So round 3 of the Monster Energy Supercross season returns again to Anaheim and this will be the first of the triple crown series! This is a huge shakeup and i can't wait to see how this one pans out.
Monster Energy Supercross
"From a fan's perspective, the most anticipated change in 2018 will be the introduction of the Monster Energy Supercross Triple Crown, a three-city showdown hosted at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on January 20, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on March 3 and U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on April 14 where both the 250SX and 450SX Classes will compete in three Main Events. Qualifying races will deduce the field to the top 22 riders in each class, and the 250SX Class will compete in 6-, 10- and 12-minute Main Events, while the 450SX Class will compete in 8-, 12- and 15-minute Main Events. An Olympic-style scoring method will be used to determine an overall winner in each class from all three Main Events where the lowest combined score at the end will be awarded the overall win. "
This is a massive change and will certainly be a feast for the fans. Not only do you need to go out and be consistent and ride well, then you have to go back out and do it 2 more times after! That's a tall order and will produce some amazing battles. Let's check out the battleground...
2018 Yamaha Track Map - Anaheim 2
So Anderson will be the one wearing the biggest smile this weekend having that distinctive red plate adorning the front of his Rock Star Factory Husqvarna. Ken Roczen also has put himself back where he is used to at the top of the table, pretty amazing when you consider what he has been through!
So will Wilson, Tomac and Musquin return to the frey and recover the lost ground? It's certainly been a strange start to this years season but fingers crossed everyone will be healed and rested ready for action.
450SX Overall Standings
| Pos | Rider | Hometown | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Anderson | Edgewood, NM | 49 |
| 2 | Ken Roczen | Mattstedt, Germany | 42 |
| 3 | Justin Barcia | Monroe, NY | 42 |
| 4 | Cole Seely | Newbury Park, CA | 36 |
| 5 | Weston Peick | Wildomar, CA | 36 |
| 6 | Justin Brayton | Fort Dodge, IA | 33 |
| 7 | Broc Tickle | Holly, MI | 30 |
| 8 | Josh Grant | Riverside, CA | 28 |
| 9 | Blake Baggett | Grand Terrace, CA | 27 |
| 10 | Marvin Musquin | La Reole, France | 26 |
| 11 | Jeremy Martin | Millville, MN | 25 |
| 12 | Cooper Webb | Newport, NC | 24 |
| 13 | Vince Friese | Cape Girardeau, MO | 20 |
| 14 | Kyle Cunningham | Aledo, TX | 16 |
| 15 | Chad Reed | Kurri Kurri, Australia | 15 |
| 16 | Ben LaMay | Anchorage, AK | 14 |
| 17 | Malcolm Stewart | Haines City, FL | 12 |
| 18 | Alex Ray | Jackson, TN | 11 |
| 19 | Tyler Bowers | Danville, KY | 9 |
| 20 | Adam Enticknap | Lompoc, CA | 5 |
| 21 | Dakota Tedder | Surfside, CA | 5 |
| 22 | AJ Catanzaro | Portland, CT | 5 |
| 23 | Matt Bisceglia | Weatherford, TX | 4 |
| 24 | Henry Miller | Rochester, MN | 4 |
| 25 | Eli Tomac | Cortez, CO | 1 |
| 26 | Austin Politelli | Menifee, CA | 1 |
Now we turn our attention to the 250SX West and again onward with yet more shakeups! Savatgy finally managed to get the start he needed and held out to keep on the podium. Sure, Adam Cianciarulo threw it all away in a series of silly mistakes but he rode it out to take the lead over his Kawasaki team mate.
The red plate finds a new home also for round 3 after a blazing run by Yamahas Aaron Plessinger. Last year was pretty rough on the rider as a series of crashes and inconsistent rides kept him out of contention, can he hold strong this year? Shane Mcelrath will be ready to ride back to the top and reclaim the red plate, definitely one to watch along with Cianciarulo.
250SX West Overall Standings
| Pos | Rider | Hometown | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aaron Plessinger | Hamilton, OH | 49 |
| 2 | Shane Mcelrath | Canton, NC | 45 |
| 3 | Joey Savatgy | Thomasville, GA | 42 |
| 4 | Adam Cianciarulo | Port Orange, FL | 37 |
| 5 | Chase Sexton | La Moille, IL | 36 |
| 6 | Christian Craig | Hemet, CA | 36 |
| 7 | Mitchell Oldenburg | Alvord, TX | 34 |
| 8 | Justin Hill | Yoncalla, OR | 29 |
| 9 | Kyle Chisholm | Clearwater, FL | 27 |
| 10 | Bradley Taft | Nixa, MO | 27 |
| 11 | Dakota Alix | Jay, VT | 23 |
| 12 | Mitchell Harrison | Lansing, MI | 19 |
| 13 | Hayden Mellross | Australia | 18 |
| 14 | Justin Hoeft | Castaic, CA | 17 |
| 15 | Justin Cooper | Cold Spring Harbor, NY | 14 |
| 16 | Justin Starling | Deland, FL | 14 |
| 17 | Phil Nicoletti | Cochecton, NY | 12 |
| 18 | Killian Auberson | Switzerland | 10 |
| 19 | Ramos Jean Carlo Ramos | Brazil | 10 |
| 20 | Ryan Breece | Coeur D' Alene, ID | 6 |
| 21 | Ryan Surratt | Corona, CA | 4 |
| 22 | Carlen Gardner | Paso Robles, CA | 3 |
| 23 | Brandan Leith | Eagle Mountain, UT | 3 |
| 24 | Martin Castelo | Ecuador | 2 |
| 25 | Alex Martin | Millville, MN | 2 |
| 26 | Julio Zambrano | San Jacinto, CA | 1 |
Good times ahead steemers! Bring it on :)