2018 Minneapolis Supercross Preview | The Triple Crown Returns
Everyone will show up to the 2018 Minneapolis Supercross with deep-cleaned motorcycles after the mud bath at Seattle SX. The good news for the riders is that the racing will be in a dome.
For fans, the popular Triple Crown format is back. It’s crunch time at the 14th round of the 2018 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship Series, and riders will start seriously jostling for their final position in the standings.
1. There are just four rounds to go, and seven riders still have a mathematical shot at the Supercross Championship going into U.S. Bank Stadium. Jason Anderson, Marvin Musquin, Eli Tomac, Justin Brayton, Weston Peick, and Broc Tickle are all still in it.
2. Jason Anderson needs 68 points in four rounds to clinch the championship. Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing FC 450) needs just second-place finishes (or four sixth-place finishes) to take the title, and that’s if Musquin wins the final four races. Realistically, Anderson simply has to keep it on two wheels and he will be the 2018 Monster Energy Supercross Champion. However, Anderson will have to stay on the gas if he wants to clinch the series win before the final round at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. In Anderson’s favor, he won the Atlanta Triple Crown race, and that format rewards his consistent performances.
3. Marvin Musquin will want to continue to be consistent. Down by 37 points to Anderson, it will take some serious problems for the points leader for Musquin (Red Bull KTM 450 SX-F) to snatch away the title. However, that is dependent upon Musquin sticking around in second place to be ready to pounce on an advantageous situation. Musquin is 31 points ahead of third place Tomac, so Musquin can play it safe and still make himself available to inherit the lead.
4. With little to lose, Eli Tomac will be going for more wins. Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki KX450F) is in slight danger of being officially eliminated from championship contention after Minneapolis. Should Anderson score 11 more points than Tomac in Minneapolis, Tomac is out of it. Tomac won’t be worried about that. He has six wins in 2018—as many as Anderson and Musquin combined—and he’ll want to add to that. If Tomac takes another win—and he won the Anaheim 2 Triple Crown—he will be the winningest Supercross racer in history to not have won a premier class Supercross championship. Right now Tomac is tied with Damon Bradshaw at 19 wins for that dubious distinction.
5. Justin Brayton and Blake Baggett are fighting it out for fourth in the standings. In the last five rounds, Baggett (Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM) has finished in the bottom half of the top 10 in every race. At the same time, Brayton (Smartop/Bullfrog Spas/Honda CRF450R) has been in the top half (including a win and a third) in four of the last five races. Brayton will have to shake off his terrible 20th in Seattle, while Baggett will need to see if he can regain the mid-season form that put him on the podium in three consecutive races.
6. Sixth place in the standings is up for grabs with Weston Peick, Broc Tickle, and Cooper Webb all within a five-point spread. Tickle (Red Bull KTM) has the momentum going into the home stretch. Tickle has a pair of top fives in the last two races, compared to a single top five for Webb (Monster Energy Factory Yamaha Racing YZ450F) and a dismal 22-10 pair for Peick (Autotrader/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing RM-Z450). None of the three have done particularly well in their first two shots at the Triple Crown format—Peick went 5-12, Webb finished 10-6, and Tickle has a horrible 16-19 record.
7. Yes, it was muddy in Seattle, but Chad Reed is on a bit of a run. After a 22nd place in St. Louis, Reed has gone 9-7. It has been a miserable year for the two-time Supercross champion, and he sits 14th in the standings. This year Reed captured the record for the most career Main Event starts, but hasn’t come close to his other goal—oldest Main Event winner. Unexpectedly, Brayton snatched that record this year at Daytona. If Reed is going to get a win, an unusual format like the Triple Crown is probably his best bet. Still, it’s definitely a longshot.
8. Sorry, but Fox Sports 1 is showing the 2018 Minneapolis Supercross on delay. The racing starts at U.S. Bank Stadium an hour before the cablecast begins at 10 p.m. EDT. Bookmark and always consult our 2018 Monster Energy Supercross TV Schedule.
2018 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Standings (after 13 of 17 rounds)
- Jason Anderson, 288 points (4 wins)
- Marvin Musquin, 251 (2 wins)
- Eli Tomac, 220 (6 wins)
- Justin Brayton, 213 (1 win)
- Blake Baggett, 209
- Weston Peick, 185
- Broc Tickle, 184
- Cooper Webb, 180
- Dean Wilson, 152
- Malcolm Stewart, 125
- Cole Seely, 124
- Vince Friese, 119
- Justin Barcia, 113
- Chad Reed, 112
- Tyler Bowers, 107
- Ken Roczen, 102
- Benny Bloss, 87
- Josh Grant, 83
- Kyle Cunningham, 78
- Christian Craig, 70
- Ben Lamay, 65
- Kyle Chisholm, 48
- Jeremy Martin, 36
- Cedric Soubeyras, 33
- Alex Ray, 22
- Cole Martinez, 20
- Adam Enticknap, 19
- Justin Hill, 18
- Matthew Bisceglia, 15
- Dakota Tedder, 14
- Justin Bogle, 12
- Austin Politelli, 11
- Henry Miller, 10
- AJ Catanzaro, 10
- Dylan Merriam, 9
- Bradley Taft, 5
- Justin Starling, 5
- Jake Weimer, 5
- Carlen Gardner, 5
- Collin Jurin, 4
- Cody Vanbuskirk, 4
- Brandon Scharer, 3
- Scott Champion, 2
- Josh Hill, 2
- Nick Schmidt, 1
