ELLENTON, Fla. (January 12, 2016) – The first of two Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, races at San Diego’s Petco Park will take this Saturday, January 16, with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jason Anderson leading the world’s top riders into the championship’s second chapter. In the opening race of his Western Regional 250SX Class Championship title defense, Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Cooper Webb won last weekend’s season opener in Anaheim and has his sights on his second consecutive win at Petco Park.
Some key insights to watch heading into this Saturday night’s race include:
- Can Anderson build off of the momentum of his first career 450SX Class win and establish a points lead?
- Can Dungey extend his podium streak to 18 in San Diego?
- KTM will be looking to earn its first ever 450SX Class victory in San Diego.
- Chad Reed is closing in on being in the top three all-time in 450SX Class starts. A San Diego start will put him one start away from tying Larry Ward for third..
- Can Cooper Webb tie Keith Turpin, Denny Stephenson, Jake Weimer and Dean Wilson for 18th on the all-time 250SX Class win list?
- Going back to last season, Webb has won five straight 250SX Western Regional Class races. Can he make it six?
- Jessy Nelson is looking for career win number two in San Diego and his 20th career 250SX Class top-10 finish.
- Zach Osborne is looking to make his 40th career 250SX Class starts in San Diego.
After a seventh-place start in the Anaheim Main Event, Anderson charged through the 450SX Class pack en route to his first premier class win. Anderson became the 11th rider to win the first 450SX Class race at the season opener.
“Honestly, I just felt great out there tonight,” said Anderson on the win. “I was coming through the pack and just made it happen. You work hard to do this as a kid, and it feels great.”
The 450SX Class race was initially halted by a red flag when Team Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing James Stewart and Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey collided on the second lap. Stewart was unable to line up for the restart.
Anderson began to cut through the field, taking over seventh-place on Lap 7 and moving into second place on Lap 8. Team Honda HRC’s Cole Seely led the first 12 laps of the race before being passed by Anderson on Lap 13.
On Lap 3, Team Honda HRC’s Trey Canard and defending 450SX Class Champion Ryan Dungey collided and Dungey went down, remounting in seventh place. Canard advanced to third place on Lap 5 and second place on Lap 6 before eventually crashing and losing several positions. Dungey pressed on and made a last-lap pass on Seely to finish second place. Dungey now has 17-consecutive podium finishes.
“I got off to a good start on the restart but crashed,” said Dungey. “I am glad to have rebounded and to have a solid finish.”
Seely finished third and now has seven career podium finishes and nine consecutive top-five finishes.
In the Western Regional 250SX Class, Webb remained resilient in his pursuit of back-to-back championships, moving into third place on Lap 1. He patiently waited until Lap 10 to pass early leader and Troy Lee Designs/GoPro/Red Bull/KTM rider Jessy Nelson for the lead and the eventual win. It was Webb’s seventh-career victory.
“It’s awesome to start the season like this,” said Webb. “I don’t like to lose so this really makes tonight great. I was patient and pulled it off. I’m look forward to next weekend in San Diego.”
Despite leading most of the race, Nelson settled for second, just missing out on a second consecutive Anaheim Opener win. Nelson has been ultra-consistent, finishing inside the top 10 in 19 of his 22 starts. A win in San Diego would be the second of his career.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne finished third, which marks the seventh podium finish of his career. This weekend will mark his 40th 250SX Class start.
During last year’s 450SX Class Main Event in San Diego, Canard earned his fifth career 450SX Class victory in San Diego. He tied Mike Kiedrowski, Kent Howerton, and Davi Millsaps on the all-time 450SX Class win list. In the Western Regional 250SX Class, Webb earned his fourth career 250SX Class victory. It was his eighth career podium and 14th top-10 finish in 15 250SX Class starts.
The entire 2016 Monster Energy Supercross Championship will air live on FOX Sports, including two races on the FOX broadcast channel. In addition, the authenticated FOX Sports Go app will live stream each race.
As a precursor to the live television, don’t forget to catch all of the pre-race coverage with Supercross Race Day Live presented by AMSOIL, which will stream on SupercrossLive.com from 12:50 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. local race time each Saturday during the season. Practice, qualifying, behind the scenes features, and key rider interviews will all be highlighted on the Supercross Race Day Live presented by AMSOIL webcast.
For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossLive.com, the official website of Monster Energy Supercross.
