This past weekend, the SuperMotocross World Championship kicked off the Supercross leg of the championship in Anaheim, Calif., at Angel Stadium.
This Supercross season has been highly anticipated because there will be five champions lining up in the 450 Premier Class at once, and this has never happened in the history of the sport. These champions are Jett Lawerence (2024), Chase Sexton (2023), Eli Tomac (2020 and 2022), Cooper Webb (2019 and 2021), and Jason Anderson (2018).
Tomac is one of the favorites for the Supercross title, along with the entire SuperMotocross World Championship title. However, Lawrence is arguably the fastest person on the track each weekend, and he wants to defend his Supercross title and his SuperMotocross World Championship title.
In addition to those previous champions, Ken Roczen is one of the fastest riders still racing today, but he has never won his 450 Supercross title. Fans know that this could finally be his year to get the elusive 450 Supercross title.
At Anaheim 1, the 450 class had some of the best racing of the night. In Heat 1 for the 450 class, Roczen won in a dominant fashion, with Anderson finishing in second and Justin Cooper in third.
Heat 2 was just as exciting with Jorge Prado racing in this race. Prado is a multi-time MXGP Champion in Europe, and this is his first time racing full-time in America. Sexton won this heat race and then proceeded to win the Main Event for the 450 class.
In the Main Event, title favorite Lawernce had a first-turn wreck, so he ended up losing time with his bike being stuck in the tuff blocks. Lawernce finished in an uncharacteristic 12th place.
Tomac had a great start but ended up having a tip over, dropping him briefly to last place, but he charged on to finish in fifth place. The Main Event podium ended up with Sexton in first, Roczen in second, and Anderson in third.
In the smaller-engine 250 West class, primarily for younger racers, the race for the title will be just as competitive.
Haiden Deegan is one of the most recognizable names in the sport because of his large social media following and unfiltered personality. The 19-year-old is one of the fastest racers in the 250 class for the SuperMotocross World Championship.
Julian “Juju” Beaumer, Jo Shimoda, and Jordan Smith are the other title favorites in the 250 West Class.
In Heat 1 for the 250 class at Anaheim, Deegan dominated the heat and cruised into a first-place finish. Rookie Cole Davies finished second, and Hunter Yoder, a privateer, or independent, finished third. Heat 2 was just as exciting with Beaumer winning, marking his first career heat win. Smith finished second and Ryder DiFrancesco finished third.
In the main event for the 250 class, Deegan had a lackluster start and ended up wrecking in the first corner with another rider, dropping him briefly to last place. For the next 15 minutes he charged to work his way back to a fifth-place finish.
Shimoda had a good start and was able to lead every lap and ride home to a first-place finish. Beaumer and Smith battled back and forth throughout the main event, and Beaumer came out on top, finishing in second place while Smith took third.
This Saturday, Supercross goes to Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego for round two in the championship series. It’s safe to say that it will be another good weekend of racing and entertainment.
