main content of page
Racing News |
Monster Energy® Kawasaki Returning Riders Show Success 4th of July Weekend at Round 5 Of AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Foothill Ranch, Calif. (July 2, 2023) - Round 5 of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship was held at the legendary RedBud MX. Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Jason Anderson secured a fifth place (5-7) overall finish at his first AMA Pro Motocross race of the season after returning from an injury. Teammate Adam Cianciarulo displayed a commendable recovery after encountering an issue in Moto 1, ultimately securing a 10th place finish (31-6) overall and moving up to fourth in the points standings. After a prolonged absence, Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Seth Hammaker demonstrated his talent by securing an impressive eighth place overall finish (5-10) upon his return to the start gate. Jo Shimoda, Ryder DiFrancesco, and Jett Reynolds finished seventh (8-5), 13th (14-14) and 16th (11-20), respectively.
RedBud MX, also known as America’s Motocross Track, is widely known for its elevation changes, soft dirt and incredible fans. Celebrating its 50th Anniversary and Independence Day, RedBud continues to be a rider favorite each AMA Pro Motocross season. Despite earlier rain showers, wind gusts and increasing humidity, Anderson skillfully secured the third place position during qualifying while Cianciarulo qualified fourth, just three one-hundredths behind his teammate.
In Moto 1, Cianciarulo executed another one of his remarkable starts in fourth place, and Anderson just a few spots behind in seventh. Cianciarulo began putting pressure on fellow Kawasaki rider Ty Masterpool for the final podium spot. The two riders fiercely battled until a mistake by Cianciarulo caused him to lose a position to the No. 14 of Dylan Ferrandis, but his charge did not stop there. The two riders continued to battle as the No. 9 made an aggressive pass to overtake the fourth position, but quickly fell back to the fifth position once again. As deep ruts began to form, Cianciarulo continued to persevere and hold his fifth place position over Masterpool. Unfortunately a few laps from the finish, Cianciarulo’s race was cut short following a crash, and was credited the 31st position. Anderson maintained a solid pace, holding onto the seventh place position a majority of the race until his Monster Energy® Kawasaki teammate’s crash that swiftly moved him up to fifth place, where he would finish for the first moto.
At the start of Moto 2, Cianciarulo and Anderson were nose-to-tail in the ninth and 10th position, piloting their KX™450SR machines. The two Monster Energy® Kawasaki riders stayed inline quickly making up positions on the first lap. Exhibiting remarkable consistency and unwavering perseverance, both riders ascended to the sixth and seventh positions and steadfastly maintained their places throughout Moto 2, concluding the race without encountering any issues.
As rain began to fall in qualifying, Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki riders would face challenging conditions as the track quickly changed. Hammaker was determined to make a comeback after a long five month recovery. His determination paid off with an eighth place qualifying time, less than 2 seconds off the top qualifier. Shimoda would take the ninth spot, DiFrancesco in 10th just half a second behind and Reynolds in 16th.
As the gate dropped in Moto 1, the top 10 spots were filled with Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki riders. DiFrancesco would take the third position, followed by Hammaker in fifth, Shimoda in sixth and Reynolds in 10th at the end of Lap 1. On Lap 2, DiFrancesco collided with another rider, causing him to be sent off of his bike. The No. 75 quickly remounted his KX™250 but fell back to the 21st position. Hammaker and Shimoda both began making their way towards the front, and by Lap 3, landing themselves in the third and fourth position. An intense battle between the two young riders commenced as they fought for the final podium spot. Shimoda held onto fourth place until he was pushed off track, causing him to drop back to eighth place. Reynolds maintained a steady and consistent pace in the top 10. DiFrancesco progressively made his way up through the pack, clicking himself into the top 15 by the halfway point. After a few mistakes, the No. 35 fell back to the fifth position but as braking bumps grew and the heat began to rise, the Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki riders continued to navigate the treacherous terrain. Hammaker would come back to the Pro Motocross season with an impressive fifth place finish, Shimoda gained one position in the final laps finishing seventh, Reynolds remained steadfast throughout the moto finishing 11th and DiFrancesco clawed his way into 14th after his incident on Lap 2.
The beginning of Moto 2 in the 250 Class began with chaos as a crash ensued, resulting in both the points leader and Reynolds being taken down. However, Shimoda, Hammaker and DiFrancesco occupied the top 5 heading into the first few turns. Reynolds eventually recovered and began riding again in the 38th position. As cloud coverage and wind gusts began to cover the Michigan terrain, Hammaker made a vital mistake that sent him off the track. The No. 35 quickly recouped but had fallen back to the 20th position. After two laps, Hammaker had already seen himself to 12th place. Shimoda made an error sending him back to fifth place where he would remain for the entirety of the moto. Hammaker continued to finesse his way through riders and carnage, making his way back up to 11th by the end of the race. DiFrancesco made a mistake dropping him to the ninth position, and unfortunately continued to drop to the 14th position where he would finish. Reynolds lit a fire, making up 17 positions in a 30 minute time wonder, finishing in 21st for Moto 2.