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MONSTER ENERGY®/PRO CIRCUIT/KAWASAKI RIDER LEVI KITCHEN FINISHES SECOND IN 250SX WESTERN REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Foothill Ranch, Calif. (May 12, 2024) - Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Levi Kitchen battled fierce competition to finish fifth in the East/West Showdown and second in the 250SX Western Regional Championship at the final round of the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. Teammate Seth Hammaker showcased speed through the day until a crash early in the 250SX Main Event would land him in the 14th position. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green™ rider Drew Adams took an early lead in the Supercross Futures AMA National Championship race on a rutted and dusty track, but would crash late in the race finishing second overall. Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Jason Anderson showcased speed and comfort battling for a podium position only to finish just short in fourth place in the 450SX Main Event. Teammate Adam Cianciarulo took his final ride with the Monster Energy Kawasaki team, finishing 20th.
Rice-Eccles Stadium, nestled in the heart of Salt Lake City, Utah, is a renowned venue known for its rich history, vibrant atmosphere and host of Monster Energy Supercross events over the past two decades. For the past three years, and once again this past weekend, it played host to the finale of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season, drawing fans from far and wide to witness the culmination of intense competition and thrilling races. Against the snow-covered backdrop of the towering Wasatch Mountains, the stadium buzzed with excitement as riders pushed the limits on the challenging track.
Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki riders Kitchen and Hammaker started the day off strong qualifying seventh and fifth fastest overall, respectively. As the wind picked up the track became more challenging and dry as the night progressed. Heading into the 250SX East Heat Race, Hammaker secured a fifth-place start and progressively maneuvered through the pack, finishing third in the heat. In the 250SX West Heat Race, Kitchen shot out of the gate securing the holeshot and never looked back. The No. 47 KX™250 held his lead, riding a flawless race with constant pressure from his championship rival, securing the heat race win. Immediately after the heat races, weather struck Rice-Eccles Stadium, resulting in an evacuation of the stadium and delaying the remainder of the races. After an hour of downtime and rainfall, the races resumed. At the start of the East/West Showdown, both Kitchen and Hammaker had subpar starts, resulting in them rounding the first turn in eighth and 13th, respectively. Kitchen began making his way forward through the pack, ensuing in multiple battles, setting him farther back from who he needed to beat for the title, RJ Hampshire. Hammaker would also run into issues early on, crashing with another rider causing him to lose positions quickly. Hammaker charged forward, but would settle for a 14th place finish and 10th in the 250SX Eastern Regional Championship. Despite his efforts, Kitchen would move up to the fifth position where he would finish, claiming second in the 250SX Western Regional Championship.
In the 250SX Futures Class, Adams started off the weekend qualifying second overall. In the Main Event, Adams had a flawless start taking the holeshot and leading the field. Adams quickly gapped his opponents on his KX250, and secured a three-second lead by the second lap. Adams maintained his pace on the dusty course, until he made a mistake in a slick corner resulting in him losing his front end as well as the lead. Adams would remount his machine, but was unable to regain his momentum and finished second in the Supercross Futures AMA National Championship.
In the 450SX Class, Anderson and Cianciarulo kicked off the day qualifying seventh and 13th, respectively. In Heat 2, Anderson and Cianciarulo got off the gate in fifth and 12th, respectively. The No. 21 quickly made his way through the pack into the fourth position where he would finish. Cianciarulo would struggle maneuvering through riders, but would eventually make his way into the ninth position, qualifying him for the main event to line up one last time. In the 450SX Main Event, Anderson got off to a top-five start, while Cianciarulo was pinched off and started in 15th position. Anderson battled for the third position for most of the race until interference with a lapped rider hindered his chance at a podium position. Cianciarulo would continue to push through his emotions and the deteriorating track on his KX™450SR, but would lose a few positions along the way finishing his final race in 20th.
