2025 Anaheim 1 Supercross Recap

The crowd roared to life. Fans got what they wanted.

Well, at least for a quarter lap.

That's how long Eli Tomac had the lead. Then a silly mistake left him in the dirt as the blitzing pack zoomed by, Chase Sexton running him over as Tomac dusted himself off in last place.

But all was not lost even though he didn't win his likely final A1.

The much-anticipated 2025 Monster Energy Supercross got underway Saturday in Anaheim at Angel Stadium for the always classic "A1"- the first of two at the Southern California stop. Whoever picked the podium won big. (Yes, you can now bet on Supercross.)

Sexton never relinquished the lead. A heavy favorite and 2023 450 class Champion looked very bit the part squirting away, stalled the bike once allowing veteran Ken Roczen to catch up but Sexton pulled away again for a relatively easy checkers.

"I knew I had good speed, I feel more like myself in 2023 - when I was fast," Sexton said. "I feel like I'm a little more mature now and I can get out front and run my own laps and not make mistakes. It was a fun race. Had Kenny (Roczen) behind me and also Jason (Anderson). It was a good ride, I had so much fun on this track. First time winning A1 feels pretty good."

Roczen got exactly what he wanted. Second-place. He said post-race he didn't want to start the season with a bang and second place would be good. Jason Anderson, 2018 450 class Champ, held the lead briefly but settled on third and held off a charging Cooper Webb on the last lap. An old school finish. Kind of.

The veterans showed resilience in a season most expect defending champion Jett Lawrence to dominate, once again. Lawrence held hands with a tuff block off the gate which wouldn't let go leaving him last before he told it to get lost. Later he dropped his bike in the sand. An opening round 12th place probably not on many betting cards. (I have no idea how betting works, just guessing.) His brother Hunter Lawrence also went down in the sand and he settled for 11th. Hmmm, maybe that Honda bike deserves more credit than it got last year.

Tomac worked his way to fifth showing his surgically healed Achilles - which ruptured in the penultimate race in 2023 preventing him from that year's title and hampered him a bit in 2024 - shouldn't be an issue this year.

Jorge Prado, the two-time 450 class MXGP Champion (that overseas Motocross series) racing his first full Supercross season, grabbed the Holeshot and hung around up front for a bit, settled inside the Top 10 but squirreled out in the whoops with less than six minutes left and fell to 14th.

The 250 West class also had a surprising podium as Jo Shimoda grabbed the Holeshot and checked out taking his first ever A1 win.

"This is the start I was looking for every single year," Shimoda said. "I was honestly sleeping on the gate. We came out with a good start and put in some consistent laps and never looked back."

Julien Beumer finished a career-best second and veteran Jordon Smith gave Triumph its first ever podium in third, fighting back after a small tip-over in a losing battle with the tuff blocks while in third, with about 10 minutes left.

The polarizing Haiden Deegan, a two-time SuperMotocross Champ but zero time regional Supercross Champ, went down right after the first turn getting hung up on the rear tire of another rider. (Give the former GOAT one of those John Madden on-screen pens to circle a rider amongst a sea of riders when watching the replay!) His last to first effort didn't materialize however last to fifth worked out, quite well. Apparently he wears a pretty blingy watch now.

Deegan lost a primary competitor in Levi Kitchen who bowed out of the West Coast because of illness or maybe "illness" and will instead race the East Coast. However, Shimoda clearly has the goods and Coty Schock, who finished sixth, nearly T-boned Deegan on the last lap as the two battled for fifth.

2025 Supercross 450 Class Anaheim 1 Results

  1. Chase Sexton
  2. Ken Roczen
  3. Jason Anderson
  4. Cooper Webb
  5. Eli Tomac

2025 Supercross 250 West Class Anaheim 1 Results

  1. Jo Shimoda
  2. Julien Beaumer
  3. Jordon Smith
  4. Ryder Difrancesco
  5. Haiden Deegan

2025 Supercross 450 class Season Standings After Round 1

  1. Chase Sexton - 25
  2. Ken Roczen - 22
  3. Jason Anderson - 20
  4. Cooper Webb - 18
  5. Eli Tomac - 17

2025 Supercross 250 West Class Season Standings After Round 1

  1. Jo Shimoda - 25
  2. Julien Beaumer - 22
  3. Jordon Smith - 20
  4. Ryder Difrancesco - 18
  5. Haiden Deegan - 17

2025 Anaheim 1 Supercross