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Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/ Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo Earns Podium Finish at Season Opener in Anaheim
The highly anticipated opening round of the inaugural SuperMotocross World Championship resulted in a podium celebration for Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Cameron McAdoo as he claimed third place in the 250SX Class Main Event. In the 450SX Class, Monster Energy Kawasaki teammates Jason Anderson and Adam Cianciarulo overcame the treacherous conditions to secure a pair of top-10 finishes with seventh and ninth place, respectively. Fellow Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Austin Forkner proved his speed by qualifying in pole position and charging through the competition in his Heat Race before a crash at the start of the 250SX Main Event sidelined him for the remainder of the night.
Amid a particularly wet southern California winter, the Anaheim 1 opener provided riders with a unique battling ground of soft rutted soil for what is arguably the most anticipated race on the calendar. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki duo of McAdoo and Forkner were quick to prove the off-season preparation of their KX™250 race machines as the two riders adapted to the challenging course conditions and asserted their positions at the front of the field. Both Kawasaki riders linked together impressive laps throughout the timed qualifying sessions while pioneering several of the larger rhythm combinations around the track. When qualifying concluded, Forkner secured the first pole position of the year with a 1:00.595 lap time and McAdoo followed with the fifth fastest lap of the class (1:01.601).
When the gate dropped for 250SX Heat 2, McAdoo rocketed his No.48 KX250 out to the holeshot and early lead. A quick exchange for the lead on the first lap moved McAdoo back to second place before the veteran 250SX Class rider executed a calculated pass on Lap 3. Once McAdoo regained the lead position, he logged smooth laps out front to claim his first Heat Race win of the year. Meanwhile, Forkner was running outside the top-15 on the opening lap after he was forced to take evasive action to avoid a crashed rider in Turn 2. Forkner mounted an impressive charge and proved himself as the class of the field by racing his way into third place before the conclusion of the six minute plus one lap qualification race.
In the first 250SX Western Regional Main Event of the season, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo was quick to launch out the gate and utilize the power of his KX250 race machine to reach the first corner in second. Unfortunately, the night ended early for Forkner after he was sidelined due to a crash suffered at the start of the 15-minute Main Event. Meanwhile, McAdoo maintained his composure on the rapidly deteriorating track to hold strong to second place throughout the first half of the race. As the race progressed, a small mistake by McAdoo allowed the rider in third to close the gap and mount a charge. The Iowa-native remained in control of the position during the latter stages of the race until lapped traffic caused another small error from McAdoo and saw him slip back to third. At the finish, McAdoo took the checkered flag in third to secure an impressive podium result at the season opener; the 14th 250SX Class podium of his career.
“The energy is always high at the opening round and the track was especially technical tonight so I stayed focused on being the best I could be throughout the day and trusted that would place me near the front of the running order. All in all, a podium result is a solid way to start out the season and our goal is to consistently finish near the front with the aim of challenging for the 250SX Championship. I still feel like I could have executed a few things better in the late stages of the Main Event to contend for the win so, I’m going to continue working with the team and look to improve next weekend in Oakland.”
- Cameron McAdoo
The demanding Anaheim 1 track conditions offered the 450SX riders an opportunity to display their elite technicality as the rapid transitions from traction to slippery wet dirt required exceptional throttle control and power management. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Anderson and Cianciarulo proved to have two distinct approaches to the challenge as Anderson attacked the track from the very outset and Cianciarulo patiently found his rhythm as conditions improved. Despite the differences in their tactics, both KX™450SR riders challenged near the front of the leaderboard with impressive pace. When the qualification sessions concluded, Anderson had the fourth fastest lap (1:00.602) and Cianciarulo had the eighth fastest lap (1:01.140).
When the second 450SX Heat Race got underway, Cianciarulo and Anderson rivaled for positions inside the top five. As the earlier race jockeying began to settle, Cianciarulo moved his way into third place with Anderson close behind in fourth. The Monster Energy Kawasaki teammates commanded the attention of the nearly sold-out Angel Stadium audience while they thrillingly contested the podium position. Cianciarulo proved his racing mettle by withstanding the pressure from behind and logging consistent laps to maintain third place through to the finish line. Meanwhile, a minor mistake from Anderson in the rutted rhythm lane on the final lap shuffled him back one position for a fifth-place result.
In the 450SX Main Event, Anderson and Cianciarulo launched out of the gate before bumping bars with the championship contenders causing them to shut off the throttle and lose position entering the first turn. Anderson was able to sneak around the inside and quickly found himself inside the top-10 while Cianciarulo suffered another minor mistake before mounting a charge forward from 13th position on the green flag lap. Anderson raced his way through the top contenders until Lap 10 when he fell while attempting to pass his way up into a podium position. Anderson remounted in eighth place but, quickly regained his pace and began racing his way toward the front. All the while, Cianciarulo stuck to his strategy of persistently chipping away at the competition as he worked his way up into the top-10 of the running order. When the checkered flag flew, Anderson finished in seventh and Cianciarulo followed close behind in ninth place.
“The track was really demanding tonight with all of the sharp edges and quickly changing ruts which caught a lot of riders out during the day. From the morning practices through the end of the 450SX Main Event, you had to be precise with where you put your tires on every section of the track. I had a few mistakes that cost me from getting into the podium battle at the end of the night but, overall, I feel like we’re in a great place with the KX450SR to be competitive for wins again in 2023.”
- Jason Anderson
“First and foremost, it was great to be back at the races doing what I love with my team today. We are aiming to build some momentum and continue improving throughout the season so, to start inside the top-10 after nearly a year away from racing is a positive. It was a really challenging track today for everyone but, we managed it all well as a team and came away with a solid result at the end. I’m looking forward to doing it again next week in Oakland.”
- Adam Cianciarulo
