Salt Lake City - Rider Comments

Posted on May 09, 2022

Check out some riders comments from the final round of the AMA supercross championship. More to come later. With both the 450 and 250 classes decimated with injuries the comments are few and far between.

Jason Anderson: “This has been an amazing season for me. Taking home seven wins is the best I’ve ever done in a single season, and I have everyone at Monster Energy Kawasaki to thank for helping me reach such an accomplishment at this point in my career. Yeah, I wish I could’ve taken the title fight to the very last round but to finish second my first year with a new team is still an amazing achievement.”

Marvin Musquin: “Obviously I wanted to finish on a high note but it was a tricky track. I was able to win the heat race, which was satisfying. In the main, I just wasn’t able to get up front. Off the gate, I was pretty far back and I got myself up to fifth but I spent a lot of energy trying to pass some guys and I lost some time. Overall, I’m happy with my season even though there were a lot of ups and downs. We were able to learn a lot with the bike and we still are. We can definitely be better but it was a learning year. The highlight of the season was winning the Triple Crown in St. Louis. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to do that at 32 years old, it’s special for me. I actually made up quite a bit of points in the championship and I was getting closer to getting third but they were strong and consistent. I’m healthy at the end of the season, I always want to do better, but I have to be happy with what I’ve accomplished.”

Christian Craig: “Obviously, there was a lot of pressure throughout the day with the championship on the line and being the last round, but I feel like I handled it all pretty well. I just took it practice by practice and enjoyed every moment. I was treating it like any other race, but at the same time, I also knew what could happen. In the main event, I was riding a little tight, knowing where I was and where I needed to be, and finished eighth to clinch this title. This is something I’ve dreamed of and worked for my whole life. I’m just going to sit here and enjoy it.”

Nate Thrasher: “I felt pretty good all day. I’ve been working on my starts quite a bit and finally came out in the top five in the heat race and got into second. Christian was a little too far ahead to go and make a run for the heat win, but I matched his times, so I felt like I had the speed coming into the night. Then in the main event, I had the speed early and was way faster than anybody else. I moved through and just tried to get to the front as quickly as possible. It was tough with Christian having a championship to win, and I didn’t want to get in between that, so I tried to get around him as quickly as possible. After I got around him, I then tried to chase down Hunter (Lawrence) and knew that the best thing for me to do was go and beat him, and that’s what I did.”

Cooper Webb: “Today was a little bit better for me and the riding was pretty good. I was able to lead some laps in the heat and ended up second. I got a good start in the Main Event and it felt good to be up front. I made a few mistakes but I had a good fight all the way to the end. I ended the year healthy and at all 17 rounds, so we’ll re-group and get ready for next year and try to go after a championship.”

Malcolm Stewart: “The night was great honestly, and I was riding really good all day. In the Main Event, I made a pass for third and got into it with Barcia and he shuffled me back a couple positions. I was able to make my way back up and run him down again, all the way to the last lap, but I had a lapped rider in front of me and made a little mistake. The big goal for us was to end on a high note with third in the series and we accomplished that, so I can’t thank the whole team enough for a great year! We’ve been solid and we’ve been smooth, so let’s take this thing outdoors!”

R. J. Hampshire: We started out a little bit of a struggle but we salvaged that Main Event. We got a good start from the outside and I felt like I rode pretty solid for the second half of the race and gave ourselves a shot at the podium. I’m stoked to end the season on a good note, a healthy note, and second in the championship. I can’t be too bummed, especially with how it started, so just to be here at the end is a huge improvement for myself and the team. Another series coming up, so I’m excited to get it going again.

Jalek Swoll: “It was super muddy in the heat race and I didn’t have a great start, so that was kind of a struggle and it put me on the outside in the main. I actually had a really good start and was coming into the first turn as one of the first bikes and I got hit and went all the way backwards. That pretty much ruined the night when it comes to a track that’s really tight for passing. I think the speed was a lot better these last two rounds than all year, so we’ll take that and get some more comfort in the off-season so we can come out swinging.”  

Justin Barcia: “I’m happy to end the supercross series with a podium finish here in Salt Lake City. Obviously, tonight’s racing was intense but we were racing for third in the championship and I was going for it. All-in-all, I’m stoked with how the season went, we had a lot of fun together as a team and we definitely have some positives to take away and bring into the outdoor series.”

Jo Shimoda: “I’m happy with another top-five finish this season. I was hoping to podium or maybe win because I have experience doing well here from last year, but it wasn’t our night. Now that the supercross season is over, I’m shifting my focus to Pro Motocross and focusing on improving my results from last season.”

Austin Forkner: “I was feeling really good all day, especially after taking the win in my Heat Race. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the start we needed in the Main Event and had to battle through lots of traffic to get up to sixth. I would’ve liked to be fighting for the win and I think I had the speed today, but the start hurt us. As we head into this two-week break before we start racing Pro Motocross, I’m going to prioritize working on starts so we can have a better chance at competing for wins and podiums.”

Pierce Brown: “It was a good day. I had a tough heat race, I made a couple mistakes and got together with a couple riders but we pulled it together for the LCQ. In the Main Event, I trusted myself and committed from the outside gate and ended up top-five in the first couple laps. I passed a few guys and ended up third on the night. I was the first east coast guy and that felt good also. All-in-all, I’m stoked on the season, we clinched third in the series, which is my best supercross season yet, and I’m really excited with how we grew all season with the team and I’m just stoked for more!”

Michael Mosiman: “It was a tough night for me to cap off a season with a lot of highs and lows. I think my season just spoke a lot to what supercross is – both challenging and difficult – but also, there is glory to be fought for. There were a lot of great moments and building moments, and some of the struggles are only fuel to the fire. I can’t wait for the outdoor season!”