2016 Anaheim 1 Supercross Results: Victory Goes To Husqvarna’s Anderson
The Main of the opening round of the 2016 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series began with AutoTrader/Monster Energy/Toyota/Yamaha’s Justin Barcia grabbing the holeshot with Rockstar Energy Racing Husqvarna’s Jason Anderson and Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s James Stewart following closely behind.
Stewart lay motionless on the track long enough for the organizers to decide to red flag the race. Stewart was escorted off the track by the Asterisk Mobile Medical Crew and was able to sit up under his own power, but understandably did not return to the gate for the restart.
On the restart, it was Team Honda HRC’s Cole Seely who took the early lead with Barcia and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac giving chase. On lap five, both Team Honda HRC’s Trey Canard and Anderson would make their way past Tomac. From there, Canard would pass Barcia to take second place position on lap six.
Anderson, putting in the field’s fastest laps, passed Barcia on lap seven and got by Canard on lap eight, as well. Tomac, Dungey, Reed, and Roczen would all pass Barcia, who was struggling, in the following few laps. Anderson took the lead from Seely at the end of lap 13 and ran off. Anderson lit the candles over the finish line jump to take his first victory of his SX450 career and the first Husqvarna win in the 450SX class. Anderson joins Ken Roczen, Chad Reed, Damon Bradshaw, Johnny O’Mara, David Bailey, and Donnie Hanson, among others to score a first-time win at Anaheim.
Rounding out the top 10 were Monster Energy/360fly/Chapparal/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Chad Reed, Canard, BTO Sports KTM’s Davi Millsaps, Red Bull KTM’s Dean Wilson, and BTO Sports KTM’s Justin Brayton, respectively. Barcia went down and finished 15th.
The highly anticipated Monster Energy AMA Supercross first “round” of the year began before the main event even started as AutoTrader/Monster Energy/Toyota/Yamaha’s Weston Peick punched Team MotoConcepts Racing’s Vince Friese in the helmet several times after Friese took him out in the semi-final race. Friese had also taken Peick off the track in their Heat race earlier that night. Peick was suspended from racing for the remainder of the night and was not allowed to try to qualify through the LCQ and scored zero points. Peick has been suspended from the San Diego round next week and fined $5000.
Photography by Simon Cudby
2016 Anaheim 1 Supercross Results | 450SX
- Jason Anderson – Husqvarna FC 450
- Ryan Dungey – KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition
- Cole Seely – Honda CRF450R
- Eli Tomac – Kawasaki KX450F
- Ken Roczen – Suzuki RM-Z450
- Chad Reed – Yamaha YZ450F
- Trey Canard – Honda CRF450R
- Davi Millsaps – Kawasaki KX450F
- Dean Wilson – KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition
- Justin Brayton – KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition
- Broc Tickle – Suzuki RM-Z450
- Jake Weimer – Kawasaki KX450F
- Justin Bogle – Honda CRF450R
- Marvin Musquin – KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition
- Justin Barcia – Yamaha YZ450F
- Mike Alessi – Honda CRF450R
- Wil Hahn – Kawasaki KX450F
- Christophe Pourcel – Husqvarna FC 450
- Kyle Chisholm – Honda CRF450R
- Tommy Hahn – Yamaha YZ450F
- Lawson Bopping – Yamaha YZ450F
- James Stewart – Suzuki RM-Z450
This is BS! Friese’s style is to ride out of control and (usually) over his head. Although Peick MAY have over-reacted, Friese should have been made to sit out in order to think about how he may improve his riding skills such that he can make a pass without physical contact.
ALSO, It looks like AMA has gone all PC on us just like NASCAR. Perhaps they too are getting some free money (with strings attached) from Washington D.C.?
Peick clearly over-reacted and has paid a price for it. If he had a problem with Friese’s riding, which is reasonable, he should have had JGRMX take it up with the AMA and FIM. You can be sure that a factory team will get a fair hearing when it comes to an issue with a privateer.
It’s not a PC issue. The race track, during a race, is not a place for a fist fight — that is behavior that endangers other riders.