Motocross
Ken Roczen claims Anaheim 1 at 2022 AMA Supercross Series
Round One recap: With Anaheim 1 behind us, Red Bull athletes Ken Roczen, Cooper Webb, Justin Barcia, and Hunter Lawrence made an early season charge for the championship.
The first round of the 2022 Supercross series was action-packed and full of excitement. Ex-hilarating leads, crashes and passes were the sweeping results through a difficult track at Angel Sta-dium, in what left an all Red Bull podium in the premier class.
The 450 Class main event was a night of ups and downs as the top five positions played su-percross musical chairs. Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen took the holeshot and held the lead from start-to-finish, gapping the field by 12 seconds and taking home his fourth win at Anaheim 1. This was after a brief battle out of the gate before the holeshot line with his Factory Honda teammate Chase Sexton, who after two crashes saw himself sitting in 5th place.
Ken Roczen competes at Round 01 of the 2022 AMA Supercross Series
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
Justin Barcia competes at Round 01 of the 2022 AMA Supercross Series
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
As the field began to spread, Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb found his consistent pace and made his way into a strong second place finish. And to round out the podium, Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GasGas ace Justin Barcia plowed his way through the pack after colliding with Jason Anderson to take over the third-place position. No love was lost though, and with a “rubbing is racing” mentality the two, exchanged jokes about it via social media.
Cooper Webb competes at Round 01 of the 2022 AMA Supercross Series
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
The fourth-place position was a toss up and saw multiple riders sitting in its position during the main event. However, after a collision with Malcolm Stewart, Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin wrapped up the fourth-place spot allowing Red Bull Athletes to claim the top four positions in the 450 Main Event.
Ken Roczen celebrates after winning at Round 01 of the 2022 AMA Supercross
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
Justin Barcia celebrates at Round 01 of the 2022 AMA Supercross Series
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
Ken Roczen celebrates winning at Round 01 of the 2022 AMA Supercross Series
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
For the 250 Class main event, Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence was an obvious stand out. Hunter replaces younger brother Jett Lawrence in the West Coast as Jett sits out due to a pre-season injury. But that didn’t stop a Lawrence brother from stealing the show on Saturday. If you’re unfamiliar with Jett and Hunter’s rivalry and life between races, make sure to check out the newly launched series “Flight Plan” on Red Bull TV
Hunter Lawrence competes at Round 01 of the 2022 AMA Supercross Series
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
Hunter Lawrence competes at Round 01 of the 2022 AMA Supercross Series 2
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
With Jett in the broadcast booth and Hunter on the track, the excitement rose as Hunter made his way from 12th to 3rd place in the last five laps. Hunter had a rocky start but found his groove that earned him convincing passes around the outside picking off the competition one by one. This shark-in-the-water mentality had the crowd on their feet and the announcers going wild in the booth. As the checkered flag flew, Christian Craig, Seth Hammaker, and Lawrence rounded out the podium. It will be interesting to see what Hunter can do with a clean track in front of him as the season moves onward.
Overall, the A1 opener showed highs and lows for many riders and left fans wondering what action will happen next.
See below for full results following A1:
450SX Class Results
- Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda
- Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM
- Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS
- Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM
- Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha
- Malcolm Stewart, Murrieta, Calif., Husqvarna
- Joey Savatgy, Clermont, Fla., KTM
- Aaron Plessinger, Leesburg, Fla., KT
- Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki
250SX Class Results
- Christian Craig, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha
- Seth Hammaker, Temecula, Calif., Kawasaki
- Hunter Lawrence, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda
- Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Yamaha
- Vince Friese, Menifee, Calif., Honda
- Michael Mosiman, Minneaola, Fla., GASGAS
- Jo Shimoda, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki
- Robbie Wageman, Newhall, Calif., Yamaha
- Dominique Thury, Scheenberg, GER, Yamaha
- Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., Suzuki