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Monster Energy® Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson Earns Fifth Consecutive Top-10 Finish
Round 6 of the Monster Energy® AMA Supercross Championship hosted the world’s best supercross riders in Tampa, Florida, where Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson completed a remarkable come-from-behind effort aboard his Kawasaki KX™450SR to secure a sixth-place finish while teammate Adam Cianciarulo earned a 12th-place result. In the 250SX Class, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Chris Blose charged from back in the pack to finish 13th at the second round of the 250SX Eastern Regional Championship.
Warm temperatures, humid air and cloudy skies greeted the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Cianciarulo and Anderson as both Team Green™ riders entered the weekend prepared to continue their streak of strong finishes. As qualifying sessions began, both Anderson and Cianciarulo were first to hit the track. The two riders made quick work of the layout as they battled back and forth at the top of the leaderboard. At the start of the final 450SX qualifying session, Cianciarulo stuck with the same game plan from earlier and was one of the first to hit the track. Meanwhile, Anderson elected to give the opposition room ahead before setting out to record his fastest lap. When the qualifying sessions concluded, Anderson recorded the second-fastest lap (48.599) with Cianciarulo setting the fourth-fastest lap time (49.051).
When the gate dropped on 450SX Heat 1, Cianciarulo utilized the power of his KX450SR for a spectacular start and claim the holeshot with Anderson following close behind in fourth. Despite scattered showers starting to fall, the No.21 rider quickly moved into second place within two turns of the opening lap and began to hone in on the lead. On Lap 2, Anderson brought the crowd inside Raymond James Stadium to their feet as he blitzed by Cianciarulo in the whoops to take control of first. The New-Mexico born rider proceeded to build a comfortable gap over the competition en route to claiming his second 450SX Heat win of the 2023 season while teammate Cianciarulo finished close behind in second.
When the 450SX Main Event began, Anderson and Cianciarulo both emerged from the first turn just outside the top five. Cianciarulo had the better drive of the two as the No.9 rider latched onto the back of the lead group and followed close. After the start, Anderson sat in sixth fending off pressure from the competition while simultaneously looking to advance forward. Brief contact with another rider while attempting a pass during the opening lap of the main event shuffled Anderson back to 22nd. The No.21 rider quickly regained his composure and mounted an all-out charge forward, making several swift passes during the first half of the race to move inside the top 10. As racing progressed, Anderson’s offensive attack continued with the No.21 logging some of the quickest laps of the race prior to securing control of sixth place. Meanwhile, Cianciarulo shuffled back to seventh after a crash in the whoops on Lap 10, then a subsequent tip-over dropped him back further. When the checkered flag flew, Anderson crossed the line in an impressive sixth place and Cianciarulo finished in 12th.
“The track was actually really good tonight. The little bit of rain we got made the dirt out there tackier, which I think is an advantage for me. I believe I had the speed to win tonight and, had it not been for a minor mistake, our night would’ve ended with a podium. However, I think I learned a lot about my race bike tonight. After the crash, I set out to make up as many positions as possible in as little time and didn’t know I could ride the motorcycle that hard. I just need to tap into that flow state earlier in the races and we’ll be back on the top step in no time.”
- Jason Anderson
“Overall, the result tonight wasn’t what we were aiming for, but I think we can still take some positives from the day. I once again qualified close to the front and even held the quickest lap time in the second session momentarily. My starts were also again on point, allowing me to get valuable time racing with the lead group. The team and I are thinking big picture right now and focusing on improving little by little each weekend, which I believe we succeeded with again tonight.”
- Adam Cianciarulo
Carrying momentum from his top-10 performance the weekend prior, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blose attacked the track with confidence during the 250SX qualifying sessions. The No.57 rider logged the 13th quickest lap (52.730) during the first sessions but, like a true veteran, Blose quickly assessed the areas of the track he needed to improve and recorded a 52.042 lap time during the final practice session: qualifying him as 12th fastest overall.
When the first 250SX heat race of the night began, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blose found himself involved in a three-rider pile-up in the opening 180-degree turn. The No.57 quickly remounted his KX™250 race machine and rejoined the race in 15th. Despite the adversity, Blose battled his way through the competition and into a top-10 position by Lap 5. Blose continued to race forward as the heat neared its end and when the checkered flag came out, he crossed the finish in ninth to complete his incredible come-from-behind performance.
At the start of the 250SX Main Event, Blose found himself shuffled to the back of the pack. The No.57 KX250 rider crossed the finish line on the first lap running in 15th position. With plenty of work ahead of him, Blose embarked on an offensive charge forward executing passes with each lap. Despite the deteriorating track conditions, Blose’s pace remained strong. Unfortunately, a mistake on Lap 5 slid Blose back outside the top-15 group of riders. With a determined mind, Blose continued his steady march forward through the pack to catch his main rivals. As racing progressed, he tapped into his wealth of experience and swiftly maneuvered by slower riders in hopes of securing another top-10. Despite his best efforts, time for the 250SX Main Event expired and the No.57 ultimately finished with a hard-fought 13th-place result.
“This was a challenging weekend for me. I couldn’t get into a rhythm during qualifying which made the heat and main event races that much more difficult. Having to play catch up after the first turn crash in my heat also took a lot of energy out of me but it’s a bit of a confidence booster knowing I can still charge my way through a stacked field like that. The main started out better than the heat but I still had to work my way through the competition. At the end of the day, the team and I know I can do better so we’re going to put in some hard work during this break and arrive in Arlington ready to battle.”
- Chris Blose
