Sexton dominates Supercross opener in Anaheim, Shimoda tops 250 class
A sold-out Angel Stadium was alive with the excitement and anticipation of Round 1 of the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, part of the SMX World Championship series, which took place Saturday, January 11. Red Bull KTM Racing’s Chase Sexton convincingly took his first opening-round win. Even with a brief stall near the midpoint, Sexton never relinquished the lead after taking it less than four minutes into the 20-minute plus a lap Main Event.
Angel Stadium hosted the Anaheim opener, the first race of 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross Season. The 34th season opener at the venue also pays points toward the post-season of the SMX World Championship. The enthusiastic crowd was on its feet for thrilling and unpredictable racing. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen also battled forward, reaching second place early and holding the spot to the finish. Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson managed to avoid first-turn chaos and found himself in the lead on the first lap. After intense battles with Sexton and Roczen, he finished the race on the podium in third place. While leading, Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac crashed on the opening lap. The defending champion, Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence, made two big mistakes in the opening laps and could only climb back to the 12th spot. In the 250SX West class, Honda HRC’s Joe Shimoda rode a nearly flawless race and led every lap to victory.
“I kind of knew where I was at coming in here. I knew I had good speed. I feel more like myself in 2023 when I was fast, but I feel like I’m a little more mature now and I can get out front and kind of run my own laps and not make mistakes, so it was a fun race. [I] had Kenny behind me, and also Jason, and it was just a good ride. Honestly, I had so much fun on this track tonight. I can’t give it up to the team enough. They put in so much hard work this off-season to get me comfortable, knowing that I wasn’t comfortable last year; and coming in now we’re back where we need to be. We still have lots to improve; it’s only one race in and there’s 16 left, but we’re off to a good start and first time winning A1 feels pretty good.” – Chase Sexton, after winning the A1 Main Event following his Heat Race victory.
In the 250SX Class, Jo Shimoda won without being challenged throughout the 15-minute plus 1-lap Main Event. It was Shimoda’s first opening-round podium finish. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Julien Beaumer performed well; Beaumer was the fastest qualifier and won his heat race. He held close to Shimoda for much of the race but never got close enough to make a run at the lead. Triumph Racing Factory Team’s Jordon Smith recovered brilliantly from a tip-over in a left-hand turn. With just 11 seconds on the race clock, he reached third place and held the spot to the end.
“This is the start I was looking for every single year. And I think I was honestly sleeping on the gate. But we came out with a good start and just put in some consistent laps, you know, and never looked back. All this happened because of my team behind it. I’d just like to thank everyone at Honda, my trainer, mechanic and everybody… Thank you so much. Thank you, I love you guys.” – Jo Shimoda, when asked on the podium how it feels to start the season with a strong performance.
The Anaheim broadcast began with a heartfelt message from play-by-play commentator Leigh Diffey, “And as we come on the air, the people of the Los Angeles area are still dealing with the extreme wildfires that ravaged the region this week… And our thoughts are with all who have been affected. And tonight, here in Anaheim, not too far down the road, hopefully, the sport of SuperMotocross can serve as a source of light entertainment for those seeking it and perhaps needing it.”
A second message during the event encouraged fans to support the Red Cross’ disaster relief efforts by going to redcross.org, calling 800-RED-CROSS, or texting REDCROSS to 90999.
Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, hosts Round 2 of the 2025 season. The racing starts at 8:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, January 18. For more information, race results, video highlights, or to purchase tickets, visit SupercrossLIVE.com.