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/1443963
ROUND 2 / JANUARY 15, 2022 RINGCENTRAL COLISEUM / OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA P56 SUPERCROSS I MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES KTM rider was all smiles on the podium as he notched a career- best finish (previously a third at Daytona 2021). "AP" started fourth and moved his way into podium territory after passing Cianciarulo. He kept Anderson in sight most of the main but mentioned "one really big mis- take" late in the race that kept him from closing the gap. After a forgettable round one, many had already written off the number- seven's move to KTM to more preseason hype. "I'm not going to count last week," Plessinger said. "I was on a totally different planet last week; I don't know why. It just didn't feel like a race week to me, I felt a lot better this week and a lot more in tune with myself." Who would've picked Justin Barcia as the most consistent rider of 2022?! Two third- place-finishes to kick off the season are huge for the Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GasGas rider, as he took the red plate from Roczen and will wear it next weekend in San Diego. Barcia rode a quiet race, circulating in third for most of the main event. He mentioned "riding tight" about halfway through the race but "had to drop the hammer," as Eli Tomac started to close in. Two solid podium finishes in the first two races of the year are not what we've come to expect from the flamboyant Barcia. "My mental game is really strong; I think that's the big- gest thing" Barcia said. "I really believe in myself, I believe in the team, in the bike, and my whole package." MYOWNRACE 29 MICHAEL MOSIMAN 4TH 250SX WEST A win for Michael Mosiman is inevitable at this point. Up to this point he has been his own worst enemy, making costly mistakes at both rounds thus far. A simple p-over in Oakland dropped him back to fourth where he eventually finished. "I'm a li le disappointed with the result but I'm focusing on the posi ve," he said. "I had great speed, my race cra has significantly improved from years past and I think I am one of the best—if not the best—guy in the whoops and that feels good." 96 HUNTER LAWRENCE 2ND 250SX WEST "[It] wasn't a bad night; we got second overall," said Hunter Lawrence. "S ll, I'm definitely a bit frustrated. I had a few more laps than last weekend to work on Seth [Hammaker], and we had a good ba le. He was riding really well in the beginning, so I had to keep just pushing through. My start wasn't ideal, so we're going to be working on that this week." Eli Tomac appears to have found his speed on the Yamaha but not his starts.