VOLUME 59 ISSUE 2 JANUARY 11, 2022 P61
Chase Sexton (23)
was Roczen's main
challenge on the night.
Sexton was the fastest
rider on the track,
proving it by setting
the quickest lap time.
However, he eventually
went down while
stalking Roczen.
ing to Supercross after winning
the 450MX title. And would Justin
Barcia win the season opener for
a fourth straight time? There was
plenty to watch.
Roczen ended up coming away
with the 450SX win, which was his
fourth career Anaheim 1 victory,
which ties him with James Stewart,
and veteran racer Christian Craig
dominated the 250SX West main.
450SX
The surprises came early, with
Stewart topping qualifying, and
Chase Sexton (Honda HRC) and
Shane McElrath (Rocky Mountain
ATV-MC/WPS/KTM) going 1-2
in the first 450SX heat race, with
Tomac, Barcia and Webb going
3-4-5. A bit of normalcy returned
with Roczen winning the second
heat race with room to spare over
Justin Brayton (Smartop/Bullfrog
Spas/Motoconcepts Honda),
Stewart, Plessinger and Ferrandis.
Both Honda HRC machines—
Roczen and Sexton—rocketed off
the line when the gates dropped
for the 450SX main event. Roc-
zen maintained the lead and held
off the pressuring Sexton up until
just at the halfway mark when the
number-23 threw it away in one of
