SUPERCROSS
ROUND 16 / APRIL 28, 2018
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH / RICE-ECCLES STADIUM
P60
MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSS
clinch the title with a 10th place
or better, assuming Cianciarulo
wins. The added factor here is
that the finale is an East/West
event, so anything can happen,
and often does.
450SX
All Anderson needed to clinch
the 2018 Monster Energy AMA
Supercross Championship at Salt
Lake was to finish inside the top
five, no matter what anyone else
did. But when things got a little
too crowded in the first turn of
the main event and Tomac's foot-
peg took a bite out of Anderson's
front wheel, causing him to crash
and to later stop in the pits for
Vegas finale, which adds pres-
sure there, and Anderson must
finish 10th or better to secure the
title, which, until this past Satur-
day in Salt Lake City, seemed like
a foregone conclusion.
In the 250SX West class,
Adam Cianciarulo and Joey
Savatgy both stood to capitalize
on points leader Aaron Pless-
inger having a tough time during
the SLC main event on his way
to fourth place, but they didn't
count on Shane McElrath com-
ing through and taking the win
away from all of them in what was
an exciting race.
Still, as we head to the Las
Vegas finale, Plessinger can
Tomac's left footpeg went into
Anderson's front wheel, putting
him to the ground; even worse,
though, breaking a bunch of
spokes and forcing Anderson—al-
ready at the tail end of the field—
into the mechanics' area, where
he lost two laps while his team
replaced his front wheel.
In the end, he grabbed 17th
place, just behind 16th-placed
Josh Hill and scored just six
points, dropping 20 points to
race winner (and the only guy still
mathematically able to take the
title from Anderson) Musquin.
Now the nerves get much
heavier for everybody, since
Musquin has to hope to win the
Winner Marvin
Musquin (25) while
points leader Jason
Anderson (21) gives
chase while two
laps down.
