Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
The season opener, game one, the first race of the year, or as Supercross fans call it…Anaheim 1. You could be anywhere on the planet talking to a fellow rider and if you mentioned A1 they would know exactly what you’re talking about. This monumental event has been the biggest race in our sport for many years, and like the Superbowl, or the Daytona 500, Anaheim 1 has given us some incredible memories over the years.
I’ve been very fortunate to have witnessed a few Anaheim season openers going as far back as 1984 when Johnny O’Mara took the win. In those days it wasn’t uncommon for the winner of Anaheim to go on to win the series. For riders like O’Mara, they wanted to come out and set the tone early and let everyone else adjust to their early season speed. Today, riders are much more aware of the Supercorss Series being a long marathon, and in recent years the championship contenders seem content to just make it through the opening round in one piece. But as I was saying, I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot over the years at Angel Stadium and I cannot wait to see what happens tomorrow evening.
Prior to Angel Stadium going through its big renovation in 1994 (after the Northridge Earthquake caused significant damage to parts of the structure) it used to seat almost 70,000 people. In 1984, 1986 and again in 1987, I was sitting in the stands as a starry eyed kid taking in every second of those great races. To sit there and watch that great 1986 battle between Rick Johnson and David Bailey live is something I’ll never forget. Of course, neither will the other 69,999 fans that were jammed into the stadium that night. Another long lasting memory I have from the series opener in Anaheim is from 2002 when Ricky Carmichael debuted on his new Factory Honda. As it almost always is in January, the night was clear and cool in Anaheim and the abundance of moisture in the air caused the dry track to get very slick. While trying to make his way to the front of the pack in the main event, Ricky Carmichael spun on the take-off of a step-up and went over the bars in a big way. How he escaped serious injury no one will ever know, but it was definitely not the way he or Honda wanted to kick off their 2002 season. On a side note, that night in Anaheim also saw JSR take home the best Canadian finish ever at Angel Stadium (in the 450 class) with an amazing 10th in the main event. Previously Ross Pederson’s 11th place finish in 1987 held that Canadian record.
Coming into 2020 with a clear mind Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna rider Jason Anderson is looking to start the season off with a win tomorrow night.
With so many memorable races from A1 it will be interesting to see which rider either steps up tomorrow night or simply has the best luck and is able to take the win. As with every season, heading into A1 there are a bunch of riders capable of winning the opening round. We have the favourites like Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen and defending SX Champion Cooper Webb, we have the ‘possibles’ like Jason Anderson, Justin Barcia and Zach Osborne, and then we have the ‘long shots’ like Dean Wilson, Malcolm Stewart, Justin Brayton and Chad Reed. Of course, there are a few other riders that could quite possibly holeshot the main event and take the win, such as rookie 450 rider Adam Cianciarulo. Many people, including myself, feel that Cianciarulo is not only a threat to win tomorrow night in Anaheim but he’s also a threat to win the 2020 450SX Championship. Traditionally, rookie 450 riders struggle in SX as not only is the competition tough but so is the added travel and the challenge of staying healthy for 17 rounds. However, Cianciarulo could be an exception to the rule as the bigger 450 machine appears to suit him just fine. A win tomorrow evening could go a long way in cementing this kid’s confidence to be a title contender. Whatever happens tomorrow night, let’s hope Cianciarulo can remain healthy because he’s going to be fun to watch all season long. I’m actually picking Adam Cianciarulo to win Anaheim 1 tomorrow night as I think he comes into the 2020 season opener very confident, and he has the ability to holeshot the main event and run away. I don’t think he’ll win the 450SX title this year, but he’ll definitely win some races with the first one being tomorrow night under the most famous lights in our sport.
Chad Reed is getting ready to begin his final season of Monster Energy Supercross. Photo by JSR Media
Finally, if you’re any type of SX historian, how can you not be cheering for Chad Reed tomorrow night and throughout the 2020 season? At 37-years-old, Reed is obviously no stranger to Angel Stadium. Not only has he been racing main events there since 2002, but before that he spent his youth dreaming about lining up in Anaheim. Now here we are so many years later and Reed is getting ready for his final A1 and his final season of SX. Even though his chances of winning tomorrow night are very slim, over the years he’s shown the ability to rise to all occasions and perform at the highest level. Whether he does it this weekend or at A2 in a few weeks time, I believe Reed will lead some main event laps at Angel Stadium in stunning fashion. Angel Stadium is the only stadium that Reed will visit twice on his 2020 farewell tour so he will want to leave an everlasting mark on his most cherished venue. So, grab your tickets and your Kleenex box and head out to your nearest SX; Reed’s smooth riding style is worth seeing at least one more time.
The Anaheim 1 track looks a little more technical than it normally does for the opening round of Monster Energy Supercross.
So, sit back and enjoy yet another Anaheim 1. It all gets underway tomorrow night under clear skies and mild temperatures. The track looks great and the hype surrounding the opening round is off of the charts as usual. As I said above, my pick for the 450 class is Adam Cianciarulo. I think the stars are aligning perfectly for him to take his first ever 450 victory. I guess we’ll all find out in just over 24 hours when the gate drops on the 2020 season!
