SX After-Party 1

Anaheim 2 provided plenty of ups and downs, and some good action and quotes.

450
1st - Eli Tomac

"Today was the day we worked for all offseason. Things were just clicking all day, we qualified second coming into the night, and in the first heat race we were able to get out front early and just kind of set the tone for the rest of the night. In the main, I didn’t get the best jump of the gate, but I was able to find some good passing lanes and remained aggressive in the opening laps. The two sets of whoops and dragon back were so mentally and physically demanding, I believe that is where I was able to separate myself from the rest of the pack. All in all, I can’t thank my team enough, the whole Monster Energy Kawasaki crew for all the hard work this past week, it definitely paid off tonight. I am looking forward to Glendale next weekend and to race a Triple Crown. My first 450SX win came in Phoenix and the high-intensity Triple Crown format really suits my racing style.” 

Eli Tomac.

2nd - Ken Roczen

“My night was pretty good. I had a good battle with Adam (Cianciarulo) in the heat race, which was fun and good to come away with the win. That put me in a good position for the main event and to be able to pick a decent gate. Tonight though, pretty much every gate on the start was super rough and there were a lot of holes, so it was hard to decide which one to pick. But I hooked up really good and got my first holeshot of the year, so that was nice. We’ve been putting in a lot of work on my starts, so it’s been paying off. For me to be able to win tonight, I had to be a lot better in the whoops. I was just struggling there the entire race, so that didn’t help me out; I feel like I lost all my time there. I was trying to skim them, then went to jumping them, which was horrible too; I lost a lot of ground so went back to skimming and just was all over the place and that was where Eli (Tomac) made up a lot of time and closed in on me. We definitely have some work to do but don't want to get too crazy. We just need to keep doing what we’re doing. We’re in a good spot right now and we just have to keep it up. First last weekend and second this weekend, plus the red plate is really great. I’m really happy.”

Ken Roczen nabbing the holeshot in the 450 main.

3rd - Cooper Webb

“It feels good to be up here on the podium, it’s been a tough start to the season. I went to the doctor on Monday after A1 and found out I had the flu and strep (throat) so it was a tough week leading up to St. Louis. It was a good learning experience for me and this week was much better, I was able to ride and train a little bit more. I’m pumped to be up here and we were pretty dang close [to the winner] so I can’t complain.”

Cooper Webb.

4th - Zach Osborne

“It was a pretty good night,” Osborne said. “I struggled all day to get in a good flow but I turned it around for the Main Event. I moved up in the points a little bit so we’ll just keep building and keep hammering and I think podiums and wins are coming, it just takes some time to find your race speed.”

Zach Osborne.

5th - Jason Anderson

“My weekend went alright but I kind of was under the weather all day,” Anderson said. “I tried to make some stuff happen in the Main Event – I got up in third but ended up going back to sixth and then back to fifth, so not too bad going into next weekend.”

6th - Adam Cianciarulo

“Today was a bit of a rollercoaster ride for me. I was able to qualify on top again which always helps going into the night show. In my heat race, I was able to get out front but my buddy Ken (Roczen) got by and I settled into second. In the 450SX Main Event, despite my start, I felt like I was riding well and making good progress. I began to go forward and was able to make my way up to fourth, but unfortunately, I made some minor mistakes that cost me a better result. Sixth place isn’t where I want to be, but it is a long season and we are going to keep grinding. I am looking forward to the Triple Crown format next weekend in Glendale and the three gate drops we get to race.”

Adam Cianciarulo and Ken Roczen.

7th - Justin Brayton

I’m pretty happy with how the race went tonight. A little bummed after the heat race after getting the holeshot but crashing in the first turn, which set me up for a bad gate pick for the main. That’s pretty crucial now with how bad the ruts get outside the gate, but I was able to start around 11th or 12th and pass my way up to seventh. At the middle of the race, I was actually one of the fastest guys on the track. With a better track position, I definitely think I could end up on the podium. Overall a really good night, and although the first three rounds have gone well, I’m looking forward to improving and getting into the top five.”

Justin Brayton.

9th - Justin Barcia

“Anaheim 2 was a difficult one, to say the least. I really struggled in the whoops all day, also in the race. I definitely rode really smart, I didn’t want to lose too many points so I managed the race as good as I could. Ninth was the best we had tonight. I tried really hard, rode as hard as I could but it just was a little bit of a struggle. We have some work to do for tracks with whoops like that. I’m just happy to get out of Anaheim healthy. That’s the biggest thing. In the past I haven’t been able to get through the first three rounds healthy, so we’re in a good position. We’re only three points down. I’m feeling good about that. I’m really excited for Glendale next weekend, I really like that track and stadium, so I’m just going to keep moving forward and get ready for the next race.”


10th - Dean Wilson

“I would say today was an improvement,” Wilson said. “I just have to keep trying to get better every race. I definitely felt my fitness struggling at the end of the Main Event but overall I was actually pretty happy with my starts and how it went.”

Dean Wilson.

14th - Blake Baggett

“It was a tough one tonight. I had a great start in the main and I was feeling it tonight. My speed was there and had the track dialed. It was unfortunate I went down while battling for the lead, as I feel we had a chance at the win. We leave here healthy and look forward to next week at Glendale and the triple crown.” 

Blake Baggett.

15th - Aaron Plessinger

Yeah, tonight was tough. I got off to a really good start in the Main and kind of froze up. It was a gnarly track. The whoops were really gnarly, a lot of moisture in the track. I’m going to put my head down and keep on focusing on getting better – take the positives and work on the negatives. We’ll be back next week in Phoenix, so I just need to get another start like that and keep it up front.

Aaron Plessinger and Malcolm Stewart.

16th - Justin Bogle

“Tonight was a struggle. I didn’t have the flow all night and it’s frustrating because I know I should be running at the front. We will make some changes, keep making progress and come out swinging at Glendale next weekend.” 

Justin Bogle.

20th - Ryan Breece

“A2 was a step in the right direction for me,” said Ryan Breece. “Getting in the main event was a priority to me. I was able to get good starts on my Suzuki RM-Z450. I am excited for Arizona and look forward to carrying this momentum into the next round.”

Ryan Breece (71).

DNQ - Kyle Cunningham

“Bit of a bummer this weekend,” said Kyle Cunningham. “Qualifying wasn’t bad for me but I felt that I struggled on the track most of the day despite that I still put myself in qualifying position during the LCQ. I made a mistake that ended up costing me the main event. With that being said, I learned a lot of things this weekend. I’m looking forward to making a few changes this week to come out and get it done in Glendale.”

DNQ - Adam Enticknap

“Super stoked to be back racing,” said Adam Enticknap. “The injury to my arm before A1 was a bummer, but I got my arm feeling better. Getting used to my bike in a race setting was a real confidence booster as I get healthier moving forward. My Suzuki RM-Z450 was great. I had my best starts in two years. I’m looking forward to Arizona.”

DNQ - Jimmy DeCotis

"Anaheim 2 was a tough weekend,” said Decotis. “I made some great progress with the bike but didn’t get the starts I needed to run up front. I’m looking forward to the East coast and to get back up front where we belong. Thanks to the crew for keeping my spirits high this weekend!" 

250
1st - Dylan Ferrandis

“I’m really happy to get this first win, especially after some struggling in the first two races. We had some issues with the start and we figured it out this week with the team and made some good improvements there. I got caught up with some riders at the start (of the Main) but was able to move forward. The race was going good and then the moment with Christian (Craig)… Obviously it was not my intention for us both to crash, but it was just a racing incident."

"We had one of the most technical tracks that we’ve ever had. I did like the track. I felt really good all day, but there were a lot of things going on in the Main. A lot of riders crashed. I’m glad to get this win and we will keep working during the week to prepare for next weekend.”

Dylan Ferrandis.

2nd - Justin Cooper

It was just a tough day all day, but we were able to come through when the time was right and land on the podium again. We got some good points. The track was definitely tough tonight; it was pretty tricky. It was hard to find a flow out there, but I did the best I could. Knocked off some consistent laps, rode smart and ended up with a good result.

Justin Cooper.

3rd - Brandon Hartranft

“It feels just as good [to get on the podium] as last weekend, I am so happy. I’m starting to believe in myself a lot more. I definitely want to win – that’s the main goal – but I’m just going to take it step by step and make the weeks count.”

Brandon Hartranft.

4th - Michael Mosiman

“It was hectic and chaotic in the Main Event, it was like survival mode out there for most of us,” Mosiman said. “My starts were pretty good tonight but I don’t feel like I rode deserving of fourth. But I’ll take it and go onto the next round.”

Michael Mosiman (28).

5th - Alex Martin

"I struggled throughout the day to get comfortable with the track,” said Martin. “I had a painful crash in the heat race, forcing me to go to the LCQ. The main event turned out to be the best I felt and rode all day. I was very close to another podium this weekend if it wasn’t for a late race mistake. I’ll take the top-five result and move forward healthy."

Alex Martin.

9th - Jett Lawrence

“No words really!” said Lawrence in a social media post to his fans. “I’ll never settle for second and will always leave everything out on the track. Lucky to only have a broken collarbone. We will get it all sorted tomorrow and get back to the races.”

Jett Lawrence.

17th - Austin Forkner

“Well, there isn’t much for me to say at this point. Tonight, was a night I just want to forget and move on from. I felt good all day and got a great heat race win aboard my KX250, but that costly mistake in the whoops in the main event ruined my evening. My team and I are going to regroup and probably spend a good amount of time hammering out whoops this next week. I had a lot of fun racing the Triple Crown races last year, so I am just ready to get to Glendale and redeem myself.”

Austin Forkner.

22nd - Christian Craig

“I actually had the flu the entire week leading up to Anaheim 2,” said Craig. “Not sure what St. Louis did to me [last weekend’s race] but I could not keep anything down all week and lost 10 pounds so I was just pumped to feel kinda normal on Saturday. I felt off all day honestly, the track was so tight and didn’t flow well for me. I heard a lot of other guys felt the same so that made me feel better! I qualified fifth and went on to win my heat race which was cool and I’m pumped on that. In the main, I got the holeshot and led some laps before my teammate passed me. I stayed with him for a while and knew Ferrandis was catching us. I knew he was right behind me for a couple laps and knew he was going to go for it eventually but did not expect that outcome. At the end of the day this is racing. Yeah it sucks but there’s no point it dwelling on it when I can’t change the outcome. I’m happy to be healthy and going to Glendale next weekend!”

Christian Craig.

Team Personnel
Erik Kehoe (Team Honda HRC Manager)

“There are a lot of positives to take away from tonight. Ken’s starts were solid and he was able to grab another heat-race win. He’s been putting a lot of work and emphasis on his starts during the week so I think it’s showing. He rode strong in the main, getting some more laps up front and then finishing second. To come away with red plate is great. It was also a solid night for Justin. He got a good start in his heat race but unfortunately went down in the first turn. He was still able to get up and get into a transfer spot. In the main, he also put together good laps to finish seventh. We’ve still got some work to do for both guys but I think we’re in a good spot overall.”

Jordan Troxell (Ken Roczen Mechanic)

“I’m really happy coming away with a second place tonight. Ken got a great start but was struggling a bit so fell back to second. It was really good to hold on to second because Cooper [Webb] was pushing hard there at the end, but Ken dug deep and finished strong. We ended up with the red plate too, so overall it’s good. Bike-wise, Ken was on the same setup from St. Louis. We did make some small adjustments throughout the day but nothing too drastic. He struggled in the whoops again but both these Anaheim tracks have been really tough. We’ll work on it and try to get him more comfortable there. It’s early but I think we’re in a good spot for the duration of the series. Ken had a ride tonight that he might not be super-pumped about, but in my mind it was a championship ride. He was struggling but still hunkered down and got it done. I think 10 weeks down the road, he’ll look back and be proud of this ride. If we can continue to be consistent and put in some good results, we’ll hopefully put a cushion on the lead.”

Jim Perry (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager)

A2 was a tough day, but something to learn from and move forward. We came into the weekend with a positive outlook and the goal of a podium finish while challenging for the win, but it was a very challenging track. The team worked hard making adjustments throughout the day, making improvements, but the set up was off for that technical back-to-back whoops section.

Aaron made great progress and started the Main Event up front, but rode tight and slid back out of contention. Justin, on the other hand, started mid-pack but worked his way to sixth. He too fell back but managed to cross the ninth. Obviously, we’re disappointed to lose the red plate and points lead, but we will regroup and head to Glendale next week focused on the task at hand of regaining the points lead.” 

Brent Duffe (Justin Brayton Mechanic)

“Today was pretty good to us; we had a really good energy around the whole team after Ken’s success last week. Justin made a pretty big change to his shock this last week and I think it showed, as he was comfortable in practice, felt better in the whoops and just overall happier. He almost pulled the holeshot in his heat race but to crash and still be able to come back and qualify, that was great—not the way we’d like to do it but after last week it was nice to have that time to relax and get ready for the main event. In the main, Justin was able to work his way from outside the top 10 to seventh, so it was nice to see him work his way forward throughout the race, versus the past couple weekends where he’s started more toward the front and fallen back to eighth. It was also nice to see the speed he was able to put together during the middle of the race  when he was the fastest guy on the track at one point. It shows that all the steps we’re taking are in the right direction. We just need all the pieces of the puzzle to come together. Next weekend should be really good for us. Justin likes Phoenix and the triple crown format so it should be good.”

Jeremy Albrecht (JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing Team Manager)

"It was a challenging track and we're happy that Alex was okay after his two crashes,” said Jeremy Albrecht, Team Manager. Alex is getting better each weekend and I’m excited to head to Phoenix for the Triple Crown."

"Jimmy needed better starts with the deep field in the 450 class. He will now focus on the 250 to be his best when the series goes East,” added Albrecht, confirming Decotis will not compete in the 450 class in Phoenix.

1 comments

View replies to: SX After-Party

Comments

The Latest