Had it not been for a crash in the first race, he surely wopuld have been inside the top 10.

After a career-best fourth in San Diego, Enzo Lopes had an off night at Anaheim Two. 11-9-18 earned him 13th overall. The Brazilian racer has his eyes set on a podium this season and we think he can get it!

Levi Kitchen told us that winning his first Supercross was a dream come true. The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider didn't win one of the three main events, but 4-2-2 scores netted him. the top step of the box. Congrats, Chef!

How much throttle did it take to clear the outfield triple? Maximus Vohland shows us how much. Anaheim Two was a great rebound from San Diego, where the Red Bull KTM rider failed to make the main event. Fifth overall at Anaheim, he said he wants to, "forget about San Diego and move on."

BAd luck and crashes haunted Pierce Brown all night at A2. Aigoo!

RJ Hampshire celebrated his birthday in the week prior to A2 and also kicked the head cold that plagued him in San Diego. Hampshire looked great as he won the first 250 main event, but he suffered a horrific crash in the second race when his hand came off the bars in the sand section and he was ejected over the front of the bike. AEO Powersports KTM rider Joshua Varize had nowhere to go and plowed into Hamshire and was collected in the crash. Remarkably, he returned in the third race and soldiered to 13th for 12th overall.

Crashes haunted Jett Lawrence in the first two 250 main events, allowing RJ Hampshire and Stilez Robertson to take the checkers. A holeshot and wire-to-wire romp in the final main, though, helped Lawrence to secure second overall on the night with 3-6-1 scores.

Chase Sexton earned the overall Triple Crown win by topping the first ad third main events. His two race wins, however, came in distinctly different ways. Sexton holeshot race one and was never challenged, while he was forced to come through the field in the most exciting third main event. A crash in race two ruined his chances of a clean sweep of all three main events.

To match the CRF110-themed graphics of his Honda HRC CRF450R, the crew at O'neal added some teal accents to its Hardware Air line of gear. It was just enough to look nice, without going overboard.

Dean Wilson was far from happy about his 12th overall finish. "We've been working hard to get me comfortable on the new bike," said Wilson, of his Firepower Honda CRF450R. "I belong inside the top ten at th every least, and we are all working hard to get me there."

Benny Bloss was easy to spot in his new LE release fXR kit, paired with a near-perfect match with his Arai helmet. Bloss was 18th overall, held back by a crash in the final main event that dropped him to 22nd. Bloss was very vocal about his new 2023 Yamaha YZ450F, proclaiming it as the best stock bike he's ever ridden. We were surprised to find that there no modifications made to better suit his gigantic stature.

Swedish privateer Freddie Noren was a solid and steady as ever, earning 15th overall in spite of a crash in race two that held him to 20th.

Christian Craig told us that he is struggling to find his form on the weekends when it counts. "During the week, I kill it at the track," he said. "But when I get to the races I find myself riding tight and not up to my potential." Craig's 11th overall at A2 is hardly indicative of his 450-class potential. Remember, as a part-timer in the premier division, he's finished as high as fourth and has also won a heat race.

Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha's Dylan Ferrandis told us that he is way more comfortable on the 2023 YZ450F than he ever was on the previous two blue machines. "Outdoors, the old bike worked okay, but it was never comfortable for me indoors," he said. "I am really looking forward to the 450 Nationals this summer."

Cooper Webb was fourth overall at A2 and off the podium for the first time this year. Since championship points leader Eli Tomac was even further from the podium, though, Cooper (and Chase Sexton) closed to within four points of Tomac. We expect Webb to score his first win soon.

Do you prefer the standard red Honda HRC colors or the "WMX Edition?"

Joey Savatgy and Rick Ware Racing plan to contest only the first eight Supercross rounds. What comes after that? "World Supercross prep," Savatgy said.

Shane McElrath had to transfer to the 450 Mains via the LCQ, in which he finished fourth. "It's not the way I want to get into the main, but heck I made it," he joked. McElrath says that he is still adapting to the Twisted Tea Suzuki RM-Z450, and he knows that he can find his normally speedy pace once he gets the bike dialed in.

Eli Tomac never really found his flow at the Triple Crown, as poor starts in the shorter races kept him from finding the point position. Of course, his spectacular crash in the final main is what held him to sixth overall. "In this case, it's kind of lucky that we were in the triple crown format," he said. "Because the 16th in the final race was offset by the other two. It minimized the damage." Of his over-the-bars crash that saw him land perfectly on a tuff block, he said, "Yeah that was as good as that could have turned out!"

Aaron Plessinger showed some flashes of brilliance at the Triple Crown, but ultimately some mistakes kept him from finishing higher than 8-7-7 for seventh overall.

Did you see the green LED lights on the front of Phil Nicoletti's Club MX Yamaha when he led the second 250 Main? Feld was live-testing the system, which should make it easier for fans to decipher who is leading the race.

If you weren't pulling for Filthy Phil when he was leading the second 250 main...who are you?

The first two 450 mains were start-to-finish affairs, as Jason Anderson holeshot the second race and was never challenged as he notched his first victory of the year. We've been waiting for El Hombre to catch the fire he had last season. Perhaps his runner-up finish at A2 is a sign that it is coming...

Progressive Insurance/Ecstar/Suzuki's Ken Roczen out his RM-Z450 on the podium at A2 with third overall. Before crossing the finish line second in. the first main event, Kenny was pressured heavily by Aaron Plessinger for a few laps. Ultimately, Plessinger fell and left "Kickstart Kenny" to finish solidly in second, ahead of Eli Tomac.

Justin Hill was 14th in the overall standings, but he had a scary crash in the final main when he and Christian Craig came together in the air. "He's in big trouble with me," said Hill in his How Was Your Weekend interview.

Cade Clason qualified for the main in the 450 class with the 16th-quickest lap during timed-qualifying. "I wanted nothing to do with that LCQ," he said. Clason finished 20th overall aboard his PRMX Kawasaki,

Kyle Chisholm says that he is slowly but surely getting more comfortable on the Twisted Tea Suzuki. "I've been on various Yamahas for so long, that it is definitely a change," he said. Chiz was 17th at A2.

Congrats to Joshua Cartwright for making the 450 mains straight from qualifying. The Texan turned in the 17th fastest time for a direct transfer to the Triple Crown.

Aaron Plessinger

Ken Roczen

Cooper Webb

Is Eli Tomac borrowing a page from Jason Anderson's playbook with that untucked jersey?

Adam Cianciarulo is happy to be back racing after missing most of the 2022 season with ligament troubles in his elbow, but he seems dissatisfied with the performances he is turning in this far in 2023. AC has enjoyed great starts and has excellent sprint speed at the start of the races, but he has been fading back into the pack. Check his interview in How Was Your Weekend for some very candid emotions from the former 250 National Champion.

Jason Anderson celebrates his win in the second 450 main.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's Casey Cochran snagged the holeshot at the start of the SX Futures main event.

Cochran led early, then dropped as far back as third before working back up to second at the checkered flag.

New Zealander Cole Davies has been putting in work at the Yamaha track and it showed. The diminutive rider was a solid fourth in SX Futures.

All eyes were on Haiden Deegan when the gate dropped on the SX Futures main, but Danger Boy had an early crash that kept him out of contention and held him to a distant fifth.

This is the pass that earned Daxton Bennick the win in the SX Futures main event. Leader Talon Hawkins bobbled ever so slightly in the whoops and the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider dove beneath him in. the following corner to steal the lead for good.

Daxton Bennick

Jett Lawrence led the final 250 main from start to finish.

Cameron McAdoo's level of commitment to racing is exceptional. On Monday after Anaheim Two, he shared a photo of his arm, which was swollen more than double its normal size. Fortunately for Cam, there are a couple of weekends off before the series resumes at the rescheduled Oakland SX on February 18. You can bet he will be spending plenty of time at Natural Health Sports Therapy with Doc. G.

Congrats to Brandon Ray for making his first 250 main of the year. B-Ray is a regular at the Swapmoto Race Series and it's been great to see him grow up and progress.

Citrus Tiger is the name of the Leatt gearset that Smartop/Motoconcepts/Honda riders Anthony Rodriguez and Mitchell Oldenburg wore. Rawr!

Phil Nicoletti enjoyed both highs and lows at the Triple Crown. The high was leading most of the second main event before succumbing to Stilez Robertson and Levi Kitchen. The low was landing on a tuff block near the very end of the third main event and knocking himself silly. As colorful as ever, Phil dropped aq few choice words in our post-race How Was Your Weekend interview. Find it elsewhere on the site!