Going Green
Jason Anderson clinched his first multi-win season since his title run of 2018 when he took the checkers at Anaheim 3. It was his ninth career 450SX Class victory in his 108th start. His 37th podium moves him into a tie for 20th all-time with Damon Bradshaw and David Vuillemin in that category.
Going Blue
Eli Tomac cruised into second place to retain the red-plate as the series moves east. His podium was his 77th and his top five was his 99th. He looks to earn his 100th top five finish in Minneapolis, something only five other riders have done (Chad Reed, Jeremy McGrath, Mike LaRocco, Kevin Windham, & Ryan Dungey. Note: Ricky Carmichael finished with 97).
On the GasGas
Justin Barcia was happy to nab his third podium of the season and first since he started the season with back-to-back podiums. He now has 23 450SX Class podiums, which is good for 32nd all-time and two behind Larry Ward in 31st. With 11 races to go, Barcia is only two podiums from tying his personal season record of five podiums (2013 rookie season).
A Decade for 722
Adam Enticknap made his first Main Event of 2022 for his 31st career 450SX Class start and also clinched his 10th season with a 450SX Class start. He becomes the 50th rider in history to do this and has the least amount of total starts in the group by 15 (Keith S. Johnson: 46 starts across 12 seasons). Justin Brayton and Kyle Chisholm each have 14 seasons with a start, which is the most among active riders and good for seventh all-time.
History Lesson: The first 450SX Class race in Minneapolis was on April 16, 1994 in the now demolished H.H.H. Metrodome and Jeremy McGrath won on a Honda. Jeremy McGrath won in the Metrodome from 1994-1999 and is the only rider in Supercross history to win a venue’s first six events. During that streak McGrath became the first rider in Supercross history to win on three different brands at the same venue (Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha).
16th to Fall: The H.H.H. Metrodome was demolished in 2014 and is the 16th Supercross venue to be desecrated: Georgia Dome, Atlanta-Fulton Co. Stadium, Cleveland Stadium, Mile High Stadium, Pontiac Silverdome, Texas Stadium, Meadowlands, Foxboro Stadium, RCA Dome, Orange Bowl, JFK Stadium, Three Rivers Stadium, Jack Murphy Qualcomm Stadium, Seattle Kingdome, and Tampa Stadium are the others. U.S. Bank Stadium was built on site and took over hosting duties in 2017.
Minneapolis 17: H.H.H. Metrodome hosted 13 450SX Class races from 1994-2004, 2008, & 2013. U.S. Bank Stadium hosted from 2017-2019 before the pandemic knocked them out of the previous two seasons. The 2022 return to Minneapolis will be the series’ 17th stop in the city and fourth at U.S. Bank Stadium.
What a Difference Three Years Makes: In the 2019 Minneapolis Supercross, Cooper Webb, Ken Roczen, and Marvin Musquin were on the podium. Eli Tomac (First in 2022 points) finished sixth, Jason Anderson (second in 2022 points) was injured and did not race, and Chase Sexton (third in 2022 points) finished fifth in the 250SX Class. Webb’s win in 2019, along with his title that season, gives Minneapolis a 9/16 (56%) mark on winners in Minny winning the Championship.
A(1-3) Sweep
Christian Craig dominated the field in Anaheim 3 for the fourth three-race Anaheim sweep in 250SX Class history and first since Ryan Villopoto in 2007. All three previous Anaheim three-race sweepers went onto win the title (Ernesto Fonseca 2001, Ivan Tedesco 2004, & Villopoto in 2007). Craig now has seven career wins in the 250SX Class and will hold the red-plate going into the east coast break.
First Second for Friese
Vince Friese secured his second career podium (either class) and highest result of his career with a runner-up finish in Anaheim 3. After taking a tire to the helmet in Anaheim 2 and being put on probation after Glendale’s triple-crown, this is a welcome turn of events as Friese prepares to jump into the 450SX Class in Minneapolis.
DNQ A1 to Top-5 A3
Carson Brown was making his 16th start across three seasons and had previously finished inside the top-10 five times without a top-five finish. He finally earned one at Anaheim 3 with a fifth-place finish. The 910 has battled injuries and didn’t even qualify for Anaheim 1 but his results have been better each week as the break approached.
Fierro and Sanford Finally Get In
After a combined nine tries to make the Main Event since the season began, Tre Fierro and Maxwell Sanford rode themselves into their first Main Events of the season. Fierro was making his first career main and Sanford (16th) was making his fifth after making four last season. After not making the night show in Glendale, Fierro nabbed an incredible 14th-place finish.
History Lesson: The first 250SX Class race in Minneapolis was on April 16, 1994 and Damon Huffman won on a Suzuki in route to his first of two 250SX Class titles.
H.H.H./U.S. Bank: From 1994-2004, 2008, and 2013 the 250SX Class race was held in the H.H.H. Metrodome. Once the Metrodome was demolished, U.S. Bank Stadium hosted 250SX Class races from 2017-2019. Just like the 450SX Class, this will be the 17th 250SX Class race in Minneapolis and fourth in U.S. Bank Stadium.
Forkner/Smith Return: Unlike the parity from 2019 to 2022 in the 450SX Class, 2022 Minneapolis could look a lot like 2019 in the 250SX Class. Austin Forkner and Jordon Smith are both top returning riders in the 250SX Eastern Regional and finished 1-2 in Minneapolis 2019. Even Minny’s 2018 winner Jeremy Martin will be on the gate.
H.H.H./U.S. Bank Championship Percentages: The two venues offer wildly different results when it comes to the winners in the city going onto win the title. The winners in H.H.H. went on to win a 250SX Class title that same season in 10/13 (77%) seasons, whereas none of the three winners in H.H.H. have won a title (0/3).
