Jason Anderson, Levi Kitchen, and Jo Shimoda all podium at Arizona Supercross

Monster Energy racers laid claim to a bunch of Monster Energy AMA Supercross podium real estate on Saturday’s Round 6 of the series at Glendale’s (Ariz.) State Farm Stadium with Jason Anderson (Kawasaki) and Levi Kitchen (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) both scoring runner-up positions, while Honda’s Jo Shimoda locked down his first podium finish of the 2024 season with a 3rd place WSX run.

For Anderson, Glendale, his hometown SX race, would be his first trip back to the podium since the Anaheim (Calif.) 1 opener, where he also placed 2nd, and has been in the top five through five of the six rounds so far this season.

“For a second there I felt that I was closing in on Kenny (Suzuki’s Roczen, the 450 class winner). Kenny was hitting his marks, being smooth as usual. I kind of lost the toe a little bit and, at one point, kind of understood where my place was and just had to ride ‘er in for 2nd,” said Anderson.

Rounding out the Monster Energy 450 class scoring for Glendale was Eli Tomac (Star Racing/Yamaha), who finished just off the box in 4th place, while Dylan Ferrandis (Phoenix Honda) and Cooper Webb (Star Racing/Yamaha) brought ‘er home in 6th and 7th, respectively.

Kitchen’s strong run to 2nd place allowed him to increase his 250 WSX overall lead to four points over Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Jordon Smith, who placed 4th on Saturday.

“Obviously, my starts have been great. Early on those guys (including race winner RJ Hampshire/Husqvarna) had better pace than me, for sure. I need to have better intensity at the beginning,” said Kitchen of the Glendale 250 WSX main event. “But after the halfway point I’m always pretty good. I’m not super comfortable out front with people super close behind me. So I need to be able to get the starts like that, but then be able to get away a little bit also.”

For his part Shimoda, who started the 250 main back in 7th place, was pleased with his first podium finish of the season. “Just changing a little bit of stuff every time I go out racing. Trying to get starts. That’s the biggest thing I’m missing right now. Still got 3rd, but even then not the greatest start,” said Shimoda.

Quotes

Anderson: “I think the class is obviously very stacked right now. Just being inside the top five and collecting points, trying to improve yourself to get to a point in the season where you’re one of the guys that’s always in there – and hopefully grabbing some wins here soon. Obviously, that’s the goal. That’s the plan. But it’s hard to make that happen. Right now I feel like I’m under the radar. But I feel good and I’m excited to see what the rest of the season brings.”

Kitchen: “It feels really good to be in this position (running the 1st place WSX red plate). I’ve dreamed of it for a long time. It’s cool for sure, but there’s still a lot of racing. And the job’s not done until you win the championship. So pressure come with it, but I do like pressure, though.”

Shimoda: “The hype on the social media before the season start, everyone was talking about it. New team. New bike. I guess I didn’t do a very good job at being super sharp in the first four rounds now, but I know everyone’s working hard behind me and it sucks when you don’t have the result. But I’m sure we’ll get it back.” 

450 Highlights

• Timed qualifying went to Anderson, who topped Jett Lawrence (Honda) by 3/10ths of a second (1:03.400 to 1:03.734). Tomac was 3rd with a qualifying-best lap time of 1:03.856.
• Heat 1 would find Ferrandis going down at the entrance to the sand section, but managed to keep his Honda fired, getting up without losing a spot to transfer to the main. Heat 2 would find Anderson and Tomac on the podium (2nd & 3rd) to transfer to the main.
• Out of the gate first in the 450 main was Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Justin Cooper, who was met at the holeshot chalk line by Roczen. Then, as things quickly got sorted out, it was Anderson in 3rd place behind Aaron Plessinger (KTM) and leader Roczen.
• Early on Webb would take rookie 450 racer and overall points leader Lawrence to task, eliminating the Aussie’s line coming out of a corner to make the pass for 6th place, right behind Tomac in 5th.
• At the 17:46 mark Plessinger would suffer an unforced error, dumping his KTM into the Glendale dirt, and allowing Anderson, Tomac and Webb to get by.
• From there the frontrunners would remain the same, with Anderson checking in with a 2nd place and Tomac 4th to round out the top five.
   

250 WSX Highlights

• Smith and Kitchen would go 1-2 in timed qualifying, with Smith being the only 250 WSX racer to go sub-1:05 (1:04.747).
• Heat 1 would be all Kitchen as the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki racer won the opening heat by two seconds over Carson Mumford (Honda). Heat 2 looked to be going the way of Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Nate Thrasher when a costly miscalculation, while leading, in the long rhythm section sent Thrasher – airborne – off his bike and out of the evening’s program.
• Off the Heat 2 restart (following Thrasher’s crash) it’d be Smith and Shimoda taking the 1-2 positions to transfer to the main.
• The Glendale 250 WSX main event was all Monster Energy out of the start as the championship points leaders, Kitchen and Smith, got to the holeshot line first – with Kitchen getting the holeshot nod and taking the early lead.
• At the 13:10 mark Smith stayed on the throttle the longest heading into a bowl turn, forced Kitchen to check up (or sail over the Tuff Blocks), and took over the race lead. Kitchen then out-jumped Smith off the 60-footer and grabbed the lead right back.
• At the 12:00 mark Smith would again get past Kitchen, out accelerating him into the same bowl corner on the first pass, and this time easily taking the lead back. Then, at the 8:55 mark, Smith would dump his bike (at the same spot he crashed in practice), allowing both Kitchen and Hampshire – now the new leader - to get by.
• With Smith playing catch up there was another miscalculation, this time on the landing of a table top jump, put him back off the bike – ending his run at Kitchen and Hampshire.
• At the checkers it’d be Hampshire, followed by Monster Energy racers Kitchen and Shimoda (3rd) – with his first podium of the season.

Monster Energy AMA Supercross catches a mid-winter break this week before returning to action on Saturday, Feb. 24th, for Round 7 of the series at Arlington’s (Texas) AT&T Stadium – home of the Dallas Cowboys.