Image: Ocotpi Media.

A podium at Washougal marked a timely boost for Jason Anderson in the closing stages of the 2023 season, with third overall on Saturday setting him up to push for more success post-season in the hybrid-based SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) rounds.

Anderson sustained a non-displaced fracture in his C5-C6 vertebrae during a practice crash at the Nashville round of Monster Energy Supercross, ruling him out until round five of the 450MX season at RedBud.

Round eight marked his strongest overall result in this year’s Pro Motocross season to date, qualifying second fastest before notching a consistent 4-4 scorecard for P3 overall alongside Team Honda HRC duo Chase Sexton and Jett Lawrence.

“When you come back, obviously, for my skill and how I believe I can ride, I have no doubt I can be on the podium with these guys,” Anderson said. “But for me, when I did my neck injury I couldn’t do much because they say, like, the vibration can make the bone not heal, so I was chilling [laughs].

“Like when you chill that long, it is hard to come back. That’s the hardest thing, I feel like I got a little over two weeks, to be on the level of these guys and the level that they are at, I think, is higher than I think we’ve seen in many years. They are doing it really smooth and they are doing it so much different. For me, I wanted to comeback, I felt like I could be on the podium with them and I really want to learn and just improve my craft.”

A unique dynamic for 2023 is the introduction of the SuperMotocross World Championship playoffs, with three post-season events to take place on hybrid track layouts to crown SMX champions for the first time.

Following the second Pro Motocross season break, three 450MX rounds remain for Anderson to build form before the SMX finals commence on 9 September at zMax Dragway. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider is currently seventh in the combined 450SMX standings.

“For me, it would just be nice to have success toward the end of the season, because even in Supercross, it was tough for me,” Anderson added. “Not only were my races not going good, but I was also having such a life change. I was having my daughter mid-season, and that was my priority, and I wanted to have my daughter and now we are going to the races and are ready to start focusing on that.

“That’s kind of where I am at. It would be nice to get to the SMX, battle for hopefully some wins in some of those races and yeah, just end the season on a good note and try and enjoy myself as much as I can.”