Racing at the famous Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California has provided us with some of the best racing we’ve ever seen in the sport of Supercross. There is just something about racing in the Orange County stadium that brings out the best and sometimes the worst in the world’s best supercross riders. For many years now we have been blessed that the series visits Angel Stadium on three different occasions in the first six weeks of the season. While everyone is really excited to get the new season going at Anaheim 1, it’s sometimes a little melancholy at Anaheim 3 as the Supercross Series leaves the famous venue for yet another year.
We’re not sure why Angel Stadium has always been a place where we‘ve seen such great races. Maybe it’s been the tracks, maybe it’s been the pressure of performing on the sports’ biggest stage, or maybe it’s just the dewy sweet Southern California air that brings out the best in our favourite athletes. Whatever the reason, anyone who has witnessed a race in Anaheim has no doubt seen something that they’ll never forget.
Over the years we’ve seen some history making moments from the Cathedral on Katella. For us diehard fans from the 1980s who can forget in 1984 when one of the most stylish riders ever, Johnny O’Mara, won his first and only Anaheim SX in front of 70,000 screaming O’Show fans. The factory Honda rider would take the momentum from his big win and go on to win the 1984 Supercross Championship.
Just two short years after O’Mara’s popular win came what some described as the best supercross ever, that being the 1986 Anaheim SX. As many old school fans will recall, David Bailey and his new Honda teammate Rick Johnson staged a 20 lap battle that had the entire stadium on their feet. After multiple lead changes (sometimes in one lap), Bailey would be the lucky one who made the final pass stick and would ride on to victory. If you’re one of the few in the modern world who hasn’t seen this race, sit back and enjoy it as here it is.
Fast forward to the next decade to and we’ll call the Jeremy McGrath years. From his first win in 1993 to his final win in 2001, McGrath cemented his legacy and his title as the King of Supercross at Angel Stadium. If it wasn’t for the tenacious Ricky Carmichael putting an end to McGraths’s dominance, who knows how many more Anaheims he would have won. Since then we’ve seen names like Chad Reed, James Stewart, Kevin Windham and one offs like Josh Grant take home victories.
Our point is that as we’re on the eve of the final Anaheim SX of 2014. All we can expect is the unexpected. When Chad Reed took home his historic victory two weeks ago at Anaheim 2, if it wasn’t already, that night certainly solidified Angel Stadium as the place where anything can and will happen. What will happen this weekend? Will Ryan Villopoto grab his third win of the season? Can James Stewart or Ryan Dungey achieve win number one of 2014? Or, will Chad Reed bring the motocross world to its feet once again for one more curtain call on his incredible career?. When the gate drops on Saturday all of these questions and many more will be answered. We can’t wait!!
