Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
Words and Photos by Krysytn Slack
Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship took us from Houston, TX back to Anaheim, CA for another race under the “Big A” – a long journey to make twice in the span of a week. As to be expected, we got to witness another exciting night of racing. In a season where most people (once again) “handed over the crown” prematurely, the racing thus far has been anything but predictable – keeping fans at the edge of their seat through every turn. This week we not only saw some more surprising results, but also a brand new format of racing. Here’s a look at this weeks most talked about and most memorable moments to add to your bench-racing bible.
5. Inaugural Triple Crown Race
New in 2018, Monster Energy Supercross introduced a racing format that is guaranteed to shake up the championship hunt, the Triple Crown. This is the first time in Supercross history that a three-moto format will actually count for championship points. We’ve seen a similar format for Monster Energy Cup since it’s inception, but it has always been just a one-off off-season race, never a format that counts for anything more than the coveted “Monster Million”. The goal in introducing this new format to the Monster Energy Supercross series was to give fans even more of an opportunity to see their favorite riders on the world’s biggest motorsports stage. Overall, it seemed to be a format that most riders really enjoyed, with many of them stating in the post-race press conference that it was the most fun they had racing in a while. The only undesirable result of the Triple Crown, however, is that it’s a nearly impossible format for Privateers to tackle. Because there is so much more time spent racing the “Main Events”, that eliminates Heat Races and even eliminates the “Fast 40” from the Night Show. All qualifying happens before the Night Show even begins, and only the Top 18 in each class qualify directly into the Main Events. Even the LCQ races take place prior to Opening Ceremonies, where only 4 additional qualifying spots are available. Privateers and small teams are really the backbone of our sport, but if the likelihood of them even making the Night Show is slim to none during the remaining Triple Crown rounds, my guess is we won’t even see them on the entry list. While I do think that format does little for the privateers, I do think a change in format keeps things exciting for the fans in the stands and the riders fortunate enough to get behind a gate.
4. Cole Seely Wins First Main Event of the Year and First Win Since Houston SX, 2015
Cole Seely is one of those riders that maybe doesn’t make headlines as often as some of his competitors, but it should be noted that he is one of the most consistent riders in the field. More often than not, we see Cole in at least the Top 10, if not the Top 5. However, the top step of the podium has so often remained just barely out of reach for the Honda HRC rider. However, the inaugural Triple Crown format played to his advantage Saturday night in Anaheim. Cole would win the first of the three Main Events, 2nd in the second, and 7th in the third. His 1-2-7 finish was enough to give him an overall podium position of 2nd on the night. This would be Cole’s first overall podium appearance since a very muddy Unadilla National earlier this year. Not only did Cole finish on the podium, but also he also now sits 2nd in points as we head to Glendale, AZ for Round Four! We’ve seen consistency work wonders for riders in the past (ahem, Ryan Dungey) and it’s already paying off for Cole as well.
3. Joey Savatgy Tied for Points Lead With Shane McElrath
Joey Savatgy is, without a doubt, one of the fastest guys in the 250 class when the stars align and the bad luck rain cloud isn’t following him around. Savatgy has seen plenty of success in the past two seasons, only finishing outside of the Top 10 five times since the start of the 2015 Monster Energy Supercross season. During that time, he managed 12 wins and 29 podium finishes, all while the championship slipped right through his fingers at the last second in too many instances to count. This weekend, Joey took his first Supercross win since Minneapolis SX in February of 2017. His 1-2-1 score in the Triple Crown carried him to victory and earned him the coveted 26 points for an overall win – enough points to put him in the points lead, tied with Shane McElrath as we head in to Round 4.
2. Ken Roczen Makes Bold Statement in Same Gear he Wore the Day of his Crash
Almost one year to the date of Ken Roczen’s fateful and almost career-ending crash, he makes the bold decision to wear a replica set of the same gear he wore during last year’s Anaheim 2. This is a seemingly small gesture with profound meaning. It’s no secret that athletes are probably some of the most superstitious people on the planet with their own set of rituals and idiosyncrasies that “aide” in their mindset of how they are going to perform. Most people in Ken’s position wouldn’t make the decision to wear the same gear they were wearing when they suffered their worst injury of their career, but we all know that Ken Roczen is anything but ordinary. One year later, and the man who was told he’d likely never ride again, and certainly never at the level he used to be at, showed the world that he is not afraid and that he will overcome any adversity in his path. We will never have a choice in our circumstances, but we will always have a choice in our response. Kenny is like a Phoenix rising from the ashes in to something new, something grand, something to be revered. This replica kit had a butt patch that said “Invictus I XXI MMXVII” in reference to the late 19th century poem by William Ernest Henley paired with the date of his injury in Roman numerals. By definition, invictus means, “unconquered, unsubdued, invincible”. This race, this stadium was not going to be a point of weakness to the warrior and by wearing the same gear it solidifies that he will not be defeated – not physically, and certainly not mentally. This subtle gesture may have gone unnoticed by many, but it spoke volumes to those who were listening.
1. Eli Tomac Wins the Overall with 5-1-2 Score
Normally, an Eli Tomac win wouldn’t be considered the most “newsworthy” tidbit of information, considering we all know that if he’s out front, it’s lights out for his competitors. He’s fast, very fast, but he is another rider where championships seem to slip through his fingers right at the last possible second. Coming into the season, most people had a “no contest, Eli wins the championship” opinion of the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider – that is until an Anaheim 1 crash took him from easy win to last place. He injured the shoulder in his crash and missed round 2 in Houston as a result of it. So only two races into the season and the early championship contender had but one point to his name and it’s pretty difficult to remain in the championship fight with only earning one point in two rounds. But Tomac put in the work in the past two weeks and came out swinging at Anaheim 2. He qualified with the third fastest time and finished 5-1-2 in the Main Events. It’s been no easy feat to get back up to race pace for the #3, however. But the two (2) hour PT sessions per day plus Cryotherapy have certainly put him back on his steed much more quickly than the “average Joe”. Tomac currently sits 13th in the points standings, but don’t count him out yet. With fourteen races remaining, anything can happen.
Join us next week as we travel to the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ, home of the Arizona Cardinals as we tackle Round 4 of Monster Energy Supercross!
