
If you could pick one race to do in your lifetime, which event would you choose? Would it be the Red Bud National, an MXGP race, the Walton TransCan, or the Anaheim SX? I would most likely go with the opening round of SX at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. When I was a kid my dad took me to the Anaheim SX on three different occasions (1984, 1986, 1987) and each time I sat in the stands thinking about how cool it would be to one day be out there on the track. Unfortunately, that dream never came true, although I did line up the opening round of SX in 1995, but, that race took place in Orlando. Thankfully, as we witnessed this past weekend in Anaheim, that dream came true for a couple of our young Canadian riders as Blake Davies, Preston Masciangleo, and Noah Viney all lined up inside Angel Stadium for their first-ever taste of Monster Energy Energy Supercross. Also on the 250SX West starting gate was Cole Thompson, who is currently our top SX rider, and Guillaume St-Cyr, who at this point has to be considered a Veteran SX rider, as he’s been competing in this series for several seasons. Yes, it was amazing to see multiple Canadian riders on the starting line in Anaheim, and now let’s look at how each one fared in the opening round.

Cole Thompson- 10th in the main event
Cole was coming off a solid off-season which saw him finish on the podium in both the Australian SX Championships, as well as the WSX Championships. So, it was no surprise to see him finish 4th in his 250SX West heat race, and then back it up with a solid 10th OA in the main event. Cole’s lap times were strong for the entire main event, and with a slightly better start, he could’ve finished even better. Even old dogs like Cole (he’s in his early 30s now) need a boost of confidence, and hopefully, this finish gave him some heading into Round 2 in San Diego.

Noah Viney- 18th in the main event
During the off-season, Noah Viney competed in the WSX Championships aboard an MCR Honda and rode pretty solid. Noah has a solid resume of SX riding, having honed his indoor skills on his home track for several years. This is why it came as no surprise to see him qualify for the 250SX West main event in Anaheim, and finish 18th. This kid has a lot of potential, and it will be interesting to see how he does this weekend when the series moves south to San Diego.

Preston Masciangelo- 19th in the LCQ
After spending two months training down at Club MX in South Carolina, Preston came into Anaheim well-prepared. Over the years, Preston has shown great speed in SX, so it was great to see him lining up at the opening round. Through qualifying and his heat race, Preston was fast on Saturday night, missing the direct transfer to the main event by just a few spots. However, with the slightly unfair split start at A1, Preston wasn’t able to duplicate his heat race start when the gate dropped for the LCQ, and that was pretty much it for the #800. Preston would end up 19th in the LCQ, signalling an end to his evening. However, he did gain a lot of experience and confidence, so hopefully, San Diego goes even better.

Blake Davies- 43rd in qualifying
When I spoke to Blake early last week he was calm and looking forward to going out and having fun at this first SX race. However, as the weekend approached Blake’s calmness turned to nervousness, and when he arrived at Angel Stadium for the first time on Friday, he realized just how big a moment he was about to be a part of. However, throughout Saturday Blake improved each time he was on the track, and by the final 250SX West qualifying session, he was feeling great and was confident he’d make the top 40 and go onto the night show. Unfortunately, it was not to be as several riders turned in some late fast laps and knocked Blake out of the top 40. But it wasn’t all bad news for Blake as he learned a lot, and will no doubt be more comfortable this weekend. When you’re Blake’s age, and you’re trying for the first time to perform on our sport’s biggest stage, riding up to your full potential can be a process that takes a little time. I’m sure Blake’s brain was like a sponge on Saturday, taking in more information in one day than he’s ever had to before. After a solid week of practice, and also the experience of having Anaheim 1 under his belt, look for Blake to make the night show this weekend and go from there.

Guillaume St-Cyr- Crashed in practice
As I mentioned in my opening paragraph, St-Cyr has been racing in the Monster Energy Supercross Series for several years now, so we have to consider the likable Quebec rider as an SX veteran. Unfortunately, after having a solid off-season training in California, he crashed in the opening Anaheim practice and was out for the rest of the day. Hopefully, he can heal up this week and make it back to the 250SX West asap.