A new winner and second-place finisher in Monster Energy Supercross Round 2 tightened the points as the final results showed Jason Anderson on the top step of the podium and last week’s winner Ken Roczen deep in the field.
It was an emotional win for Anderson, who suffered through the last 47 races without finding Victory Lane. His most recent win came in his championship season of 2018 at Atlanta.
Losing his grandmother during the offseason heightened the emotion as Anderson credited her as his biggest supporter from the top of the box.
Anderson was coming off a disappointing Round 1 where he finished 10th after getting sent to the ground with contact from Justin Barcia. Anderson’s win elevated him into a tie for second in the points with Cooper Webb.
Hear from your 450SX Main Event winner, @ElHombre_21 🗣
— Supercross LIVE! (@SupercrossLIVE) January 16, 2022
450SX Main Event LIVE fueled by United Pacific#SupercrossLIVE pic.twitter.com/lIQKSnhQKU
RESULTS: Click here for 450 Results; Click here 250 Results
Likewise, Aaron Plessinger was dissatisfied with his Anaheim 1 results. After finishing fourth in his heat there, he dropped to ninth in the main, but productive practice sessions midweek contributed to his podium.
A runner-up finish in Oakland vaulted Plessinger to fourth in the standings with only two points separating him from second.
For the second straight week, Justin Barcia finished third. With consistent finishes, Barcia assumed the points’ lead by three markers over Anderson and Webb.
Click here for 450 Heat 1 | Heat 2 | Last Chance Qualifier
Eli Tomac earned his first top-five of the season after winning his heat. Tomac got a slow start in the main and had to battle through the field.
Rounding out the top five was Malcolm Stewart, who improved on his Anaheim 1 result by two positions.
P7 at Round 2. A lot of obstacles to overcome throughout this week, so I’m glad to put Oakland behind us. Going to get my starts dialed back in and bring the Stars and Stripes to San Diego 💪🏽🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/6sWVD3OWm1
— Cooper Webb (@cooperwebb_2) January 16, 2022
Last week’s top two finishers, Webb and Ken Roczen, struggled in the main.
Webb got a slow start and after being mired in the field early, he climbed to only seventh.
Roczen, who started Supercross Round 2 with a second-place finish in his heat, crashed hard in the whoops. He remounted and finished only 13th, which caused him to plummet to fifth in the points.
Click here for Round 2 450 Main results | Rider Points | Manufacturer Points
The results were more familiar in the 250 West class with the same three riders on the podium.
Christian Craig started the season with back-to-back wins at Anaheim and Oakland, giving him an eight-point lead on the field. As with last week, he started Round 2 with a heat win that left nothing to the imagination. In Heat 2, he beat Hunter Lawrence by more than eight seconds.
BACK TO BACK 🔥 @_ChristianCraig wins the 250SX Main Event in Oakland 🏆#SupercrossLIVE pic.twitter.com/yfTN94eRrC
— Supercross LIVE! (@SupercrossLIVE) January 16, 2022
Click here for 250 West Heat 1 results | 250 West Heat 2 | Last Chance Qualifier
Lawrence had to settle for second in the main as well, but this time he closed the gap to less than six seconds. Consecutive podium finishes place him second in the championship standings.
Seth Hammaker also swept the podium in the first two rounds with a second at Anaheim and third at Oakland. With Lawrence and Hammaker swapping positions between the two rounds, they are tied for second in the points.
Click here for 250 West Main results | 250 West rider points
Michael Mosiman won his heat race, but for the second straight round he failed to back it up with a podium. He barely missed the box with a fourth-place finish which was a two-position improvement from Anaheim.
Nate Thrasher rounded out the top five and had the best run through the field. After finishing fifth in his heat, he completed Lap 1 of the main in ninth before charging forward.
POINTS, RESULTS AFTER ROUND 1 AT ANAHEIM: Ken Roczen, Cooper Webb renew rivalry with 1-2 finish