Weekend Recap: March 26 - 27

SUPERCROSS

In yet another example of remarkable drive and performance, Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Eli Tomac continues to dominate the rest of the field in Monster Energy AMA Supercross racing. Saturday night at Seattle’s Lumen Field, Tomac went on to win in his most dominant performance of the season thus far. Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson would put up a great effort as well, placing a fighting runner-up to Tomac for the Monster Energy 1-2 finish in the 450cc class main event.

Said Tomac from atop the podium: “My main focus was to just put the hammer down. Justin (Barcia) was close the first few laps and I was able to put the hammer down and ride mistake-free. Thanks to Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha. This was a special one for us.” Tomac’s Seattle victory was the Coloradoan’s fifth in a row, and 44th overall – which ties him for 4th place on the overall supercross premier 450 class victory list with Chad Reed – and is just four wins away (48) from 3rd place Ricky Carmichael on the all-time wins list.

In the 250cc class racing’s return to the Western Supercross Series (WSX), point leader Christian Craig (Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha) overcame a mid-race collision with Michael Mosiman (Gas-Gas) to rally back from 6th to a 2nd place podium finish at Seattle. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda battled tough all night in Seattle as well, coming very close to the podium with a 4th place effort at the finish. In the fight for the 250SX West Championship, Craig now holds a commanding 26-point lead.

SNOCROSS

Monster Energy’s veteran snocross racer Kody Kamm scored a 3rd place podium finish in AMSOIL Championship Snocross’ final round of the season at Cannonsburg (Mich.) Ski Area on Saturday, securing 5th place overall in the season Pro Open class standings – just one point back of 4th place.

Said Kamm on his final Pro Open podium finish of the season: “It felt like a long race for me. At one point I made a couple of big moves out on the track that scared me a little bit. So, I just calmed down and just rode my own race. I was watching Elias (Ishoel) behind me the whole time and he just started gaining and I saw he was doing a triple up the hill that I did early on and there’s no way I was going to try that again. So, I just played it safe, and we had an awesome battle the last four laps and just stoked to be up here again.”

SNOWBOARDING AND SKIING

Way to end an epic season! Monster Energy Birk Ruud claims 1st place in Men’s Freeski Slopestyle at the FIS World Cup season finale in Silvaplana, Switzerland, this weekend. In the contest sanctioned by the International Ski Federation (FIS), the 21-year-old from Baerum, Norway, took the win as well as the Crystal Globe trophy as the 2021/22 Men’s Overall Freeski Park & Pipe champion. In the Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle final, 17-year-old Kokomo Murase from Gifu, Japan, earned the bronze medal. She finished the season with two(!) Crystal Globe trophies as the FIS World Cup Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle and Women’s Snowboard Park & Pipe champion.

MOUNTAIN BIKING

Perfect start of the season! Monster Energy’s Camille Balanche (Elite Women) and Amaury Pierron (Elite Men) secure victories in the 2022 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup season opener in Lourdes, France, this weekend. In the first race of the 2022 World Cup season, 32-year-old Balanche from La Chaux-de-Fond, Switzerland, finished the challenging course in 3:19.983 for first place in the Elite Women division. In the Elite Men division, 26-year-old Pierron from Brioude, France, took the win with a 2:47.111 final time. In the Junior Women’s division, 17-year-old Monster Energy rider Izabela Yankova from Bulgaria finished in 3rd place.

SKATEBOARDING

What a weekend! Monster Energy team rider Jhancarlos Gonzalez took 1st place in Cowtown’s 2022 PHXAM street skateboarding competition at Desert West Skateboard Plaza in Phoenix, Arizona, this weekend. In the 20th anniversary edition of the storied amateur contest, the 25-year-old from Bogota, Columbia, claimed the victory with a perfect run. He was joined on the podium by the weekend’s second-place finisher, 18-year-old Kieran Woolley from Minnamurra, Australia.