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Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo Wins in Arlington
Round 8 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship brought riders to the Lonestar state where Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/ Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo topped the 250SX Class in the first Triple Crown event of the 250SX Eastern Regional season. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammate Austin Forkner was well on his way to making it a double Kawasaki podium in Arlington, Texas until a late race crash relegated him to seventh overall. Forkner will consult with medical professionals to determine his return to racing. In the 450SX Class, Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Jason Anderson claimed two of the three main event wins on his way to securing second overall.
The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki duo of Forkner and McAdoo came into Arlington ready to build on their success from the Eastern Regional opener. The two KX™250 mounted riders quickly displayed their podium prowess by jumping to the top of the qualifying leaderboard. As two of the first riders in the 250SX field to master the two whoop sections, lengthy rhythm lane, and deceivingly loose Arlington topsoil, Forkner and McAdoo established themselves as top contenders on the night. When qualifying sessions concluded, Forkner clocked the second fastest lap (49.254) with McAdoo hot on his tail in third (49.535).
The start of the first 250SX Main Event once again saw green at the front as McAdoo and Forkner made their way into second and third, respectively, by the end of the first lap. On lap 3, while McAdoo patiently looked for his opportunity to take control of the lead, Forkner inspired cheers from the Texas crowd by swiftly moving around him to go from third to first. McAdoo promptly followed Forkner to the front, making it a Team Green top-two by the time the race reached the halfway point. With Forkner leading and McAdoo close behind, the Kawasaki duo matched pace with one another until they crossed the checkered flag in tight formation to secure first and second place.
In 250SX Main Event 2, Forkner and McAdoo came through the green flag lap running in fourth and fifth. Similar to their first race of the night, the Team Green riders moved in tandem as they passed into podium contention. This time around, McAdoo gained an advantage from the close racing by overtaking Forkner on Lap 3. The No.48 of McAdoo pushed forward with impressive speed through the deteriorating whoop section as he completed the remainder of the race in third position. Forkner followed close behind in fourth. With McAdoo’s 2-3 and Forkner’s 1-4 race scores, the two found themselves in a three-way tie for the overall Triple Crown win heading into Main Event 3.
The final 250SX Main Event of the night was a highlight performance for McAdoo as the Iowa native rocketed out to an early lead and commanded the race from the front. Despite the challenging slick conditions, McAdoo set fast laps in rhythm to build a lead of more than eight and a half seconds over the competition. McAdoo stayed sharp all the way to the finish to bring home the Main Event 3 win, securing his first Triple Crown overall victory and tying him for the championship points lead. Meanwhile, Forkner tactfully moved forward from a sixth place start to take control of third position before a late race crash ended his race prematurely. Forkner’s 1-4-19 race scores earned him seventh overall. McAdoo will share the championship points lead going into Daytona and don the red plate on his KX250.
“It’s always special to get a win, especially considering the depth of the field out here. I had consistent rides tonight and that last main event was such a blast. Getting out front early gave me a chance to just lock in and focus on running my own laps. I was able to stretch out a comfortable lead and secure the overall win. It really feels great to achieve this with a team that puts so much into always being their best.”
- Cameron McAdoo
With two consecutive Main Event wins at his back, Anderson came into Arlington SX with notable championship momentum. As has come to be customary of the New Mexico native, Anderson thoughtfully laid out his plan of attack with the team during a morning discussion about bike set-up on the unique Texas clay. When the 450SX Class took to the track for the first practice session, Anderson executed according to plan by laying down some quick laps and getting comfortable with the recent adjustments. The subsequent qualifying sessions were utilized as opportunities to hone in on the ideal race setting as Anderson picked up the pace each time he took to the track. When qualifying concluded, Anderson had the eighth fastest time (49.243).
When the gate fell for 450SX Main Event 1, Anderson launched his KX™450SR out to a third-place start. In the opening laps Anderson made his way into second position and began applying pressure to the leader. Having spent more than half the race searching for the right opportunity to take the lead, Anderson attempted to make the pass on Lap 12 but both riders came together and found themselves on the ground. Anderson quickly remounted in sixth place, where he would ultimately finish his first race of the night.
Undeterred from the crash, Anderson executed another exceptional start in 450SX Main Event 2, emerging from the first turn in second place. Matching the form he displayed in Main 1, Anderson found himself amid an intense three rider battle for the lead. Cheers erupted from the Arlington crowd as the top-three traded positions back and forth. While the hard base layer underneath the Texas clay began to show through, Anderson proved the handling of the KX450SR by turning inside of the competition on several occasions. After an intense battle, the No.21 of Anderson gained a secure hold on the lead by Lap 8 and never looked back, claiming an impressive Main Event win.
In the final 450SX Main Event of the night, Anderson replicated the success of his prior starts to position himself inside the top-three. On Lap 2, Anderson moved himself into second place and the front two quickly separated themselves from the rest of the class. As the track continued to break down and the traction went away, Anderson proved his grit by increasing the pace of the race and setting the fastest lap of all three main events on Lap 7 (48.041). On Lap 8, Anderson made his move for the lead with a decisive pass after the finish line double. The No.21 KX450SR rider pressed on to the finish where he claimed his second win of the night and earned second overall (6-1-1).
“All-in-all it was a good night for us as a team, I won two of the three main events and came away with second overall. I’m happy with the momentum we have right now and I think we’re in a really good place as far as the bike goes. My results have been great lately but, my focus is still on taking it one race at a time and staying on my toes because this 450SX class is stacked with talented riders that all want to win.”
- Jason Anderson