Anaheim 1 delivered its share of drama, with a mixed bag of results throughout both the 450SX and 250SX West categories. We’ve gathered the direct takes from riders in this first Reaction feature of the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross Championship season.

450SX

Image: Octopi Media.

Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – First:
I’m still kind of processing tonight. It’s cool to win Anaheim 1 since it’s a pretty hyped race! I’ve come close in the past, so it was nice to come out on top tonight. I had a lot of fun riding today, had a good time on the track, which was really busy, and I think that kind of plays into my favor. We put a lot of work in during the off-season to get back to where I need to be, so it’s been a long road, but it makes this win feel even better.

Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – Ninth:
Anaheim 1 didn’t go the way I wanted it to, but we’re walking out healthy. I was kind of sluggish all day, and I didn’t get off to a very good start in the main event, which made things harder for me. I’m going to go back and do some more testing this week, do some work, and come into San Diego with an improved feeling and aim to get back on the box.

Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Fourth:
Anaheim 1 is always a crazy race. It was an up-and-down day and an up-and-down off-season, but I’m happy. That was a good race. Obviously, being in the top five is important, but I wanted to be on the podium and felt like I was riding good enough to be up front. We need to get our starts a little bit better and be in the mix for next week. It was definitely a good starting point. We’re right in the fight, which is great.

Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Fifth:
It was a night of a lot of emotions. We put ourselves in a great position there right at the start of the main event and made it to the lead off the triple. It was a pretty cool feeling, and then two turns later, I ended up washing the front. It’s a mistake that just happens, so it’s very frustrating to do that on the first lap because it usually puts you in last. I just had to recover, make my way forward, and make as many passes as I could. I was actually happy to get to fifth. That was important for us with the points, especially since we were nearly last at one point. Other than that, it was a very good day. I had a good qualifying and had good speed, so I’m excited to get the season going.

Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Seventh:
It was a good night. I had two good starts. In the heat race, I was able to lead for a lap and had a good finish there to set me up for a good gate pick in the main. Then I got another really good start but got shuffled back pretty quickly to fourth or fifth. I was in a pretty intense battle out there and kind of lost the flow. I had to be aggressive – attacking while being defensive with the guys behind me – which ended up costing me. So there was a little bit of a slump in the middle, but I was able to finish strong and come away with seventh. It was a good start to the season, and I’m looking to keep it going.

Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC Progressive) – 12th:
That wasn’t ideal, but the only way to go from here is up. We’ll go back, work hard, do some testing, and come back better. We always do.

Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC Progressive) – 11th:
It was a frustrating end result, but there were a lot of positives throughout the day and night show. I’m eager to get back to work with the team to come back swinging in San Diego.

Justin Barcia (Rockstar Energy GasGas Factory Racing) – Sixth:
A1 was a bit of a stressful day. I think this was the 12th or 13th time I’ve lined up for Anaheim, but the nerves never go away. I was riding like a goon in practice and qualifying, but I had a good heat race and rode really well. I didn’t get the greatest start in the main event, but I got myself up to fifth with a really good ride. Unfortunately, I got passed at the end of the race and brought it home in sixth. All in all, we turned the day around. I’m not happy with sixth, but to get out of Anaheim healthy and with the bike working well, I’m looking forward to San Diego.

Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – 10th:
A1 was a mystery for me. I honestly felt good all day, in the heat race I was sitting third and made a mistake in the sand, and the next thing you know I got whipped and went flying. I hit the ground pretty hard and beat myself up, but when you hit the ground like that it’s to be expected that you don’t bounce back the way you want. I got checked out and I got the green light to go racing, so I went into the LCQ and salvaged what we had. In the main event I thought if I could top 10, that’d feel like a win. Sure enough, we got 10th, so we leave on a really high note due to the circumstances and how I feel. I’ll take a couple of days off now to regroup and get ready for San Diego.

Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Third:
We have done a lot of testing in the offseason and it was awesome to see it all pay off by starting the year off with a podium. Finishing second in the heat race gave me the confidence for the main event. Off the start, I got very sideways and was leaning on everyone, but was able to muscle my way to the front pack. Battling with my Monster Energy Kawasaki teammate up front in the first few laps was incredible, but I was able to make the pass lead some laps. Overall it was a great opening night for the 2025 season and I am excited to line up next weekend in San Diego.

Jorge Prado (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – 14th:
Anaheim 1 is done and there are so many positives to take from the night. I placed second in my heat race, grabbed a holeshot in the main event and even led some laps. This shows that I mean business and I can fight for the top spot any night. I cannot ask for more in my first race with the Monster Energy Kawasaki team and they worked so hard to put me in a position to battle up front. I am looking forward to getting redemption next weekend in San Diego.

Joey Savatgy (Quad Lock Honda) – 22nd:
The crash in qualifying was frustrating. I’m not sure what the other rider was thinking, but he cut across the lane and off the track, taking me down with him. It twisted me up and hurt my neck, which definitely impacted my performance. I’m really frustrated. This isn’t where I should be. Crashing is never great, and I need to perform better. I’ll review the footage and study what the guys ahead of me are doing. This is not the start I wanted.

Shane McElrath (Quad Lock Honda) – 13th:
My heat race was intense. I almost went down twice, but I’m glad I managed to recover quickly, make up ground, and qualify directly to the main. It’s not great, but it’s not terrible either. The positive takeaway is that we have a solid base to work from. I felt more comfortable as the day progressed, and I believe we’re in a better position heading into the next round.

Ken Roczen (Progressive Ecstar Suzuki) – Second:
In qualifying, I wasn’t where I wanted to be. It was a little bit my fault. I got caught in the middle of a lot of people and a lot of time went by. I ended up 14th. I was mad about it, but I was calm. It’s not where I wanted to be, but I didn’t really care. I know how to race, and I knew I’d be fine. Sure enough, the heat race went great, and I was really happy with the main. I clicked off some good laps and had a good main. I’m stoked – it was a good podium for me.

Colt Nichols (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – DNQ:
The night definitely didn’t go as planned, but that’s racing. We get to try again next weekend.

Kyle Chisholm (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – 20th:
I was a little nervous coming in, you know, being the first race of the season. In my heat race I got out to a decent start, and just put my head down and raced. The field obviously is super stacked, so it was awesome just to get straight into the main out of the heat. Main event time, I just didn’t ride my best. I wasn’t super comfortable, and I kind of just rode instead of raced. I need to get a little more comfortable and we’ll come back next week. This was probably my last A1. We’ll see, but that’s the plan for now. I’m definitely pumped to get out of here getting in the main and being out there racing.

250SX

Image: Octopi Media.

Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – Second:
We’re in a lot better space mentally and physically than we were last year, and I have a lot more belief in myself that I can go the distance. Today I concentrated on minimizing the mistakes on race day, I rode with a lot more maturity than I did last season. I rode calmly, smoothly and tried to ride like I do at the test track. I feel like I achieved that and showed that I’m one of the title contenders this year.

Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Fifth:
It was a solid first round and a lot better than last year. We got a top-five and are not sitting 16th. I’m not super happy that we biffed it on the start, but that’s racing. It happens. All we can do is go back to work and come back swinging next week.

Cole Davies (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Eighth:
My pro debut at Anaheim 1 was a positive day. I learned a lot of race craft and felt good on the bike. I ended up sixth in qualifying and got second in the heat, but I went down on the first lap of the main and came from last to eighth. It’s time to build off that and get ready for San Diego!

Michael Mosiman (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 15th:
It was quite a day. I think in the main event, we were all bouncing off of each other, and I got the wrong end of the stick. The start was tight. It kind of just spits you out and puts everyone together, and then you have everyone trying to jump and get to the front. It was carnage, but we got through it. I think I have good speed and have a lot to offer, it’s just a matter of putting it all together. I haven’t raced in a while, so it’s going to take a little bit of time, but I’m just excited to build from here.

Jo Shimoda (Team Honda HRC Progressive) – First:
We got a win tonight at the first round, which is really cool. I’m really stoked with the improvements we made during the day. It was a good confidence booster for the upcoming rounds, and a good start for the team.

Ryder DiFrancesco (Rockstar Energy GasGas Factory Racing) – Fourth:
I had good qualifying sessions and I was near the top of the board in every session. My heat race was good and in the main event I ran third until a lap and a half to go. We’re close! This was a huge confidence gain tonight and I’m excited for San Diego.

Garret Marchbanks (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Ninth:
It was a good start to the season. I felt good in qualifying and the heat race, and even though I didn’t hold the position I wanted in the main, it’s something to build on. The bike felt great, and I’m ready to keep improving as the season goes on.

Jordon Smith (Triumph Factory Racing) – Third:
Overall, today was good! The track was pretty dry and hard-packed, so we learnt a lot about the bike and confirmed some stuff that we already knew. The starts were really good – there were so many positives! I was happy to be able to fight back after a mistake in the main event. To capture Triumph’s first podium in AMA Supercross is an honour and just amazing.

Stilez Robertson (Triumph Factory Racing) – 20th:
The day started off okay. I hit a tough block in the main event, got going from last and climbed to around 13th. I made some mistakes after that – I have not raced supercross in a long time. No excuses though. We will keep building and be better.