Weekend Recap: April 9 - 10

SUPERCROSS
Eli Tomac Wins the 2022 Triple Crown

At the final Triple Crown event of the year, where the world’s best Supercross riders go head-to-head in three main events, Monster Energy’s Eli Tomac took 3rd place overall for the night but secured this year’s premier 450 class Triple Crown championship. Rounding out the overall Triple Crown series podium were two more Monster Energy-backed racers, Chase Sexton (Honda) and Jason Anderson (Monster Energy/Kawasaki), who placed 2nd and 3rd overall.

Supercross’ 2022 Triple Crown championship for Tomac, which this year included stops in Glendale (Calif.) and Arlington (Texas), would be an incredible sixth title out of seven Triple Crowns for the Colorado native.

“It was a tough night. My competitors were on it more than me in those first two races,” said Tomac of his St. Louis podium finish on Saturday. “I put myself behind in position but got my act together there in the third race and rode good. Overall, it was good to get that last one (win).”

MOTOGP
Alex Rins Places 2nd On the Day and Moves Into 2nd Position in the Championship Points Standings

Four M-claw racers rounded out the top seven spots at the USGP held at Texas’ Circuit of the Americas (COTA) on Sunday, with Alex Rins placing 2nd in the race and moving into 2nd place overall in the MotoGP standings – five points back of leader Enea Bastianini (Ducati), 61-56. Rins’ 2nd place run highlighted a Monster Energy assault on COTA that also featured Team Suzuki/Ecstar teammate Joan Mir in 4th, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati/Lenovo Team) in 5th, and defending MotoGP champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy/Yamaha/MotoGP) in 7th.
 
Rins had a highlight-reel finish vs. 3rd place Jack Miller (Ducati), going bar-to-bar on the last lap to decide the runner-up spot on the rostrum (won by Rins). Quartararo would have an equally thrilling battle with MotoGP great Marc Marquez (Honda), to which El Diablo replied: “I fight with all I have and even with P7 I am happy. I fight like it was for the victory.”

FORMULA 1
George Russell Claims His First Podium of the Year

Mercedes AMG's new 2022 team driver George Russell powered his Silver Arrow to his first 2022 podium finish for the team at the Australian Grand Prix. Sunday’s race saw Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, grab third off the line before falling behind Sergio Perez.  However, Russell was able to jump both at the first safety car before holding off his teammate late on.

“It’s a great result, this weekend we’ve had so many difficult moments with the car so to get ourselves fifth and sixth in qualifying then progress like we have, with the reliability, we definitely didn’t expect third and fourth,” Hamilton told Sky Sport.

“George did a great job today.” Russell put himself second in the Drivers' Championship and yet is aware that Mercedes still have an uphill battle to challenge Ferrari and Red Bull for the title.

After the race, Russel said: “It’s a credit to everybody back at Brackley and Brixworth - it doesn’t matter how fast your car is if you’re not there at the end to pick up the pieces. This weekend we were probably the fifth-fastest team behind McLaren and Alpine, yet here we are standing with a third-place finish. I only just realized I’m P2 in the Championship, which is just crazy to think [about]. So, we’ve got to be really proud of the job we’ve done so far with the lack of performance we’ve had. We believe we can get there but it’s not going to happen overnight, and it will be a number of races before we close the gap.”

WORLD SUPERBIKE
Jonathan Rea Opens the Season with a Hard-Fought Victory

Monster Energy’s Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing/Team WorldSBK) topped Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) in a thriller at Motorland, Aragon, to open the 2022 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship on Saturday. The six-time WSBK champion, piloting the famed Kawasaki ZX-10RR, overcame a 3rd place start to take the early race lead from holeshot winner Bautista and 2nd place Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha). The three distanced themselves from the field, the top spots interchanging between Rea and Bautista throughout the 18-lap contest. On lap 14 Rea was able to catch Bautista, the battle allowing them space from defending WSBK champ Razgatlioglu. Rea would then hold off a spirited charge down the final straight from Bautista, winning Race 1 by a scant .090 seconds. Rea’s victory, the fifth of his career to open a WSBK season, gave him 21 consecutive podium finishes at Aragon (22 in total), which is the most of any rider at a single WSBK circuit.

DRIFTING
Jason Webb Wins Red Bull Drift Event

South Africa’s top drifting talent assembled in the rain for the Red Bull Car Park Drift South Africa Qualifier.  The multi-day events saw Monster Energy’s Jason Webb winning the slip-and-slide, rain-soaked event.  “Today was tough, driving a convertible in the rain was challenging.  The team and I had to make a plan to keep dry by cutting out a piece of cardboard for the roof to keep out the rain,” Webb – who had to go head-to-head with defending champion Jim McFarlane, Joey Govender, and Mathys Naude in the final.

MOUNTAIN BIKE
Swenson and Finsterwald Finish 1st and 2nd at Sea Otter Classic

Monster Hydro dominates the podium at the first event of the Lifetime Grand Prix series at the Sea Otter Classic. Keegan Swenson won the men’s Fuego 80k mountain bike race after a late solo move earned him the victory. Monster Hydro athlete Russell Finsterwald, followed closely behind with a 2nd place finish. In the women’s Fuego 80k Hydro athlete Sofia Gomez Villafane finished strong with 2nd place within a stacked women’s field. The Sea Otter Classic was the first stop in the inaugural Lifetime Grand Prix in which 30 women and 30 men compete in Six iconic off-road events for a $250,000 prize purse.

PBR
Derek Kolbaba Dominates in Tacoma

As the 2022 Unleash The Beast (UTB) season enters its final five weeks before the start of the PBR World Finals on May 13 in Fort Worth, Texas, Washington’s Derek Kolbaba made his home state proud as he dominated Round 1 of the PBR Wrangler Invitational. Kolbaba, who’s first ride was Highway to Hell received a 74.25-point score, then accepted a re-ride when judges felt the bull did not buck to his fullest potential. Matched with Safety Meeting as his re-ride, Kolbaba’s ride scored an 89.5 and eventually clinched his first-round win of the 2022 season.