Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1441959
ROUND 1 / JANUARY 8, 2022 ANGEL STADIUM OF ANAHEIM / ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA P66 SUPERCROSS I MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES Nichols was en route to vic- tory in the first heat race when he rode the front wheel into one of the track's two whoops sec- tions and was slammed to the ground then tackled by his Star Yamaha. He was assisted off the track with multiple injuries, including two broken arms. The rest of his Supercross season appears in doubt. Swoll's crash was even worse. He went down in on the first lap of the second heat race bringing out a lengthy red flag while he was tended to by med- 250SX West It might be a new year but the 250 West class is still anything but predictable. We saw a lot of new faces in the pits as many riders have switched coasts for '22 (last year there were no real "west coast" rounds as most of the series took place further east.) Unfortunately, the crowd saw two massive crashes in the early heat races: one involving Colt Nichols and one with Jalek Swoll. Both riders were favored to do well this season and were unable to compete further. as high as second place in the main event. Late in the race, Anderson and Barcia came together in a bowl turn and the number-21 went down. He got up and charged back to 10th at the line. "In the main, I spent a few laps planning my pass for second and did the best I could to make a clean move and ride away. Unfor- tunately, I can't control how other riders respond, but that's racing. It was a tough one." AC EXCEEDS PERSONAL EXPECTATIONS Adam Cianciarulo openly spoke about a pre-season crash that left him with a grade-three AC shoulder separation. At Anaheim, he looked fast in the early laps but faded as the night wore on. AC started in the top three and worked his way to second at one point. The track certainly didn't do him any favors, but the number-nine kept it upright and brought home 11th. "Obviously, com- ing in with a grade-three AC shoulder separation isn't ideal, but I did the best I could all day. I can honestly say I exceeded my expectations by a lot. I wasn't sure if I'd even make the full 20 minutes going into the main event, but the team and I had a quick chat before the race which helped me get into the right mindset and deliver a rather impressive result." Briefly... (Left) It was a frustrating night for Malcolm Stewart who was the surprising (somewhat) top 450 qualifier, but he struggled in the heat and main. After the race, he took out his frustrations on Marvin Musquin, who he felt took them both out of podium contention when they collided. Anaheim 1 Supercross 250SX West Video Highlights