2019 Glendale Supercross Results: Baggett Wins; Roczen Leads Series
It was a strange night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, for round 2 of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Championship Series. The evening saw Eli Tomac in the LCQ, the Main red flagged on lap 5, Blake Baggett taking his first-ever Main win, and Ken Roczen emerging as the series leader, despite having no wins after two rounds. The slick track was fast, though there wasn’t much close racing.Marvin Musquin, #25
Ken Roczen has to feel like the win was stolen from him. After struggling to a P8 finish in his Heat, Roczen (Team Honda HRC), pulled a surprise holeshot in the Main. Roczen quickly built a comfortable 2+ second lead over Jason Anderson going into the fifth lap (of 18). However, when Malcolm Stewart crashed hard and required medical attention. The red flag was shown, and the race stopped. Stewart was removed from the track, conscious and moving. The staggered restart allowed second-place Anderson to line-up right behind Roczen. Roczen was not able to gap Anderson, and Anderson made an aggressive block pass on Roczen on lap 7 that put Roczen down. Roczen remounted in fourth place, eventually passing Marvin Musquin for a podium finish behind Baggett and Anderson. However, Roczen leaves Arizona with the red plate and a one-point lead over Justin Barcia in the standings.
Blake Baggett made the most of the restart, and was the fastest rider when it counted. After Anderson took down Roczen, Anderson looked like a safe bet for the win, as Anderson had a 2+ second lead over Baggett (Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM). However, Baggett started reeling in Anderson at the halfway point, and Anderson’s lead was less than one second by lap 13. Baggett was running consistent 1:02s, with Anderson in the 1:03s. Anderson’s lap times skyrocketed into the 1:05s on the final three laps. Baggett easily passed Anderson on Lap 16, with Baggett quickly building a five-second lead that he carried to the end.
Anderson rode three different races in the Main, before finishing second. Before the red flag in the Main, Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) was comfortable in second place behind a strong Roczen. After the restart, Anderson was looking loose, put his hard pass on Roczen, and the win appeared to be his. However, Anderson’s final three laps were each three-seconds off his earlier pace, and he wasn’t able to put up much of a fight to hold off the charging Baggett. Anderson, who earlier had an eight-second lead over Roczen, was only two-seconds clear of Roczen at the checkers. Anderson appeared unhappy on the podium, apologizing for the pass that took Roczen down. Still, it was a much-needed comeback for Anderson after his terrible 14th place in the rain at A1. Anderson moves up to P7 in the standings, 12 points behind Roczen.Jason Anderson leads Blake Baggett.
Eli Tomac never got on track at Glendale, and didn’t make the podium. Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki) had rear wheel troubles in his Heat race and finished 10th, sending him to the LCQ. Tomac narrowly escaped being involved in a first-turn pileup, which would have kept him out of the Main. With a late pick at the start gate, Tomac was able to come out of the first turn in P7. However, he wasn’t able to better that before the red flag was waved. Tomac did improve after the restart, passing Barcia on lap 6, a downed Vince Friese the next lap, and then Musquin on lap 11. Tomac wasn’t able to engage Roczen for a podium battle, finishing 1.4-seconds off the box.
Although he won his Heat and had a good start in the Main, Marvin Musquin couldn’t stay competitive to the finish. Running in second at the beginning of the Main, Musquin (Red Bull KTM) was quickly passed by Anderson, and Baggett passed Musquin for P3 before the red flag. Musquin was in podium position after Roczen went down, but Musquin was repassed on lap 10 by Roczen, and then Tomac on the next lap. Musquin’s P5 finish was more than 12 seconds behind the leader. Musquin simply never looked comfortable in the Main.
Opener winner Justin Barcia was never a factor up front. With a P4 finish in his Heat, Barcia was able to turn that into a P6 start. Barcia dropped as far back as P8 early on, but crashed riders—Friese and Stewart—allowed Barcia to regain P6 by the end. Barcia loses the red plate going into A2, though he is just one point behind Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series leader Roczen.
Dean Wilson and Cooper Webb were in the top 10 for consecutive weeks, but far off their A1 performances. Wilson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) and Webb (Red Bull KTM) went 4-5 at A1. Wilson, now supported by his former Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team in the wake of Zach Osborne’s injury, dropped to P8 at Glendale behind Justin Brayton (Smartop/Bullfrog Spas/Honda). Webb finished in P10 behind Cole Seely (Team Honda HRC). Seely has also finished in the top 10 twice, but just barely, finishing in P10 at A1 and P9 in Glendale.
The 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series is starting to take shape, with Roczen and Tomac building a cushion over Musquin and Anderson. Yes, there are other contenders out there—none of the top four favorites have a win yet—but there’s still little reason to expect that the championship will be won by anyone other than one of those four riders. Roczen has a four-point lead over Tomac, who is seven points clear of Musquin, who is just a single point ahead of Anderson. There are still 15 rounds remaining, and no one has emerged as the dominant rider.Photography by Simon Cudby
2019 Glendale Supercross Results, State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Blake Baggett (KTM)
Jason Anderson (Husqvarna)
Ken Roczen (Honda)
Eli Tomac (Kawasaki)
Marvin Musquin (KTM)
Justin Barcia (Yamaha)
Justin Brayton (Honda)
Dean Wilson (Husqvarna)
Cole Seely (Honda)
Cooper Webb (KTM)
Aaron Plessinger (Yamaha)
Vince Friese (Honda)
Justin Hill (Suzuki)
Chad Reed (Suzuki)
Justin Bogle (KTM)
Kyle Chisholm (Suzuki)
Alex Ray (Suzuki)
Carlen Gardner (Honda)
Ben Lamay (Honda)
Ronnie Stewart (Husqvarna)
Cheyenne Harmon (Yamaha)
Malcolm Stewart (Honda)
2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Standings (after 2 of 17 rounds)
