Motocross
AMA Supercross Round 4 report: Webb breaks through at Anaheim 2
Four different winners through four rounds, but Aaron Plessinger maintains the points lead in 450SX.
Through three rounds of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, the paddock has seemingly seen a year's worth of complications. Following a brilliant opener in Anaheim, muddy conditions at rounds 2 and 3 in San Francisco and San Diego, tested the limits of teams and riders alike. A return visit to Angel Stadium to end the California swing of the championship not only marked a return to dry conditions, but the first Triple Crown event of the year.
Chase Sexton at AMA Supercross Series Round 04 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim
© Garth Milan / Red Bull Content Pool
With parity at the top of the 450 Class—three different race winners through three rounds—the Triple Crown format, which includes three races for both classes where the lowest total score at the end of the night adds up to the overall win, was bound to offer more intrigue at round 4 of the championship.
In the opening 450 race, defending champion Red Bull KTM’s Chase Sexton rocketed out to a holeshot and an early lead. Sexton inched away from the trail pack of Cooper Webb, Ken Roczen and Jason Anderson to claim the first win of the night. Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence was down in the first turn and charged back to seventh.
Jett Lawrence at AMA Supercross Series Round 04 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim
© Garth Milan / Red Bull Content Pool
Following a second in the opening race, it was Webb out front early in race two while Sexton was left buried in the pack. Webb led the opening two laps before giving way to Anderson who cruised to the win over Webb and Lawrence. Heading into the final race, Webb held a slim one point lead over Anderson.
Eli Tomac and Sexton jumped out to a 1-2 start in the third race but the real story was Anderson, who crashed on the opening lap and was dead last. With Tomac out front and Anderson down, Webb was in prime position for the overall as he sat fifth early.
Anderson made a valiant charge through the pack, but it wasn’t enough to catch the lead group. Tomac would take the win over Sexton and points leader Aaron Plessinger, while Webb’s 2-2-5 finishes were enough for the overall victory.
Aaron Plessinger at AMA Supercross Series Round 04 at Angel Stadium in
© Garth Milan / Red Bull Content Pool
Behind his third place finish, Red Bull KTM’s Plessinger maintains his points lead by four over Sexton and six over Webb.
“This race was really important for me, just to stay consistent and not let things get to my head,” said Plessinger. “I feel like I did a good job of that."
“If you do really well the first two [races], the third one sometimes is easy,” said Webb. “I had a lot of wiggle room [in Race 3] and could just, honestly, have a solo ride in fifth place. But it is a little bit weird, for sure, to not go over the checkered flag first.”
Despite his troubles in the final main event, Anderson was set to finish second on the night. But after the race, the AMA deemed he gained an advantage while off track in the third race and he was docked one position. With his penalty, that meant Anderson tied Tomac and Plessinger in the overall standings. The tiebreaker is the better final race, which meant Anderson fell from second to fourth.
Jett Lawrence was also in a position to take a podium spot, but he crashed on the final lap of the final race which moved him from second overall to sixth overall.
Chase Sexton at AMA Supercross Series Round 04 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim
© Garth Milan / Red Bull Content Pool
Anaheim 2 marked the final AMA Supercross event of 2024 for defending MXGP World Champion Jorge Prado, who will return to Europe this week to begin preparations for his title defense. The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GasGas rider finished 12th overall in his final race.
“Just finished my racing here in the U.S. and it’s been a great experience,” he said. “I would say that this was my second real supercross behind Anaheim 1, because this one and A1 seemed like the track was more realistic to Supercross with the conditions. I’m happy with my progress, the Triple Crown today was way different again. So much speed and intensity in the first laps, and I struggled with that, especially in the first one. Overall, I am quite satisfied, it’s been a good experience, for sure, and with more racing I could get better, so I am motivated for the future.”
Jorge Prado at AMA Supercross Series Round 04 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim
© Garth Milan / Red Bull Content Pool
The 250 Class, like the 450 division, was highlighted by parity. Levi Kitchen took the opening win of the night ahead of RJ Hampshire and Nate Thrasher. Hampshire would fire back to grab the second race win over Kitchen, which meant the two entered the final race tied on points.
Thrasher rebounded from a bad second race to take the early lead in the final race with Kitchen in tow. Meanwhile, Hampshire was buried in the pack. He quickly charged to fourth, but a crash in the whoops would spell the end of his chance at an overall, as Kitchen finished the race second behind Thrasher.
Behind his win and Jordon Smith’s fifth overall finish, Kitchen and Smith are now tied in points through four rounds of the 250SX West Region.
“We’re all really close right now,” said Kitchen. “Obviously I want to be the dominant guy, but yeah, it’s closer now. You can’t start in like fifth and sixth with these guys and have them up front. You’d have to have a pretty amazing… I don’t even know what you’d have to do to be able to get up to them. I think it’s tighter than in years’ past. Especially the top five of us, we’re all pretty experienced by now, so it’s definitely tight racing."
Round 5 of the championship heads to Ford Field in Detroit, MI, on Saturday February 3. It will mark the opening round of the 250SX East Region.
01
450SX Results
- Cooper Webb 2-2-5
- Eli Tomac 5-7-1
- Aaron Plessinger 6-4-3
- Jason Anderson 4-1-8
- Chase Sexton 1-11-2
- Jett Lawrence 7-3-4
- Ken Roczen 10-5-6
- Justin Cooper 10-5-6
- Dylan Ferrandis 8-15-7
- Malcolm Stewart 11-10-9
02
250SX Results
- Levi Kitchen 1-2-3
- RJ Hampshire 2-1-7
- Nate Thrasher 3-10-1
- Jo Shimoda 9-3-2
- Jordon Smith 4-8-4
- Anthony Bourdon 8-6-8
- Julien Beaumer 12-5-6
- Ryder DiFrancesco 5-7-12
- Garrett Marchbanks 6-16-5
- Phil Nicoletti 7-4-18
03
450SX Point Standings
- Aaron Plessinger 80
- Chase Sexton 76
- Cooper Webb 74
- Jett Lawrence 72
- Eli Tomac 70
- Jason Anderson 67
- Dylan Ferrandis 62
- Ken Roczen 57
- Justin Barcia 49
- Jorge Prado 45
04
250SX Point Standings
- Levi Kitchen 84
- Jordon Smith 84
- RJ Hampshire 76
- Garrett Marchbanks 70
- Anthony Bourdon 55
- Jo Shimoda 54
- Mitchell Oldenburg 51
- Nate Thrasher 50
- Julien Beaumer 58
- Carson Mumford 47