2022 Glendale Supercross | Race Report

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The Monster Energy Supercross Series rolled into State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, for round five of the championship, and the first Triple Crown event of the year. With three 10-minute-plus-two-laps races to be run in each class, the format provided fans three chances to see the stars of each class go at it, and the action proved to be spectacular, indeed.

250 Triple Crown Race One 

Fast started Vince Friese snared the holeshot when the gate dropped for the first time of the evening, but series points leader Christian Craig wasted no time and took control of the lead in the second corner. Concurrently, Gas Gas rider Michael Mosiman went down and found himself starting the 10-minute race in last place. While Craig started to put time on the field, Honda HRC rider Hunter Lawrence moved into third and set his sights on the Smartop/Bullfrog Spas/Honda racer. Lawrence forced the issue on lap four by diving beneath Friese and taking over second. With that, Jo Shimoda and Nate Thrasher were next to pressure Friese. The Japanese rider made his way past two laps later, but Friese retaliated soon thereafter and retook the position. Shimoda went down a few seconds later when he came into the contact with the rear of Friese’s Honda.  Garrett Marchbanks was the next rider to move into fourth with Jalek Swoll in tow. 

At the checkered flag, Craig enjoyed a massive 14-second lead over Lawrence, who was three seconds clear of Friese, who held on for a podium finish in the first main event. Marchbanks was fourth, while Shimoda overtook Swoll for fifth on the final lap. Mosiman was only able to recover to 10th by the checkers, ending his chances of the Triple Crown overall win on the night. 

“Ninety percent of the race in the Triple Crown is getting a good start,” Craig said. “There are about four of us who can win and it is important to get our front like that. I didn’t feel the best earlier in the day, but I need to focus and do that again in the next two races.”

250 Triple Crown Race Two

Friese grabbed his second holeshot of the night and led the field onto the track, but Craig worked past just before the sand section. Friese missed the inside line in the sand section shortly thereafter and came into violent contact with the rear of Craig’s Yamaha, sending the points leader cartwheeling off the track and onto the concrete floor on the side of the track. Friese also went down in the collision, and Lawrence took control of the point position with Swoll and Shimoda in tow, 

Both Friese and Craig remounted and began to slice through the field, but with the shorter 10-minute races, there was not enough time for either to move back into top positions. At the halfway point, Craig passed Friese for 12th, then went past a couple more racers on the same lap to break into the top 10.

Up front, Lawrence pulled out a commanding lead, leaving Shimoda, Swoll, and Mosiman to battle over the runner-up position.  Mosiman was the man on the move among that trio, working past Swoll and then Shimoda as the laps wore down to take over second. Craig, meanwhile, motored through the field like a hot knife through butter, and found his way into sixth just as the clock ran out and the final two laps began. Craig displaced Marchbanks for fifth and set his sights on Swoll, who he passed for fourth on the last lap.

Up front, Lawrence managed a hard-charging Mosiman on the last lap to earn the win in the second main of the night. Shimoda was third, followed by Craig, Swoll, and the rest. Friese, meanwhile, recovered to 10th.

250 Triple Crown Race Three

Entering the third and final race, Lawrence stood atop the standings with three points to Craig’s five. Craig grabbed the final holeshot of the night in the 250 class, leading Friese, Lawrence, Shimoda, and Mosiman. Lawrence went to work on Friese, but the privateer held his line and fended off the charges of the Australian for several laps.  Shimoda was next to pressure Friese Mosiman joined the fun and made it a three-way battle for third. Shimoda found his way past and into third just after the halfway point of the race, and Mosiman followed suit on the next section of the track. 

Mosiman began to pressure Shimoda for third soon after moving into fourth, and the Gas Gas rider shadowed his rival’s every move. It all fell apart in the last few minutes of the race for Mosiman, though, as he crashed after coming up short on the tabletop on the exit of the sand section. With that, the top five positions were set as Craig took a commanding win, leading Lawrence, Shimoda, Friese and Nate Thrasher across the finish line.

In finishing second in the final race, Lawrence earned the Triple Crown overall win, notching the second Supercross win of his career. Craig salvaged second overall after his crazy crash in the second main, and Shimopda made his first podium appearance of the season in third. 

“It feels good to finally get my first win of the season,” said Lawrence. “The triple crown is exciting and it takes consistency as well as speed to win.”

“I just believe in my ability to win,” said Craig. “When something gets taken away from you by another rider and it’s out of your control, it stings.”

“It’s a different kind of racing with three starts,” said Shimoda. “But overall I am just super happy to be back on the box. I hope to turn this into a turning point of my season as I have had some bad luck.”

450 Triple Crown Race One

Eli Tomac absolutely blasted out of the gate in race one and led Ken Roczen, Jason Anderson, Malcolm Stewart, and the rest onto the track. Anderson made some small mistakes that allowed Stewart to close in and take control of third on lap three. Though Tomac did his best to disappear from the field, Roczen kept him honest early in the race. Stewart made a mistake in a corner at the halfway point and lost enough rear-wheel traction to allow Anderson to retake the final podium position in the moto. Once into third, Anderson set his sights on Roczen and closed to the German’s rear wheel a couple of laps later. Anderson found his way past Roczen at the seven-minute mark, and the loss of position flustered Roczen enough to allow Stewart past, as well, in the following section. 

Up front, Tomac rode a masterful race aboard his Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha, and he succeeded in leading every inch of the first main event by crossing the finish line over two seconds ahead of Anderson. Stewart, Roczen, Musquin, and the rest followed.

“It’s hard to get going in the Triple Crown format sometimes,” said Tomac. “In a traditional event you have the heat race to warm up, but in the Triple Crown, you have to get going right from the start. I got the start I needed and was able to put together the win. I know my body will be better for the next two races so I am looking forward to them!”

450 Triple Crown Race Two

All eyes were on Tomac as the gate dropped in race two, to see if he could pull another massive holeshot. Tomac delivered and he led Anderson, Marvin Musquin, Cooper Webb, and Stewart onto the track. Stewart was the first rider to make a move and overtook the defending Supercross champion, and then the French veteran, for third on the second lap. Honda HRC teammates Chase Sexton and Roczen also displaced Webb and took over fifth and sixth early on, but up front, Tomac appeared to be having an easy time pulling out a lead over Anderson. 

Anderson made a mistake in a rhythm lane just before the halfway point and landed on a Tuff Block. In addition to his bike being stuck on the foam block, Anderson’s clutch lever was rotated on the handlebar severely and he was forced to twist it back into place, losing valuable time and position. Anderson remounted around 20th. Up front, Tomac led Stewart by five seconds, while Sexton moved up to third, comfortably ahead of Musquin. 

At the finish, Tomac had a near five-second lead over Stewart. Sexton, Musquin, and a hard-charging Dylan Ferrandis rounded out the top five.

“I feel like I am really good right after the gate in the rut,” said Tomac. “Good execution in that area makes all the difference. My bike is absolutely flying tonight, and I feel great.”

450 Triple Crown Race Three

With a perfect 1-1 score entering the last race, Tomac enjoyed a three-point advantage over Stewart as the board went sideways at the start of the final race of the night. This time, it was Sexton who snared the holeshot, and Stewart, too, pinched off Tomac in turn one. With a clear track ahead of him, Sexton looked more comfortable than he had all day long, and the Honda rider pulled out a slight lead over Stewart, who held a similar cushion over Tomac. 

While settling for third in the race would have ensured the overall win for Tomac, the series points leader wasn’t content to sit back and cruise home for the win and he began to pressure Stewart as the race neared the halfway point. ET made a clean pass for second at the halfway point, and Stewart suddenly found himself under attack from Anderson, too.  One lap after Tomac dove beneath Stewart, Anderson used the same corner to do the same. Once past Stewart, Anderson really caught fire and proceeded to push his way past Tomac a few corners later and take over second. And with that, the top finishing positions were set. Sexton earned the win in the final race of the night, leading Anderson, Tomac, and Stewart across the finish line. 

Tomac’s 1-1-3 scores were enough to earn the Glendale Triple Crown championship and his second win of the season. Stewart was second overall with his 3-2-4, and the former 250 Supercross Champion was elated to notch the best finish of his 450 career. Thanks to his race three victory, Sexton wrapped up the third and final spot on the podium. 

“Had a little wheelie at the start of the last race, but it feels great to win,” said Tomac. “I can’t believe how great my motorcycle is working, The momentum is going,. We keep improving and the starts keep getting better! This has been a really fun process getting to know a new team and learning to work together.”

“Triple Crown races are really interesting,” said Stewart. “This is my best ever finish and my first podium at a Triple Crown event and I am definitely stoked! I am beyond happy!”

“If you watched my first race you would think I am a beginner,” said Sexton. “I fell twice and finished 11th. Things got better as the night progressed. It felt good to win the last race and I am looking forward to going to Anaheim 3.”