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2023 Anaheim Two Supercross | Kickstart Second Look

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2022 ANAHEIM THREE SUPERCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

January went by in a blur, with a full month spent in Southern California for the opening run of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship, which was capped off by the 2023 Anaheim Two Supercross. Plenty of unforgettable moments have occurred at Angel Stadium, a given considering eighty races make it the most visited venue in SX, and this year’s return to the A will be remembered for the tightened 450 Class championship chase that came as a result of Eli Tomac’s wild crash and Chase Sexton’s win, Levi Kitchen’s consistent run to a career-first SX checkered flag, Jett Lawrence’s continued time as the center of attention, and the progression of the Supercross Futures amateur program.

A2 was much different than A1, but both had a unique, high-energy vibe. While many see the opening round as the peak of excitement, plenty of interest was injected into round three through the Triple Crown format and secondary efforts (leader lights, celebrity appearances, a continued push on NBC’s Peacock streaming service) which kept the attention of the sold-out crowd and television viewers all the way to the end.

Better weather gave Dirt Wurx some much-needed relief, as the track was shaped up early and left to cure under sunny skies. The next few weeks will be a grind for the heavy equipment operators, as the crew will split up during Houston to Tampa to Oakland to Arlington run to maximize the time. “For Houston we will have a domed stadium, so a little less worry there, and three-quarters of the dirt will be inside when we get there because of a Monster Jam show. And we don’t have to haul it out, because there is another Monster Jam show after, and that gives us some time to breathe,” said Dirt Wurx owner Alex Gillespie. “After Houston we will drive to Tampa, that one’s an open roof and we’ll know what we’re dealing with when we get closer. I just figured out last night (Thursday before A2) that we will drive the van to Arlington, me and my wife, and I’ll fly to Oakland while my guys stay in Tampa to clean up, and then they’ll meet me in Oakland.”

“There was a whole crew of Monster Jam guys that stayed in Anaheim while we were in San Diego. They got the floor ready for us and cleaned up Anaheim, because while we were in Sand Diego, it rained here and they had a disaster,” explained Gillespie of the company-wide coordination. “Them hooking us up made the floor turn-key and we were able to instantly get to work. With Supercross Futures the track has to be ready on Friday so they can get the time to practice.”

Even with a hurried schedule of builds and clean-outs, Dirt Wurx still gave their full effort when it came to A2. “This track is one of the more unique Anaheim layouts when you look at the blueprint. As a fan, you probably have to do a double take, but it makes sense,” he said of the ambitious design. “The long lanes going across and jumping over the start are good and we’ll see how it plays out.”

For teams, the Triple Crown meant more a bit more work, as every factory-level squad and even some B-level groups built and teched two motorcycles, which is an exemption to the usual rules. “With the Triple Crown there is not much time between each race, so if you have a big bike issue or a bad crash that mangles it up pretty badly, you tech two so that you have a spare,” explained Monster Energy Kawasaki mechanic Jason Montoya. It’s a process that begins well ahead of race week and includes a necessary break-in period. “At Kawasaki, we do two full race bikes. At the beginning of December, you will build the first bike, get it broken in and shaken down, and then it’s time to build another. It’s kind of a lot, but it benefits us, because if we don’t use the bike, it’ll turn into the motocross race bike. We just switch a few things to the motocross spec and it’ll be ready for the summer. Building two bikes can be a headache, a lot of time and hours and extra parts, but I think it’s a good call, in case something happens.”

Even with the same exact parts, how similar can the two bikes be? “If Adam rode them both back-to-back in the same day, he’d probably tell a difference,” said Justin Shantie, Adam Cianciarulo’s wrench at Monster Energy Kawasaki. “These guys ride so much, and they are so in-tune with the bike. When we rode the other day, everything was set right and felt right, but it was still stiffer. He is sensitive to a new seat, so he could feel how stiff it was, but that’s about it. Unless there is something weird, like how a frame got made from the factory or something that would catch us out, they should be identical. We take measurements on all the brake pedal heights, shifter heights, lever ins and outs, and seat humps. Everything is as close as we can get it measurement wise, so it’s as close as we can get it.”

Although most riders had dialed in their preferred settings months ago, Dunlop specialist Broc Glover revealed that a few guys were still experimenting with widths and sizes on their tires. “Most stick with the same tire all year long and don’t bounce around too often, but Christian Craig has gone from a 110-90, which is a smaller tire for a 450, to a 120-80, which is a little more traction and has a lower profile,” said Glover. “Cooper Webb has been on the 110-90 on the rear, he’s our only guy on it, and after a great start to his season, I don’t think he’s going to change. Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton are on 120-80 rears, which is new for Chase but is the same size that Eli has run for ten seasons now. He really likes that tire and doesn’t want to change, and Chase as went to that. Most everyone in the 450 Class runs the 120-90, which is a larger tire that offers more traction but is a little harder to turn. Once a rider gets comfortable on the tire, they don’t like to change.”

The shadow cast by the upper decks of Angel Stadium was an important detail that Glover was sure to point out, stating that the shaded half of the track would shape up differently than the sun-soaked side. “Anaheim is always a difficult track because of the orientation of the sun and one part is always in the said. The right field, first base line is always more wet and slippery, and surprisingly they put some water on it today, to the point there was standing water. But the other side, they have to put water on because it’s always in the sunshine.”

Glover shared one more point of knowledge before we parted ways, this one on the history of the Anaheim Supercross. “I think this is actually the eighty-first AMA Supercross race here,” clarified the MX encyclopedia. “In 1975, the first American Motocross Finals, which was a non-AMA race and, ironically, a three-moto format and ‘run what you brung’ program where you could ride 125, 250, and 500cc bikes. That was the early Triple Crown and tonight being a Triple Crown is neat. We’ve had three races some years, two in others, but a lot more than any other venue. Anaheim is the home to Supercross in most people’s eyes because they’ve had so many races here.”

“The first time that I raced here was in 1975, during the California High School Motocross Championship,” he recalled with a smile. “We had to qualify to race and get an invite, kind of like the Supercross Futures tonight. The sport has come full circle almost, and I was in what’s considered the precursor to that. I was very happy to be a high school state champion and then lucky enough to win here in 1985.”


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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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