Round three of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross series, an FIM World Championship, featured the first of three Triple Crown events, where instead of running qualifiers and then a single Main Event, each class runs three Main Events and the lowest overall score determines the winner.
In the 450SX Class, Red Bull KTM's Cooper Webb pressured Honda HRC's Ken Roczen throughout the race until Roczen messed up a rhythm section on the final lap, handing Webb his first-ever 450SX Class Main Event victory in front of 42,434 ecstatic fans. Roczen was second in front of Webb's teammate Marvin Musquin, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Eli Tomac, Roczen's teammate Cole Seely, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's defending series champion Jason Anderson, and round-one winner Justin Barcia (Monster Energy/Yamaha Factory Racing).
In the second Main Event, Webb took the holeshot and led every lap to score his second win on the night, holding off teammate Musquin at the finish, with Barcia third, Tomac fourth, and Roczen fifth. Going into the final Main Event, Webb led his teammate Musquin by three points, which meant he only needed to finish fourth place or better to win the overall. Tomac ended up leading every lap of the final Main Event while Webb rode relatively conservatively to score third, just behind Musquin and in front of Roczen.
"Last weekend, I was 10th, and I was pissed off, man," Webb said after winning his first-ever 450SX Class Main Event. "That wasn't what I wanted. So, I had some redemption this week, but to win is insane. To win two races and be on the podium in that one. I was so nervous that last one, just trying to hold on. But it's incredible."
Webb's teammate Musquin went 3-2-2 on the night to score second overall, giving the Red Bull KTM team a 1-2 sweep of the class, despite a knee injury Musquin's been fighting since the off-season.
Marvin Musquin was consistent in all three Main Events of the Triple Crown and landed on the podium for the first time this season. Photo Credit: Feld Entertainment, Inc.
"I just go race by race," Musquin said. "This week, I stayed in California. The weather was pretty bad, but I took the whole week off the bike and tried to not hurt the knee too much on the bike."
Tomac ended up third on the night with a 4-4-1 score.
"[Race] one and two, I was just kind of riding around, is what I felt like," Tomac said. "I wasn't attacking. I wasn't getting my flow. And then the third one there just obviously got the holeshot, was in clean air really..."
Eli Tomac won the final Main Event of the night which yielded him third overall. Photo Credit: Feld Entertainment, Inc.
Monster Energy/Yamaha Factory Racing's Justin Barcia, who won Anaheim 1 two weeks ago, had a heavy crash in the final 450SX Class Main Event of the night and had to be carted off to the Alpinestars Medical Center.
Honda HRC's Ken Roczen still leads the points standings by two points over Tomac as the series heads to Oakland in one week's time. Tonight's winner Webb sits third, four points behind Tomac.
Results
1. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM
2. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM
3. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki
4. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda
5. Dean Wilson, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
6. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda
7. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha
8. Joey Savatgy, Tallahassee, Fla., Kawasaki
9. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna
10. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Yamaha
Championship
1. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda (63)
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (61)
3. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (57)
4. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Yamaha (56)
5. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM (56)
6. Dean Wilson, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna (52)
7. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna (46)
8. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM (45)
9. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha (45)
10. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda (44)