Racing News

In the 450SX Class, Anderson started the day with sixth overall in qualifying. The No. 21 Kawasaki had a strong jump out of the gate in 450SX Heat 1, quickly putting himself into third place where he would ultimately finish the race. This result would give him a strong gate pick, which was important on the narrow and technical track. In the 450SX Main Event, Anderson pushed his way to the front from the inside gates into the rare, right-hand first turn aboard his KX™450SR, putting himself into third place. He quickly charged to second place on Lap 2, but mid-way through he began to tighten up on the tricky, deteriorating track and would drop to fifth place. Late race crashes from his competitors moved Anderson back up into podium position where he would finish the race in third place and climb from sixth to third in the points standings. 

In the 250SX Class, McAdoo announced at the press conference on Friday that he suffered a torn ACL during a practice crash a couple of weeks prior to Round 5. The No. 50 made it clear he was still determined to race and put his best effort forward. In qualifying Hammaker made a statement as the fastest rider in Qualifying 1 and third overall in the Eastern Regional 250SX Class combined qualifying results. The No. 47 of Kitchen was close behind securing fifth overall, while teammate McAdoo took 12th overall in qualifying. In Heat 1, McAdoo rocketed out of the gate aboard his KX™250 into second place where he would ultimately finish the race, setting himself up for success with a top gate pick for the Main Event. In Heat 2, Hammaker and Kitchen lined up side by side on the inside of the gate and jumped into the Top 10 from the start. Kitchen made a brief stop in the mechanics' area for a bike issue, then immediately raced back onto the track. Soon after, on Lap 4, a red flag from an injured rider stopped the race and sent the 250SX field back for a staggered restart. Kitchen took advantage of the restart and made his way up to fifth place to finish the race, while Hammaker stayed consistent and worked his way up through the field to earn fourth place. In the 250SX Main Event, McAdoo and Hammaker accelerated out of the gate in unison going side by side into the first turn and both advancing into the Top 5 by Lap 2. Kitchen’s 10th gate pick did not serve him well as he was positioned far inside which caused him to get squeezed out of the first corner without a strong start, and pushed him back to 15th place. The technical sand section that was proving difficult for riders all day caught Kitchen early as he went down from the deep ruts and uneven lines. Another red flag from an injured rider would force the race to stop on Lap 7 and restart in a staggered lineup. The restart put Hammaker in third, McAdoo in fourth, and Kitchen in 12th. The green flag waved once again and McAdoo was on a charge for the podium, quickly moving past his teammate and putting himself into third where he would ultimately finish the race. Hammaker was able to hold his position the rest of the race, narrowly missing the podium with a respectable fourth-place finish. Meanwhile, Kitchen worked his way up the field to finish ninth on the night after a hard-fought race. Following the race, the rider in second was docked five points which moved McAdoo and Hammaker to second and third in the championship points just five and seven points back, respectively, after the opening round of the 250SX Eastern Region.

“Tonight I was more likely to be a fifth-place guy. I was figuring out my rhythm through the whoops, but was dealing with some arm pump that dropped me back a little. I hung in there and I was able to pass Chase [Sexton] at the end for third so that was good. This class was tough and you never know what can happen. Being able to get three podiums so far in the season and being third in points is nice. I definitely want to keep moving further up and it would be nice to have more of these nights where I feel super comfortable and can make a charge for the win”

• Jason Anderson

“I am so grateful to have the strength to be here racing tonight. It was a difficult day and it has been difficult since the injury. I didn’t come in with any expectations, I wanted to go out and do my best. I am very happy with how tonight ended and how the team was able to manage everything. I got a lot of questions this weekend from people asking if I will be able to race, but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I would be able to race.”

• Cameron McAdoo

“Today was pretty good, I came out swinging in the first qualifier with P1, so I felt confident with that. In the second qualifier I was rushing in the beginning, I was not gelling with the track but still got a decent lap in and felt pretty good going into the night show. In the Heat Race I got a pretty bad start and worked my way up to fourth so I did put myself in a great position for a good gate pick in the main. I got a decent start in fourth place then made a pass and was in third for a while until the red flag forced a staggered restart. Soon after I got passed by McAdoo and rode fourth for the rest of the race. I wanted to stay smart and have a solid finish for the first race of the season, and I will look to improve this week and get a better result in Detroit.”

• Seth Hammaker

“After having to switch from West to East Coast I took about two weeks off to recover from the flu and pneumonia. I'm very thankful the team was able to make that change happen for me. I've got two weeks on the bike now and it's been great, including testing. The time off helped give me a break and I feel much better now, although today could have gone a little bit differently for me. Qualifying wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. In the Heat Race, I had to make a quick stop in the mechanics’ area with a bike issue, and that set me up for a poor gate pick. I did not execute my start in the main, and then I crashed in the sand section, so I was quite a ways back. I just tried to make do with what I had. I’m not really happy with my performance. I do feel like I'm riding pretty well right now, so I just have to put this one behind us and go to the next.”

• Levi Kitchen