Fast Five // Anaheim 1

Fast Five | Anaheim 1
Words and Photos: Krystyn Slack | Freestyle Photocross

 

Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship season is back in action! Be sure to check out Freestyle Photocross each week for your “Fast Five” – the top five and most talked about moments from Supercross for each round of racing.

Anaheim 1 is easily one of the most highly anticipated races of the Monster Energy Supercross season, and not just because it’s the first race of the season. Riders return to defend championships or seek redemption for less than stellar past seasons or make their Supercross debut. Whatever the reason, riders line up for the first race of the season with something to prove. Angel Stadium is a place where anything can, and usually does happen. Here is your weekly “Fast Five”.

1. Ken Roczen suits up

At the first press conference of the season, Ken Roczen made a powerful statement with his “dress to impress” choice of attire – showing that he is determined and ready to be a serious title contender this season. Team Honda HRC’s bold move to acquire the 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Champion has been the talk of the town since the contract was inked shortly before Monster Energy Cup and Kenny is already turning heads aboard his new steed. The lightning fast Roczen won his Heat Race and carried his speed directly into the Main Event where he ripped the Holeshot and never looked back. Kenny looks extremely comfortable on the supercharged 2017 CRF450R and took the checkers a whopping 16.200 seconds before second-place finisher and defending champion, Ryan Dungey.

 

2. Two-time Western Regional 250SX Class champion, Cooper Webb, moves up to Premier Class

Factory Yamaha rider, Cooper Webb, is no stranger to racing under the lights, but 2017 will be unique in that it is his rookie season in the 450SX class. When you hear “rookie”, you probably think of a rider who is inexperienced – someone who has low expectations for results, someone who would be more than pleased with a top 10 finish. Not Webb! He expects so much more of himself, even his first time lining up in the Premier Class. At the post-race presser, an emotional Webb shared that now that the first race is out of the way, the team will make some adjustments and head into San Diego ready to charge and hungry for a better-than-top-10 finish. We did get a smile out of Cooper though when asked what it was like to be part of Opening Ceremonies for the first time. His face lit up as he responded, “Something as a kid you always grow up watching Supercross and you see the Opening Ceremonies and you want to be a part of it. It’s definitely sweet to be in the intro and be with all the guys. It was a pretty special moment, you know, all the crowd and stuff. That was pretty special and I’m sure I’ll remember that for a while.”

3. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner makes Supercross Debut

At only 18 years of age, Austin Forker already has a storied career and is one of the most talked about rookies in the game. Although eligible to compete in Monster Energy Supercross during the middle of the 2016 season, Austin opted to complete his first Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season, where he finished 4^th overall, prior to making the transition into the “indoor” stadiums of Supercross racing. Austin’s debut “under the lights” is one of the most anticipated rookie debuts in recent years and he did not disappoint. Qualifying sixth in practice, and finishing an impressive second in his Heat, Forkner showed that he is ready to show the world what he is capable of. An unfortunate over-the-bars crash during the Main Event left Austin a little shaken up, but not out of the running as he charged back to an eighth place finish in his first-ever Monster Energy Supercross race. Get ready to hear Austin Forkner’s name a lot this season!

4. Shane McElrath Soars to First-Ever Career Supercross Victory

The Western Regional 250SX season is off to a dynamite start for the 38 of Shane McElrath. In this sport, we often talk about consistency and momentum rolling from event to event and how beneficial it is for riders and teams to use that energy as a catalyst for even more momentum. Coming off a dominant performance during the off-season Red Bull Straight Rhythm event, Shane definitely rode with a calm confidence as the gate dropped on the 2017 season. A last lap pass over GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin led to a Heat Race win for McElrath and the momentum just kept building. As the gate dropped on the first Main Event of the season, Shane took off like a rocket collecting the holeshot and leading the entire 15 minute + one lap race, taking his first-ever career Monster Energy Supercross victory and crossing the finish line 2.299 seconds over second place finisher, Aaron Plessinger. It’s always exciting to watch a rider connect the dots, put the pieces together, and see the fruits of their labor culminate in a Monster Energy Supercross victory! There’s nothing like that first-time feeling and TLD/Red Bull/KTM team member, Shane McElrath, has been patiently waiting for this moment for a long time.

 

5. Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship Season Kicks Off with a Sellout Crowd at Angel Stadium

2016 was a most-impressive Monster Energy Supercross season for Feld Entertainment, Inc.. Did you know that more than 1,000,000 fans attended Supercross events last year? Pair that with more than 35,000,000 fan engagements across SupercrossLIVE social media channels and you’ve got a recipe for success. Elevating the fan experience at Supercross events, both live and online, is a clearly visible goal of the Feld team and one they continue to accomplish race after race. The 2017 Monster Energy Supercross season kicked off with a sellout crowd of enthusiastic fans and industry veterans at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. There was even a special intermission ride by the legendary Teemu Selanne of the Anaheim Ducks, in partnership with Road2Recovery to raise additional funds for the injured Jessy Nelson. Anaheim 1, in particular, continues to be a very memorable race for fans, and not just because it’s the start of a new season.

 

 

We head south to San Diego’s Petco Park for Round 2 of the 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship. Catch us live on FS1 and at www.supercrosslive.com on Saturday, January 14, 2017.

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