Image: Octopi Media.

Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen has won the opening round of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross Championship at Anaheim 1, topping arch-rival and defending title-holder Cooper Webb in an eventful opener.

It was a deserved win from Roczen in a relentless 450SX main event to open the season, going on to win by a full 7.296s margin and take the early red plate in the series.

Behind him is where the action happened, ultimately seeing number one plate-holder Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM) score second ahead of a determined Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas).

Earlier, Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton had been challenging Roczen for the lead until the midway point when he made a minor error and tucked the front, only to go down more heavily soon after in the whoops and dash his hopes of a podium altogether.

Next, Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) was on par for a podium, passing Barcia for P2, but being taken down almost immediately after with three minutes to run, which set the ever-crafty Webb up for a run at the podium into second once he made his way through on Barcia.

Sexton eventually fought back to fourth position, just ahead of Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM), while a quiet ride from Eli Tomac on debut with Star Yamaha resulted in P6 across the line.

Top qualifier Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) was next, falling victim to a move of Musquin in the latter stages, as Joey Savatgy (Team RMATVMC KTM WPS), Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM) and Anderson filled the top 10.

In 11th, after circulating inside the top three at the beginning, was Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki), however, in the end, it was Roczen who stood up when it counted heading into Oakland next Saturday night.

Detailed results