Colt Nichols got the new year off to a sensational start Saturday, taking his first career Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX win at the season opener at Angels Stadium of Anaheim.
It was great night for Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing with team-mate Dylan Ferrandis joining the Oklahoma native on the podium in second-place.
Nichols started the night looking poised for a top result with his solid second-place finish in his Heat race. When the gate dropped for the Main Event, he was ready. He got a good start and went on to lead every lap of the race in spite of worsening weather conditions. The result was an impressive win for the 24yr old and a stunning debut for the all-new 2019 Yamaha YZ250F.
It was a much more difficult night for Ferrandis, but the Frenchman never stopped fighting. He showed his resolve in his Heat race, charging back through the field after breaking free of a first corner melee. By comparison, the Main Event was much smoother, Ferrandis battling in the mud to claim second spot on the podium to make it a Yamaha 1-2.
The Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing team heads to Glendale, Arizona, next Saturday, January 12, for Round 2 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship at State Farm Stadium.
Colt Nichols: “It’s really an indescribable feeling to win at A1. The conditions were far from perfect but I was able to stay focused, ride my laps to take the win. That was the longest race of my life, it felt like. My mechanic gave me five to go, four to go, three to go… You’re kind of talking to yourself a little bit to get through it. I just tried to stay consistent. I really didn’t know how big of a lead I had and who was in second at the time, so just tried to keep the focus forward. I knew if I tried to relax a little too much I’d probably make a big mistake and crashed. So I just kind of tried to keep it moving and it ended up working out for me.
“The off-season was great this year. I was really, really pumped on how everything went. This is really what it was for. You can’t describe the feeling I had jumping that finish line in first. That’s why we all do this. For me to cross that off my list was a really, really big deal. That made all the suffering, all the pain of the past two years completely worth it.”
Dylan Ferrandis: “The track was difficult with the rain, but I got a good start and tried not to make many mistakes. I was able to come back for a good result, some good championship points, and leave Anaheim healthy.”
Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing Team Manager, Wil Hahn: “This is an unbelievable start to the year for us. All the hard work from the entire team really showed and everyone over here deserves the credit, along with Yamaha for providing us a great 2019 all-new YZ250F and working so close with us. I think tonight it showed how great it is. I’m truly proud of the riders tonight.”
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