SAN DIEGO, CA – February 3, 2019 – (Motor Sports Newswire) – Both a major rainstorm and the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship hit San Diego this weekend resulting in the second mud race of the season. The mud caused both championship points leads to change hands at this, the Military Appreciation Night event, as Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac took his first win of the season to put himself atop the 450SX Class points board. Another Kawasaki rider, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo grabbed the Western Regional 250SX Class points lead, this one coming on Cianciarulo’s third win this year.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac looked smooth and almost made it look easy as he pulled off his first win of 2019 with a nearly mistake-free ride on a brutal track.
Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen grabbed the holeshot but a mistake moments later had him playing catch up. He got as high as second position before getting passed on the final lap.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia’s high-revving style seemed to have gotten the best of his bike and it stopped atop one of the tricky, rutted jumps. JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki’s Chad Reed, who’s won the San Diego Supercross six times, was off to a sixth place start and looking strong in the mud. After a mid-pack start Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin was picking off riders quickly. Then on the downside of a small jump out of a corner Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb went over the bars; he was back to ninth when he got his bike back up and going again. Over the closing laps of the race Roczen got past Bogle for second. But the man on the move was Musquin, who got past Roczen just one corner before the checkered flag. Crowd favorite Chad Reed finished the race fifth, marking his 159th career top five.
From left to right: Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin finished second, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac grabbed the victory, and Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen finished in third.
It was a Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki 1-2 sweep with Adam Cianciarulo taking a victory and the points lead, and rookie Garrett Marchbanks nabbing his first podium with a second-place finish. Photo Credit: Feld Entertainment, Inc.