CN
III ARCHIVES
BY LARRY LAWRENCE
F
or the past eight years the Monster
Energy AMA Supercross Champi-
onship was owned by a Ryan—either
Dungey or Villopoto. This time last year
we wondered who would become the
first rider to win the supercross title in
the post-Ryan era and now we know—it's
Jason Anderson. Anderson showed blaz-
ing speed in past seasons, but lacked
consistency. He was the exact opposite
in the stadiums this winter. He won a total
of four rounds, a fairly low number tradi-
tionally for the series champ, but Ander-
son was a model of consistency in 2018,
with 11 podiums in 17 rounds. And four of
those times off the podium Anderson still
racked up good points hauls with top-five
results. So, after building up a big points
lead by midseason, Anderson did what
he needed to do to clinch his first AMA
Supercross Championship.
Anderson held the series lead from
round two all the way through to the end
at round 17 last weekend in Las Vegas.
A crash and broken wheel at Salt Lake
City that resulted in a 17th-place finish
suddenly sparked new life in what was
otherwise a forgone conclusion. Still,
there must have been a little tension in
the pit of Anderson's stomach as he lined
up at the gate for the last round in Vegas,
P114
THE 2018
SUPERCROSS
SEASON
Jason Anderson
brings in a new
era of supercross
champions.
even though he needed to only finish
11th or better. He raced conservatively
and stayed well clear of any battles and
got the finish he needed (fifth).
In the end Anderson beat Musquin
by nine points (356-347).
