In Quotebook, a selection of riders detail round five of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship, at Oakland in California.

450SX

Image: Octopi Media.

Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – Second:
I think I finally just raced ahead tonight. I think I’ve been just kind of conservative and not laying it out there like all these guys have been so today/tonight was a much better direction and I fought hard the whole main event. I still need a little there at the beginning but overall I’m pretty happy and I feel like I’m in a good spot moving forward.

Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – Fifth:
My night was alright. I think my heat race kind of messed up my gate pick and then I was on the outside, so I wasn’t really able to be in the battle right away and once I got into fifth I was in no-man’s land so I just rode it in for fifth. We’ll move onto next weekend and hopefully put myself in a better situation.

Dean Wilson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – Seventh:
I think the whole day was a little bit rough but I’m happy with how the main event went. In the heat race I had a problem and had to go to the LCQ, so it was a stressful day. But to get seventh I’m really happy with that – I moved forward and pushed to the checkered flag and that’s exactly what I wanted to do. I’ve been working really hard to get back on my feet again, so it’s nice to see that I’m getting back to battling up there again.

Zach Osborne (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – 11th:
My starts were still good tonight, it was just a really frustrating finish after being in the top five halfway through the main event. I need to work on some things this week and come out swinging in San Diego. I feel like I had a really good shot at a good finish tonight but I just kind of let it escape me there in the last half of the main.

Justin Barcia (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing) – Sixth:
We had an extremely solid week. We tested a lot on the bike. We had some work to do, but on Thursday I felt like I was in a really comfortable position coming into Oakland. Throughout practice all day we improved, and I felt the comfort kind of come, and that was a good feeling for me. I got off the start good in the Heat race, I was about third or fourth and then someone ran into the side of me and kind of set me back a little bit. Then I had to charge up to third and was really close to second and first, but unfortunately, we had a mechanical issue on the last lap, so that sent us to the LCQ. The LCQ win was a good confidence boost going into the main event. The only tough thing was we were on the far outside gate and for the start this weekend, we needed to be on the inside. I kind of got pinched off and I knew I had my work cut out for me, but my body felt super good. My fitness was awesome. I charged hard throughout the whole main event. I came from outside the top 10 up to sixth and was closing in on the guys in front of me. All in all, Oakland for me was not the result I wanted but my riding was awesome. I felt really comfortable on a track that was difficult. I’m really looking forward to next weekend.

Aaron Plessinger (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing) – 12th:
Oakland wasn’t really an ideal night. I struggled all day trying to find comfort and it showed in the main. I got off to a mid-pack start and got passed a couple times. I started making my way through the pack but made a mistake and a couple guys got by me. I tried to just push forward from that point on and ended up 12th. We’re going to go back with the team and do some testing this week. We’ll get ready for San Diego, and I’ll try to redeem myself there.

Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Fourth:
For me tonight we made great strides and for only riding one time this week to see if my tailbone was good to go, I am pretty pumped with the result. I can’t thank the whole Monster Energy Kawasaki team enough for giving me a setup tonight that allowed me to do what I did after being a little banged up. I am looking forward to some more recovery this week and to come out swinging next week in San Diego.

Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – First:
Wow, what a crazy night. We got a good start tonight and were able to get going right away. Had a good battle with Ken [Roczen] tonight, then got a little excited and missed my rear brake and went over the berm there. Luckily, I was able to recover quickly and charge back to the front. My KX450 was straight up ripping tonight and we closed the points gap up to three points. I am feeling really good right now, and we are just going to carry this momentum into San Diego next weekend.

Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC) – Third:
Overall I’m happy to be on the podium. I’ve felt pretty good in previous weeks and today was different. I just felt a little slow in practice honestly, and wasn’t really vibing too well with the track. It took me a little longer than normal to get comfortable and get everything down. With that being the case, I’m happy to have finished on the podium because it could’ve been worse. I’m definitely bummed I gave up some valuable points, but to still come away with the points lead is good. It was great to lead more laps, but I wasn’t the fastest tonight and made some big mistakes, especially toward the end, which were costly. It allowed Cooper [Webb] to close in – when you’re behind someone like he was, you can kind of pick your lines and set something up for a pass, which is what he did. Obviously, I’m not too happy about that but it’s racing. I don’t know what happened in the pass but somehow my foot got smashed or hung up and it was a stinger, but I’m not too worried about it. We’ll keep an eye on it and if I need to, we’ll get an X-ray to make sure everything is good. I’m looking at the big picture and we’ve been on the podium a bunch and are still in a good position overall.

Justin Brayton (Team Honda HRC) – 13th:
Tonight was quite a bummer. I don’t know exactly where I was on the first lap, maybe around ninth, and I just got hung up with another rider when he stalled his bike in an off-camber turn. Once he got going, my rear wheel had dug a hole in the up-ramp, and I was stuck. By the time I then got going, I was 22nd by a long way back. I made my way up to 13th, which was about all I could do. It’s such a bummer because I feel like I’m riding really well at the moment and we had a great week at the test track. The bike is amazing and I’m really happy with the changes we’ve made and how it’s working. These bad starts just won’t cut it. These past two weeks I’ve just been terrible on the starts, so I need to be better about that. I think if I can get some starts like I did in the beginning of the year, I can get into the top five. I’m super-motivated heading into San Diego. It’s races like this that really motivate you to get back to work during the week.

Justin Hill (Smartop Motoconcepts Bullfrog Spas Honda) – Eighth:
This weekend was much better than the one before, that’s for sure. I don’t know what it is about Oakland, but I always feel good here. I was stoked to get the heat-race win and felt really good. Tonight I should’ve been top-five, for sure. I had a really good pace right off the get-go and most of the first half, but I struggled behind Zach [Osborne] – I stabbed at him a few times but didn’t set up my passes correctly. I tightened up after that, made some critical mistakes, and [Justin] Barcia and [Dean] Wilson got by me. I’m happy with my progress and I feel like I am a better rider and man than I was a week ago.

250SX West

Image: Octopi Media.

Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing) – Third:
It was another tough night for me but we were able to bounce back. I did what I had to do. I put in a lot of laps tonight, so I was pretty smoked in that Main. It was pretty hard to pass out there. I just took my time and focused on Alex [Martin]. I’m just happy to get a good start and stay up when I hit Alex in that first turn. I have got to give it up to the whole team. We’ll go back to work and try and get back on top.

Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing) – First:
I’m pretty pumped about the way my day went here in Oakland. I finished first overall and took the red plate, which is awesome. It was such a good night for the team and myself, but we still have many races to go. So we’re back to work again Monday and will work hard to be ready for the next round in San Diego.

Austin Forkner (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Second:
Tonight I felt pretty solid. I was happy with my speed and fitness. I just happened to make a mistake right as I was getting caught, which cost me because everyone was so close in lap times. I’m happy with the race, but obviously wish I could have gotten the win.

Cameron McAdoo (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – 14th:
It was really good to be back lining up for the team. Getting the heat race win felt awesome. I got a decent start in the main and was holding a top 10 but made a mistake and went down. The track was technical and still not being quite 100 percent cost me a little bit in the end. It was great to get out there and see where I was at, because I just didn’t know until I did it.

Luke Clout (Penrite Honda Racing) – Fifth:
I felt better, testing had gone well and working with Buddy Antunez has clearly helped. It was a positive step forward, but we have a lot of work in front of us – I really hope I can stay and complete the championship.

Mitchell Oldenburg (Penrite Honda Racing) – Sixth:
I want to be racing up front, my bike feels great and I know we can race for podiums. I got clipped in turn one and ended up coming out 15th or 16th, so all I could do is regroup and push through. I am glad I recovered to finish sixth, but it’s not where I want to be.

Alex Martin (JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing) – Fourth:
All around, better vibes this weekend in Oakland after a productive week of testing in North Carolina with the team. I was able to use that JGR Suzuki power and grab the main event holeshot. I led for a while before going back to third where I rode for the majority of the race, before I got passed with a lap and a half to go, finishing fourth. Very bittersweet, but I’m happy with the progress that was made in just one short week with the team. I can’t wait for San Diego!

Michael Mosiman (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – DNF:
It was a tough night to say the least. It was good to be in front of the hometown crowd and I definitely felt their support and cheers around the track – this was a track I grew up coming to as a kid and now to race here at a high level is awesome. I learned a lot racing with [Austin] Forkner in the heat race and I came into the main with some confidence and speed. Overall, I had a lot of positives tonight but it was a rough go at it.