Monster Energy Kawasaki Riders Finish Top-10 at Triple Crown Finale2023-04-17 07:52Round 12 of the Monster Energy® AMA Supercross Championship welcomed the world’s fastest supercross racers and fans with warm temperatures in Glendale, Arizona for the final triple crown race of the season. Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Adam Cianciarulo displayed Impressive speed and consistency to qualify third fastest and finish sixth overall (7-7-7). Kawasaki teammate Jason Anderson showed glimpses of his race-winning form until a fall in the whoops during the final race of the night ended his final race early, placing him 10th overall with 6-4-21 finishes. In the 250SX Class, Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Carson Mumford strung together three solid races to earn 10th overall (13-9-10). Monster Energy® Kawasaki Team Green™ rising amateur talent, Ryder DiFrancesco, returned to racing after recovering from injury and secured an impressive runner-up finish in his first 250SX Futures race of the 2023 season. Cianciarulo started the afternoon strong by setting one of the quickest laps early in 450SX qualifying before dropping down to sixth with his teammate Anderson sitting seventh fastest. Looking to improve, the Kawasaki duo utilized newly formed lines in the final qualifying session to unlock more speed. When qualifying sessions concluded, Cianciarulo set the third fastest time (56.980) while Anderson was close behind with a recorded time of 56.987 for fifth fastest. After the gate dropped on the first 450SX Main Event of the night, both Kawasaki riders emerged from the first turn inside the top 10. Anderson made quick passes during the opening lap to move into fifth by Lap 2 with his teammate Cianciarulo following close behind. Shortly after moving into fifth, the No.21 embarked on a multi-lap battle to defend against the fierce competition coming from the opposition behind. The back-and-forth battles brought State Farm Stadium to its feet but despite his best efforts, Anderson eventually dropped to sixth where he would finish. Meanwhile, Cianciarulo utilized the battle between Anderson and Sexton to close the gap on his teammate. The No.9 of Cianciarulo continued to charge forward as racing progressed but was unable to make a pass attempt and settled for a seventh-place finish. The second 450SX Main Event of the night saw Anderson launch his KX™ 450SR to another strong start, while Cianciarulo was just inside the top 10. Anderson raced hard from start to finish, marginally closing the gap to third with each lap until he was less than a second behind the third-place rider with only two laps remaining. The ensuing late-race battle between Anderson and Roczen for third brought roars from the crowd as the No.21 tried to execute numerous pass attempts but finished the race in fourth, missing the podium by only four-tenths of a second. Cianciarulo rode steady and made calculated passes late in the race to move into seventh by the time the checkered flag waved. In the final 450SX Main Event of the night, Anderson and Cianciarulo were off to respectable sixth and seventh-place starts. The No.21 made an impressive pass for fifth through the whoops during the opening lap and continued to move forward as he took control of fourth a few laps later. The New Mexico native continued to push for a podium finish but a costly mistake in the whoops resulted in a big get-off and ended his night prematurely. As the lone Monster Energy Kawasaki rider on track, Cianciarulo again proved his consistency by maneuvering his way through the field and moving into seventh on Lap 4, where he finished the race. Cianciarulo’s consistency paid off with a sixth place (7-7-7) overall result while Anderson placed 10th on the night (6-4-21). "I had a very consistent night of racing here in Glendale. This is the first time in my career I’ve made it this far into the season since moving up to the premier class, so my main goal was to keep it on two wheels but still be competitive. I’m pleased to say we accomplished just that, and I was able to secure a sixth place for the team on what turned out to be a very rough and fast-paced track. The team and I have been working hard during the week, and it’s nice to see results starting to show on the track. I'm looking forward to carrying this momentum into the next round." - Adam Cianciarulo "Without the crash in the final race of the night, I think I could’ve ended up with a podium finish. I was steadily improving throughout the day and felt good on my Kawasaki KX450SR after the second race. I enjoy a good battle and the one Kenny and I put on for the fans in the second main was a lot of fun. That motivated me heading into the final race but unfortunately, I made a costly mistake that ended my night. Luckily, I was able to get up on my own and walk away without any injuries. The team and I will regroup this week and come ready to bring the battle to Atlanta next weekend.” - Jason Anderson DOWNLOAD 450SX CLASS IMAGES After securing a top-10 result in his first race with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team, Mumford came into Glendale motivated to keep improving and break into the top-five group. Difficulty settling into a flow hindered Mumford throughout the day as the No.52 finished 250SX qualifying in 14th with a 59.149 lap time. When the gate dropped for the first 250SX Main Event of the night, Mumford found himself involved in a first-turn pile-up that dropped him towards the back of the field. Quick to remount, Mumford looked to salvage as much of the race as possible until a red flag came out on Lap 2, forcing a full restart. The Simi Valley, CA rider took full advantage of the restart, launching his KX™250 out to a sixth-place start. Despite Mumford’s best efforts to defend against the competition throughout the race, the No.52 dropped outside the top 10 as time expired and he reached the checkered flag in 13th. The second 250SX Main Event saw Mumford jump out to a top-five start. The No.52 battled over the rights to sixth place for multiple laps before settling into eighth. With only a handful of laps remaining, pressure from the competition began to build and Mumford dropped to ninth before the checkered flag waved. A challenging start to the final 250SX Main Event saw Mumford reach the first turn in 15th, however through a series of quick passes he moved up to eighth by the end of Lap 1. Riding strong, Mumford set his eyes ahead on the next target and completed the pass for seventh on Lap 2. As racing continued so did the challenges coming Mumford’s way. The No.52 defended to the best of his abilities, but intense battles dropped him back to 10th in the running order, where he remained through the checkered flag earning Mumford 10th overall (13-9-10). “The track tonight was really fast-paced and slick which made finding a rhythm extremely challenging. However, I still feel like I rode a decent race and am proud to have finished with a top 10. The track only got worse as the night went on, but I stayed focused and gave it my all in every race. I’m looking forward to building on this and continuing to push myself for better results each weekend.” - Carson Mumford Source: Click here to visit our forums to discuss this story |
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