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MONSTER ENERGY® KAWASAKI RIDERS SHOW RESILIENCE IN SAN DIEGO
Foothill Ranch, Calif. (January 19, 2025) - Monster Energy® Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Garrett Marchbanks was looking for redemption at Snapdragon Stadium for Round 2 of Monster Energy® AMA Supercross on Saturday night in San Diego, California. Marchbanks showed speed early in the night show winning his 250SX Heat Race and then in the Main Event he overcame a tough start to work his way into the Top 10 with an eighth-place finish. Ty Masterpool made his 2025 debut in 250SX West Region, but withdrew from the race following a crash while running in the Top 10. In the 450SX class, Monster Energy® Kawasaki riders Jorge Prado and Jason Anderson had a hard-fought night in San Diego as both riders battled through the competitive field in the 450SX Main Event, to finish in 12th place and 13th place, respectively.
In the 450SX Class, the Monster Energy® Kawasaki riders went to work in their qualifying sessions, with Anderson securing sixth and Prado 13th overall. The night show kicked off with a great start by the No. 21 Kawasaki in the first Heat Race, who jumped to fourth place off the start and quickly advanced to third, where he would ultimately finish providing a good gate for the main event. In 450SX Heat 2, Prado got off to a Top 10 start, but a collision with another rider dropped him back to 13th. The No. 70 fought hard to make up time but missed a qualifying position by one spot, finishing the heat race in 10th place. Prado was forced to line up for the Last Chance Qualifier where he executed a convincing holeshot on his KX™450SR and never looked back, claiming first place and stamping his ticket to the main event. At the start of the 450SX Main Event Anderson found himself in 10th place early on. The No. 21 battled hard to advance himself to seventh place, but ultimately finished the night in 13th due to a loss of energy after dealing with an illness throughout the week. With a 19th gate pick on the far outside of the gate, the start would prove to be challenging for Prado. He once again executed a great jump, only to be pushed wide in the first turn. Prado worked to methodically pass riders and crossed the finish line side by side with his teammate for 12th place on the night.
In the 250SX Class, Masterpool claimed eighth overall in qualifying on the technical, hard-packed track, with teammate Marchbanks earning 10th overall. 250SX Heat 1 saw both of the Monster Energy® Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders with a good jump off the gate, with Marchbanks rounding the first turn in the third position. The No.36 KX™250 of Marchbanks quickly moved his way up into first place, where he would ultimately continue to the heat race win, while his teammate Masterpool crossed the finish line not far behind in fourth. In the 250SX Main Event, Marchbanks started in the 15th position and fought his way through the field to finish eighth on the night. Teammate Masterpool was off to a strong start in seventh place until a mid-race crash while battling with the points leader forced him to retire from the main event.
“My day was not the greatest, but I ended up qualifying sixth, which was pretty average. I finished third in my heat race, which was better than I expected since I am under the weather. I did not have a great start and then had some other issues in the main event. I’ve been sick this week and it got to me by the end of the night. My energy was fading and it showed the last couple laps of the main. I am happy to have made it out healthy and I’m looking forward to being healthier for next weekend.”
Jason Anderson
“I think there are positives to take from the weekend besides the result. I was riding well in the heat race, made good moves on the first lap, and then around Lap 3 I went down with another rider, so I was pretty far behind. I almost made my way up to a transfer spot, but I just couldn't make the pass. Then I went to the LCQ, got the holeshot, and won that race. The gate pick for the main event was not ideal, so it was a long way for me to get to the inside. I started towards the back out of the first corner and made some good passes. I had a good rhythm and felt good but still have a lot of work to do. I am still learning the whoops since I have never done that type of section before on a track. Right now it is all about learning and getting more comfortable, but my riding was better than last week and in seven days I look to improve my results again.”
Jorge Prado
"Today was solid overall, but the main didn't go as planned. Qualifying was decent—P10 overall. In the heat, I had a strong start, took the lead by Lap 2, and won my fourth career heat race, which felt great. The main was tougher; I got shuffled back to 16th early but charged up to finish eighth. The track was challenging with limited passing lanes, but I'm feeling good heading into next weekend."
Garrett Marchbanks
