Well, this is it—the final round of the 2022 AMA Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series. If you play RMFantasySX.com fantasy supercross, you know that means double points for the finale. You still have time to best your rivals, and we’ve got 2022 Salt Lake City Supercross fantasy tips and picks you need to succeed.
Don’t pick Eli Tomac for anything. Tomac clinched the title last week in Denver after injuring his knee in Atlanta. So, he’s sitting out Salt Lake City to let his knee heal for the AMA 450MX National Championship Series, which starts on May 28 at Fox Raceway in Pala, Calif.
Jason Anderson leads Cooper Webb
Jason Anderson has nothing to race for, as he has clinched P2 in the standings. Anderson is on a roll, with three wins in a row. Undoubtedly, he would like to go out with another win. The questions are, how badly will Anderson want that win, and how much will he risk to get it. Part of the answer will be how Anderson feels when he lines up and what kind of start he gets—unknowable variables. Anderson is looking good, so I’m picking him to end 2022 as a winner.
Chase Sexton
Chase Sexton is looking as fast as anyone on the track. Sexton is on a 2-3-2-4 run—better than anyone other than Anderson over the last four races. Sexton is my choice for P2, though picking him to win is a strong choice. Despite his speed, Sexton hasn’t won since San Diego, and will want another victory to show for his efforts. If Sexton gets a start and Anderson doesn’t, the win goes to Sexton if he can keep it on two wheels.
Malcolm Stewart, Justin Barcia, and Marvin Musquin are in a battle for P3. Finishing the year in the Top 3 will undoubtedly trigger a bonus for any of those riders, so they all want it. Stewart is four points ahead of Barcia and eight points up on Musquin. There are many ways of looking at how this trio will finish, and only one of the scenarios is right.
Malcolm Stewart
Malcolm Stewart has been the best of the three over the last three races. Stewart is 9-5-4-2 over the previous four races, so he’s moving in the right direction. If you’re looking for a Hail Mary winner pick, Stewart is your guy. Given his performances of late, Stewart looks the hungriest and fastest. He’s my P3 pick, and he’ll take P3 in the overall standings.
Marvin Musquin
Marvin Musquin has been on the podium in the last two Main Events. Other than Anderson, his podium-mates were Sexton and Stewart. Musquin is unlikely to take P3 for the season, but it’s possible. Musquin has to make up eight points on Stewart and four points on Barcia—unless Stewart and Barcia go down, that’s a hard nut to crack. Musquin would have to win to have a chance at that, but it’s hard to imagine him beating Anderson and Sexton. So, Musquin’s motivation will be down a notch from Stewart’s, and that’s why I have Musquin for P4.
Justin Barcia
Justin Barcia just hasn’t been there as of late. Barcia’s 5-5-6-5-7 recent run isn’t horrible, but it has cost him P3 in the standings. Barcia has finished behind Stewart in the last three Main Events, and behind Musquin in the previous two rounds. Sure, Barcia could step up in Salt Lake City—he could even grab his first win of the year. However, it’s just not looking that good for Barcia. I have him in P5, though Cooper Webb is also a threat, having beaten Barcia last week in Denver.
The Wild Card is P10, and that could be a lot of people. Take Tomac out of the equation, and Brandon Hartranft has been in P10 the last two rounds. Hartranft has hung in there all year—his best finishing position is P8, yet he’s P8 in the standings, having scored points at all 16 rounds. Other legit choices are Kyle Chisolm, Justin Brayton, Ryan Breece, and Alex Martin, in that order. Pick one and cross your fingers. Keep in mind that my Wild Card luck has been terrible. I’ve only hit it once—Dean Wilson in P10 at Daytona.
Brandon Hartranft
With the worst round throwaway done, I’m in my best overall position of the year. It’s not much, but I have moved into the top 20-percent for the first time this year. My abysmal five-point tally in Oakland is erased from the record. My next worst score was 20 points at A1—yes, the first two rounds of the series were my worst. We’ll see what happens when the checkered flag flies at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday night. I never got that big scoring round—Daytona is my best with 72 points—hey, I’m due!
It’s back under the lights for the Salt Lake City Supercross, though just barely. The first Heats are at 6 p.m. local time (MDT), so it will still be daylight. However, the Main Event will be at 8:30 p.m., so the lights will be doing their job. Check out our 2022 Supercross Television Schedule for viewing details.Photography by Align Media et al2022 Denver Supercross Results
Jason Anderson, Kawasaki
Malcolm Stewart, Husqvarna
Marvin Musquin, KTM
Chase Sexton, Honda
Eli Tomac, Yamaha
Cooper Webb, KTM
Justin Barcia, GasGas
Justin Brayton, Honda
Mitchell Oldenburg, Honda
Kyle Chisholm, Yamaha
Brandon Hartranft, Suzuki
Ryan Breece, Yamaha
Alex Martin, Yamaha
Justin Starling, GasGas
Fredrik Norén, KTM
Austin Politelli, Honda
Marshall Weltin, Yamaha
Kevin Moranz, KTM
John Short, Honda
Justin Rodbell, Kawasaki
Justin Bogle, KTM
Henry Miller, KTM
2022 AMA Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series Standings (after 16 of 17 rounds)
Hello everyone and welcome once again to Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly Podcast—Motos and Friends.
My name is Arthur Coldwells.
This week’s Podcast is brought to you by Yamaha motorcycles. Discover how the YZF-R7 provides the perfect balance of rider comfort and true supersport performance by checking it out at YamahaMotorsports.com, or see it for yourself at your local dealer.
This week’s episode features Senior Editor Nic de Sena’s impressions of the beautiful new Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST that is loosely based around the original FXRT Sport Glide from the 1980s. Hailing from The Golden State, these cult-status performance machines became known as West Coast style, with sportier suspension, increased horsepower, and niceties including creature comforts such as a tidy fairing and sporty luggage.
In past episodes you might have heard us mention my best friend, Daniel Schoenewald, and in the second segment I chat with him about some of the really special machines in his 170 or so—and growing—motorcycle collection. He’s always said to me that he doesn’t consider himself the owner, merely the curator of the motorcycles for the next generation.
Yet Daniel is not just a collector, but I can attest a really skilled rider. His bikes are not trailer queens, they’re ridden, and they’re ridden pretty hard. Actually, we have had many, many memorable rides on pretty much all of the machines in the collection at one time or another.
From all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!
