After months of build-up to the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship opener in Anaheim, California, not even a rare California rain storm could force the thousands of racing fans in attendance to miss the action of opening night.
Those fans were rewarded with a historic night on January 5 inside Angel Stadium, as Yamaha swept both classes for the first time since 2008.
When the gate dropped to start the Main Event, Barcia rounded the first turn just inside the top-five while DW15/Rockstar/AGL/Ignite Husqvarna’s Dean Wilson held the lead over Smartop/Motoconcepts/Bullfrog Spas Honda’s Malcolm Stewart and defending Supercross champion Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna). Barcia made an aggressive pass on Anderson to take over third a couple of laps into the race, then waited patiently behind Wilson and Stewart until Stewart went down just past the halfway point. Seizing his opportunity, Barcia immediately applied pressure to Wilson before making the pass and setting sail for his first 450SX-Class Main-Event victory since the Seattle Supercross in 2013, and the first win for Yamaha in the class since 2012; 93 races ago.
“I’m really proud of myself for being so calm and collected,” Barcia said. “In the beginning of the race, I really wanted to get in the lead fast, but I’ve kind of grown up a little bit. I was a smarter rider that race and that’s what got me that win. All in all, rode just a smart, smooth race. My whole Monster Energy Factory Yamaha Team did a great job today. The prep up to this, even last year being a fill-in guy, to winning A1, it’s incredible. I’m really stoked and just proud of my whole team, my family, my friends, my wife and everyone that’s been behind me and supported me.”
Wilson struggled with his goggles in the closing laps and had to toss them aside in the mud and ended up fourth. Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen passed Wilson for second with a few laps left, and then Wilson succumbed to the pressure of Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac on the final lap. Roczen was second and Tomac was third.
“All in all, this is like a win to me,” Roczen said. “I mean, my first race back after my injury and got a second here. I had to make a couple passes happen, but yeah, this is good to get out of here on the podium. We’re in a solid spot, because for these kind of conditions a lot can go wrong.”
Tomac led the Anaheim Opener in 2018 before crashing out of the lead and ending the night with a DNF. Third in the mud is a vast improvement.
“First round, there’s always the nerves and just the hype from the race, so it was like a double whammy there [combined with the mud],” Tomac said. “I didn’t get the greatest of starts there, but just kind of relaxed, kept my vision clear and was able to make the moves.”
Last year’s Anaheim winner, Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin, ended up eighth on the night.
In the Western Regional 250SX Class, reigning champ Aaron Plessinger graduated up to the premier division for 2019, so there was a definite sense of urgency as the field jockeyed to see who would succeed him atop the division. At least at the opener, the successor was Plessinger’s former team-mate, Monster Energy/Yamalube/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Colt Nichols. Nichols led every lap of the 250SX-Class Main Event on his way to his first-career victory.
“This is a really, really big moment for me,” Nichols said. “I finally came into this season healthy. The last two years I’ve had big off-season injuries and it’s kind of been killing me… Looks like it’s going to be a dogfight between all of us and I can’t wait.”
Nichols’ team-mate Dylan Ferrandis came through for second place after passing TLD/Red Bull KTM’s Shane McElrath in the final few laps to take over the runner-up spot.
“I had a rough day,” Frenchman Ferrandis said. “I crashed in practice, I had some issues with the bike in the heat race, and also a crash at the start, so to finish second tonight is really good.”
McElrath, who won this event the past two seasons, ended up third on the night.
“I mean, this is A1,” McElrath said. “All the pressure is here. I was really nervous and everybody, they’re like, ‘Man, you’ve got to make it 3 in a row.’ And it’s like, you bet I want to do that, but to finish up here on the podium… We’ll take a third.”
Barcia and Nichols will both be sporting red numberplate backgrounds on their Yamaha motorcycles for leading their respective championships as the series heads to round two at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, this coming Saturday night, January 12.
450SX Class Results
- Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Yamaha
- Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki
- Dean Wilson, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
- Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM
- Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha
- Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda
- Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM
- Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Suzuki
- Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda
450SX Class Championship Standings
- Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Yamaha (26)
- Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda (23)
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (21)
- Dean Wilson, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna (19)
- Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (18)
- Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha (17)
- Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda (16)
- Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM (15)
- Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Suzuki (14)
- Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda (13)
Western Regional 250SX Class Results
- Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha
- Dylan Ferrandis, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
- Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM
- RJ Hampshire, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda
- Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki
- Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki
- Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Suzuki
- Jacob Hayes, Greensboro, N.C., Yamaha
- Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Husqvarna
- Jess Pettis, Prince George, Canada, KTM
Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
- Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha (26)
- Dylan Ferrandis, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha (23)
- Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., KTM (21)
- RJ Hampshire, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda (19)
- Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki (18)
- Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki (17)
- Jimmy Decotis, Peabody, Mass., Suzuki (16)
- Jacob Hayes, Greensboro, N.C., Yamaha (15)
- Chris Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Husqvarna (14)
- Jess Pettis, Prince George, Canada, KTM (13)
[more-from heading=”More Supercross” category=”ama-supercross”]
