2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
Round Five – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Report by Trevor Hedge – Images by Jeff Kardas

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250 Qualifying

The first Triple Crown round of 2022 unfolded overnight as Supercross hit Arizona for round five of the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship season.

Under the Triple Crown format there are no Heat races, instead riders pick their gates on the back of their qualifying time. It was 23-year-old Australian Hunter Lawrence that topped the qualifying sessions ahead of Nate Thrasher and Christian Craig. 

While they were heading for three Mains, each one would be only a 10-minute plus one lap duration. 

250 Qualifying Results

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250 Main One

Vince Friese scored the holeshot between the two Yamahas of Christian Craig and Nate Thrasher while Hunter Lawrence gave chase just behind in fourth. 

A terrible start to Michael Mosiman’s night, the San Diego winner on the ground and all the way at the back of the field after tangling with Carson Brown. 

Hunter Lawrence squeezed past Thrasher for third place a minute into the race and then immediately started to attack Friese for second but, as always, the #62 was hard to pass and it took the Australian longer than he would have preferred to take that second place. Hunter had to get a little aggressive to finally force his way through three-minutes into the race, but by that time Craig had already pulled the pin and had a five-second lead. 

Jo Shimoda made his way past Thrasher for fourth place and a couple of laps later then forced his way through on Friese, but Friese returned fire shortly afterwards and forced Shimoda off the track. Shimoda had slipped back to sixth by the time he recovered. 

Christian Craig continued to pull away out front and took a dominant 14-second victory over Lawrence while Friese completed the podium. 

250 Main One Results

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250 Main Two

Vince Friese scored the holeshot ahead of Christian Craig and Hunter Lawrence but only a few turns in to the race Vince Friese hit the back wheel if Christian Craig in the berm of a long left-hander and the impact took Craig’s Monster Energy Yamaha YZ250F down, but Craig kept going! The championship leader was ejected not only over the bars, but flew over the berm and off the track right down onto the concrete surface of State Farm Stadium below! Friese was also off the bike and lost a lot of time, but Craig lost a lot more as he scrambled his way back up to the track and sparked his YZ250F back into life. The pair had gone from leading the race to the back of the field…

The benefactor of that incident was Hunter Lawrence who now led the race from Jalek Swoll and Robbie Wageman. 

Craig and Friese had fought their way back through the field and were up to 13th and 14th respectively by the halfway point of the race. 

Michael Mosiman closed down Hunter Lawrence late in the race and was challenging for the lead two laps from the end but Lawrence was able to respond and hold on for victory.

Lawrence the winner from Mosiman and Jo Shimoda third ahead of Christian Craig. The Yamaha man coming from dead last to scythe his way all the way up to fourth in yet another remarkable comeback. 

250 Main Two Results

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250 Main Three

Christian Craig scored the holeshot ahead of Vince Friese, Hunter Lawrence and Jo Shimoda in the third and final 250 Main of the night. 

While Hunter Lawrence looked for a way past Friese, while giving the unpredictable 30-year-old a wide berth, Christian Craig was pulling away out front.   Lawrence finally found his way through on Friese just over two-minutes into the contest, but by that time Craig had a three-second lead. 

The battle for third place was where all the action was. Jo Shimoda and Michael Mosiman all over the back of Friese but struggling to find a way past. Shimoda finally found a way through halfway through the race, Mosiman then relegated Friese further back to fifth on the next lap. 

Mosiman made a mistake a couple of laps from the end while chasing Shimoda, going down and losing a lot of time. His safe fourth place gone and the GASGAS man was left to try and salvage a couple of points. Eventually finishing 15th.

Lawrence did not have the speed to close down Craig, the #28 Yamaha continued to pull away and by the last lap board his buffer was almost six-seconds. He cruised his way to the flag for a clear and concise victory.

The overall round win though does go to Hunter Lawrence with his 2-1-2 results. Craig’s coming together with Friese in the second bout costing him his chance for the overall, that has allowed Lawrence to trim the gap in the championship back down to eight-points.

250 Main Three Results

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250 Round Results

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250 Video Highlights

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250 Post Race Press Conference

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250 West Championship Standings (Round 5 of 10)

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450 Qualifying

It was a Yamaha 1-2 in 450 Qualifying with Dylan Ferrandis heading Eli Tomac on the combined time-sheets. Next best was Jason Anderson ahead of Ken Roczen and Chase Sexton. 

That was the first time in his 450 career that Ferrandis had topped qualifying, and with no Heat races it was a good time to do it! 

After Qualifying they had three Mains to contest, each one only a 12-minute plus one lap duration.

450 Qualifying Results

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450 Main One

Eli Tomac got the best gate of his career, blasting off the line and the YZ450F picking up the front wheel again halfway down the chute before he tipped into turn one ahead of Ken Roczen, Jason Anderson and Malcolm Stewart.  

Anderson got the better of Stewart to move up to third place two-minutes into the race but Stewart got him right back after the Kawasaki man made a mistake. A couple of minutes later Anderson moved back up to third after Stewart on the gas a little too hard and lost some time.  Then with just under three-minutes to run that pair both squeezed past Ken Roczen, demoting the German back to fourth. 

Eli Tomac backed things off on the final laps to save his energy for the races to come but still took the flag more than two-seconds ahead of Anderson.  Malcolm Stewart third, Roczen fourth.

450 Main One Results

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450 Main Two

Eli Tomac scored the holeshot once again in the second bout. Jason Anderson second, Marvin Musquin third. Cooper Webb was fourth before being deposed by a charging Malcolm Stewart who then made short work of Musquin to move up to third. 

Chase Sexton made his way past Cooper Webb a couple of minutes into the race, shortly afterwards his HRC team-mate Ken Roczen then pushed Webb further back to seventh. Dylan Ferrandis was the next rider to pass Webb, then moments later Justin Barcia added further insult to relegate the defending champ to ninth. 

Jason Anderson was running a strong second place at the halfway mark of the race but then made a mistake through a rhythm section and got hung up on a tough block. His team could only look on with their heads in their hands as rider after rider passed him as he tried to get his machine off the tough block. When he finally got going again he was outside the top ten and eventually finished 12th.

Eli Tomac had a five-second lead over Malcolm Stewart with five-minutes to run. Chase Sexton third, Musquin fourth, Roczen fifth and Ferrandis was now up to sixth.

Ferrandis got on terms with Roczen and took that fifth place from the Honda man with a couple of laps left to run. 

Tomac the clear victor once again.  Malcolm Stewart second ahead of Chase Sexton while Musquin came home fourth with a three-second buffer over Dylan Ferrandis. 

450 Main Two Results

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450 Main Three

Could Eli Tomac make it three from three?  

Tomac got closed down by Malcolm Stewart heading into turn one but it was still a reasonable start, third at the end of lap one while Chase Sexton led the way thanks to the holeshot and Malcolm Stewart was second.  Cooper Webb fourth ahead of Marvin Musquin. The Frenchman folded the front a couple of laps later though and was relegated all the way back to 18th. 

Eli Tomac steadily reeled in Malcolm Stewart and made his way past at the halfway point of the race. By this time though Chase Sexton had a four-second lead and was looking safe out in front. 

Jason Anderson then made his way past Stewart before catching and then passing Tomac to promote himself up to second place with four-minutes to run and he kept Tomac at bay all the way to the flag to claim that second.

A flag to flag victory for Chase Sexton. The 22-year-old backed it off on the final lap but still took the chequered flag by 2.5-seconds while Eli Tomac’s third place was good enough for the round win thanks to his two wins earlier in the night. Tomac now leads Sexton by 11-points in the championship chase.

Eli Tomac the round winner ahead of Malcolm Stewart and Chase Sexton.  Jason Anderson fourth overall ahead of Ken Roczen, Justin Barcia and Marvin Musquin while defending champ Webb bagged 15-points for eighth. 

Supercross returns to Anahaim next weekend for round six.  If Tomac takes the form he displayed tonight through to the following rounds he will firm up as the championship favourite in what will be his first year with Yamaha. If he pulls it off he will be one of only four riders to have claimed the title on two different brands of machinery. The GOAT, Ricky Carmichael, did it on three different brands…

450 Main Three Results

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450 Round Results

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450 Video Highlights

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450 Post Race Press Conference

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450 Championship Standings (Round 5 of 17)

Source: MCNews.com.au