Monster Energy’s Jason Anderson (Kawasaki) wins a thriller at Budds Creek MX National

Wild race day as Monster Energy’s Tomac regains the o/a 450 class point lead from Monster’s Sexton; Monster’s Shimoda 2^nd @ Budds, now 2^nd o/a 250 points

CORONA, CA – August 22, 2022 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – With a strong 2-2 moto finish on Saturday at Budds Creek (Md.) MX, Monster Energy’s Jason Anderson won his second overall premier 450 class Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship event of the summer. Anderson’s victory highlighted a wild day for Monster Energy racers as overall 450 point leader Chase Sexton (Honda) crashed twice in the opening moto, which Eli Tomac (Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha) won. Sexton then came back and won the second moto – only to have his (Sexton’s) point lead and coveted red leader race plate reclaimed by Tomac at day’s end with a 2^nd place 1-5 finish.

“You don’t win championships on your good days… you win them on your bad days,” said Sexton of his heroic comeback in the second moto, salvaging a 4^th place on the day (7-1).

Added Tomac: “I look at the positive… I’ve got the points lead and we’re ready to carry on.”

As it stands, with two races remaining, Tomac leads Sexton by a single point, 449-448, in one of the closer Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship 450 class title chases of all time.

And in 250 class racing, Monster Energy’s Jo Shimoda (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) was thisclose to winning his second-straight overall, but settled for 2^nd (3-1) to RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) based off one thrilling second moto race finish position. Despite that, Shimoda moved from 3^rd place to 2^nd place in the overall 250 class point chase, six points ahead of Honda’s Hunter Lawrence (396-390).

450 class podium Monster Energy’s Jason Anderson

Here’s a look at what went down at Budds Creek MX, beginning with the 450 class.

450 Moto 1 – Monster Energy’s Eli Tomac

With Honda’s Ken Roczen pulling the opening 450 moto holeshot, Sexton and Tomac were in strong positions – 5^th and 6^th, respectively – at the midpoint of the first lap. … Tomac would quick move onto Sexton, and pass the then 450 class point leader, who only moments later caught neutral in a corner, tucked the front end and went down over the bars as Tomac sped off. … “All that (Sexton’s wreck) was caused by Eli (Tomac) passing him (Sexton) on the uphill,” cited announcer, five-time MX champ James Stewart. … Tomac then moved up onto former champ Ryan Dungey (KTM) and put the YZ’s power on to the outside of a corner, confidently taking 2^nd place. … No sooner did Tomac move into 2^nd place did Sexton crash, again, this time running into fallen rider, #484 Tanner Ward’s bike, which sent Sexton sailing back over the handlebars. … With Sexton now back in an unheard of 25^th place, Tomac put the hammer down and made up 2.5 seconds on race leader Roczen. Rounding out the top ten for Monster Energy at the 24:00 mark of the opening moto were Anderson in 5^th, Christian Craig (Star Racing/Yamaha) in 6^th and Joey Savatgy (Kawasaki) in 8^th. … At the 23:21 mark Tomac would blast past Roczen with an inside move on a sweeping dual berm corner, then powering up the hill for the race lead – a lead he’d never relinquish. … Sexton, to his credit, mounted a furious charge back towards the top ten, while Anderson was making his move towards the podium, passing Aaron Plessinger (KTM) for 4^th place at the 19:47 mark. … Three seconds back of Dungey for 3^rd, Anderson continued to tame the oppressive heat and the rugged Budds Creek track, his skill and fitness level paying dividends as he got past Dungey for the podium spot in a downhill section at the 8:46 mark. … Also moving into the top ten, and all the way up to 6^th place, was defending 450 class champion Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha). … With Tomac up 10 seconds with three laps remaining, Anderson railed past Roczen for 2^nd while Sexton passed Savatgy for 8^th. … The moto’s best battle, between Monster Energy teammates Craig and Ferrandis for 5^th place, would grab the attention of the live broadcast cameras as Craig won that battle, giving Monster Energy three racers in the top five of the opening moto (1^st Tomac, 2^nd Anderson, and 5^th Craig).

Said Moto 1 winner Tomac: “What was important for me there was to make moves early, like the first five turns and the top of the uphill were where I was able to get ahead. (I) worked on lines, trying to get the flow going. It all worked out well for us and we’ll try and repeat that in the second moto.

Added Anderson: “I just want to keep progressing. But my progress has kept me in third place. So today, to get a step up and move forward to second place is nice. Lot of carnage on that first lap with people going down, but, fortunately, I was able to get through it.”

450 Moto 2 – Monster Energy’s Chase Sexton

Blasting out to the holeshot and early lead was Savatgy, with Anderson out in 4^th, Sexton moving up to 5^th early. Not in the picture was Tomac, who started outside the top ten (13^th) – but moved up to 9^th by the end of Moto 2’s opening lap. … Anderson would get past Savatgy for 3^rd at the 26:20 mark, and up onto moto leaders Roczen and Dungey. … At the 24:26 mark Sexton would get past Savatgy for 4^th, and was coming on fast towards the lead pack. … A couple minutes later Sexton would get Dungey, after which Anderson passed 2^nd place Roczen for the lead – setting up an Anderson vs. Sexton battle. … Nearing he moto’s halfway point, Sexton caught and passed Roczen, putting him 1.5 seconds back of race leader Anderson. … During this time Tomac was hustling, passing Plessinger for 6^th, though having to do so with great effort following his subpar start. … At the 14:41 mark Sexton was able to make quick work of Anderson, passing for the lead and opening up a 1.5 second gap almost immediately. … Having lost 11 points to Tomac in the opening moto, Sexton, in his effort to open his Moto 2 lead up further, crashed a third time, allowing both Anderson and Roczen to get by before re-mounting and continuing the moto. … Anderson would then stall his bike momentarily at the base of Henry Hill, allowing both Roczen and Sexton by. Sexton would then flat track his bike around a hilltop corner, find traction, and passing Roczen for the lead at the 8:58 mark. … Moments later Anderson would get past Roczen, giving Monster Energy the 1-2 positions in Moto 2. … Tomac was continuing to hustle, making up spots (and championship points) as he passed Savatgy for 5^th and was on to Dungey for 4^th. But the crafty Dungey wasn’t going to be an easy task for Tomac, and he ended up holding off Tomac for 4^th at race’s end. … With only nine seconds separating the top six racers with two laps to go, Sexton put the hammer down and increased his gap on Anderson to 2.6 seconds. And they’d finish just like that, 1-2, with Tomac placing 5^th.

Said Sexton: “Man, today was not my day. Just made too many mistakes. I knew I had to bounce back in that second moto. So if we can come back next week and ride really strong we’ll be in a good spot.”

Added Tomac: “I got a bad start and did not make the moves as early as I did in Moto 1.”

Said Anderson, in winning the overall: “Today 2+2 = 1. This was a step in the right direction. I was a little nervous, I didn’t have it in practice. But we were able to bring it around. Let’s keep it going and see if we can finish the series strong.”

250 Moto 1 – Monster Energy’s Guillem Farres

Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Nate Thrasher was out of the 250 Moto 1 gate fast, pulling a 4^th place start and quickly moving up to 3^rd. … No sooner did Thrasher move into podium position did his Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha teammate, Justin Cooper, get tangled up with Jalek Swoll (Husqvarna) and crashed – rejoining the race in 33^rd place. … And the bad luck continued when Thrasher went down, going from 3^rd to 15^th. … With a podium finish pretty much out of the picture for Cooper, and Thrasher having his work cut out for him to get back into the top five, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda, who won the previous week at Unadilla, N.Y., made his move into the top ten. … And as the crowd focused in on the rallying Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha racers, a #109, running the same bike graphics and race wear, was seen running up front in the top five. Spain’s Guillem Farres, a last-minute replacement rider for his Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha teammate Nick Romano, had everyone thumbing through their programs to find out who this #109 was and how is he flat out hauling in his first-ever American MX National. … At the 22:16 mark Thrasher moved back into the top ten (10^th), while Shimoda was busy tracking down Farres – pulling to within a couple seconds , then eventually passing Farres for 5^th at the 17:23 mark. … Shimoda continued to fight his way towards a possible podium finish, at one point literally jumping over the head of KTM racer Max Vohland to take 4^th place. … Shimoda then focused on 3^rd place Michael Mosiman, passing the Gas Gas racer late, only to be passed back by Mosiman in a great battle. Shimoda would pass Mosiman back one more time, railing an outside berm and making the final pass stick – through the checkers – for 3^rd place.

250 Moto 2 – Monster Energy’s Jo Shimoda

Rallying back from a disappointing opening 250 moto, Cooper grabbed the holeshot in Moto 2, with Shimoda tucked in behind in 3^rd. … Shimoda would track and pass Swoll at the 27:27 mark for 2^nd place, then raced to the lead, past Cooper, to the inside of an uphill section. Cooper would then get Shimoda back, wrestling the lead away a half lap later. … The two Monster Energy-backed racers would engage in a great battle for the next couple laps, with Shimoda winning an uphill drag race and taking 1^st place back from Cooper. … At the moto’s halfway point RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna), who won the opening moto, was moving up through the pack, closing in on Cooper. … Cooper’s three-second lead on Hampshire would be cut down to just a couple bike lengths when the two reached lap traffic, with Shimoda still well out front. … The overall victory for Shimoda now rested in Cooper’s hands, and his ability to keep Hampshire out of 2^nd place (Shimoda’s 3-1 would beat Hampshire’s 1-3). … Cooper would hold off Hampshire until the 4:13 mark when the Husqvarna racer made his move, taking 2^nd – and with it the overall from Shimoda, though the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki racer did move into 2^nd place overall in the 250 class standings ahead of Honda’s Hunter Lawrence.

Said Shimoda: “I got a better start in the second moto, and had a good battle with Justin (Cooper). Overall my riding was great, and moving into 2^nd place (overall) was great, too.”

Overall 2022 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, presented by Monster Energy, Points (Round 10 of 12)

450 class

Jason Anderson

1^st – Tomac

2^nd – Sexton

3^rd – Anderson

5^th – Craig

9^th – Savatgy

250 class

Jo Shimoda

2^nd – Shimoda

4^th – Cooper

7^th – Hammaker

9^th – Thrasher

10^th – Kitchen

Up Next

Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, presented by Monster Energy, returns to action this weekend, Aug. 27^th, for the annual running of the Iron Man Raceway (Ind.) MX National. For more information visit www.promotocross.com

About Monster Energy

Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it’s the way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at www.monsterenergy.com

Source: Monster Energy Company

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