main content of page
Racing News |
Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/ Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo Secures Second Consecutive Podium Finish in San Diego
Following the rescheduling of Round 2 due to inclement weather, the Monster Energy® AMA Supercross Championship resumed this weekend for Round 3 in San Diego, California. A new venue to the series proved advantageous for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team, as Cameron McAdoo achieved his second consecutive podium finish in the 250SX Western Regional Championship with a strong showing in front of a sold-out crowd at Snapdragon Stadium. In the 450SX Class, Monster Energy Kawasaki teammates Jason Anderson and Adam Cianciarulo navigated the technical track layout among the best and for a period of time at the front of the field, finishing seventh and eighth place, respectively.
With eagerness to return to the track after a weekend off, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's McAdoo quickly established that his podium performance at Round 1 in Anaheim was not a fluke by setting one of the fastest lap times in practice. Throughout the morning sessions, McAdoo consistently demonstrated his skill by stringing together impressive laps and finished qualifying in sixth place with a lap time of 51.732.
In the 250SX Heat 1, McAdoo reached the first turn running near the back of the field but quickly advanced with calculated passes on the opening lap. A red flag caused by a downed rider resulted in a restart, during which McAdoo made quick work of his competition to secure a fifth-place finish and a direct transfer to the 250SX Main Event.
At the gate drop of the 250SX Western Regional Main Event, McAdoo had a much better start, reaching the first turn inside the top five. A strong start aboard his KX™250 proved beneficial as McAdoo secured third place early in the race and began his charge for second. After a multi-lap battle for second, McAdoo secured the runner-up position just before the halfway mark. However, a small mistake by the Iowa-born rider opened the door for his competition and he dropped to third place. Determined to regain his position, McAdoo rode strong but ultimately finished the race in third place, securing his second consecutive podium finish of the season.
“Racing at the new Snapdragon Stadium was a refreshing experience, I enjoyed being at a new venue and learning the new layout. The night began with an eventful Heat Race, but I was pleased to transfer directly to the Main Event. I had a much better start in the Main Event, which allowed me to move into second place early. However, there are areas of my performance that I still need to improve, which cost me the runner-up finish. Nonetheless, there's still plenty of racing left in the season and we will keep our goal of winning the 250SX Western Regional Championship in mind, and work on improving during the week in practice before returning to Anaheim next weekend."
- Cameron McAdoo
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Anderson and Cianciarulo took on the technical track layout from the very beginning of the day by being the first riders out onto the race track during qualifying sessions. This strategy allowed both riders to be the first to experiment with different line selections before setting out to record a fast lap. The No.21 KX™450SR rider proved to have the better line choice of them all as he set the fastest lap in the first qualifying session of the morning with a 50.639. Meanwhile, Cianciarulo clocked in a 51.723 for ninth quickest. When both qualification sessions concluded, Anderson had the sixth fastest lap (50.587), and Cianciarulo logged the seventh fastest time (50.821).
In the first 450SX Heat Race of the night, Anderson launched from the gate into fourth place. He quickly took control of third by the end of the opening lap and remained comfortably in the position for most of the race. As the laps wound down, Anderson closed in on second place and made a thrilling last-lap pass to finish second.
In the second 450SX Heat Race, Cianciarulo had an excellent start off the gate, reaching the first turn in second place. The Florida native stayed close behind two-time Pro Motocross champion Ken Roczen, studying his lines, and waiting for an opportunity to strike. However, Cianciarulo would fall victim to a hard-charging rider in third, who passed both him and the leader on the last lap, resulting in Cianciarulo finishing third in the Heat Race.
In the 450SX Main Event, Cianciarulo launched out to another top-two start with Anderson close behind in fourth. The No.9 brought the crowd to their feet as he completed the pass for the lead on the former two-time supercross champion Cooper Webb before the end of Lap 1. Cianciarulo held on strong to the lead during the opening laps meanwhile, Anderson maintained a strong fourth-place position. As the race progressed, Anderson was able to make a pass into third. However, a small mistake by Anderson at the halfway mark resulted in a tip over and pushed him outside the top 10. Despite the setback, Anderson was able to quickly regain his pace and make a charge towards the front and ultimately finished in seventh place. Cianciarulo rode consistently up front with the championship contenders and ultimately secured an eighth-place finish, earning Kawasaki two top-10 finishes.
“I had a positive start to the day, setting the fastest lap time in the first qualifying session. However, the starts proved crucial tonight on the technical track layout, forcing me to work my way back through the pack in both my heat and Main Event races. Still, I felt comfortable with the KX450SR as the night progressed, but unfortunately, a small mistake during the Main Event cost me a podium position. I am confident in the performance of my race bike and my training and will keep grinding this week to improve and be more competitive next weekend.”
- Jason Anderson
“Overall, I’m pleased with my performance tonight, particularly my strong starts and ability to contend with the lead group in the Main Event. There certainly is still room for improvement but, I believe tonight marked a step forward from my previous race. I will keep working hard week by week and with the support from the fans and the team at Monster Energy Kawasaki, aim for an even better race next weekend.”
- Adam Cianciarulo
