1/21/14
anaheim 2 in the books
The third round of the 2014 Monster Energy Supercross season signified the championship’s return to Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. With a nostalgic atmosphere surrounding the 40th anniversary of the sport, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki endured a challenging day, but its riders fought through to the checkered flag to secure hard-earned results and obtain valuable points.
Hill Digs Deep in Impressive Charge Through Field-
Vans Moto Athlete Justin Hill has shown consistent improvement since the start of the 2014 season and on Saturday night he amassed arguably his most impressive performance to date in the face of tremendous odds.
Following a strong start to the evening in which he followed his teammate Dean Wilson across the line in the heat race, Hill put himself in the lead pack at the holeshot only to dismount his motorcycle following contact with another motorcycle. Hill avoided additional incident and reentered the race in 19th following the conclusion of the opening lap. Despite having nearly the entire field in front of him, Hill put on a charge and ultimately passed 14 riders to post a fifth-place finish to lead the team.
“That’s not usually how you want to get a good result like that but considering I started the race just trying not to get hit by everyone I have to say I’m pretty pumped right now,” said Hill. “I don’t think I would have told you this is where we’d end up after the start, but I was really feeling good on my Kawasaki and this track just suited my style. This might be the most excited I’ve been after a race in my career so far because I think I just showed I have the speed and stamina to challenge for the podium.”
Dean Wilson has been one of the fastest riders in the 250SX Class West Region since the start of the 2014 season. In Anaheim, he posted the second-fastest lap in practice and kicked off the evening by leading a dominant 1-2 effort for Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki in his heat race.
Wilson got a strong start in the main event and took over third place early on, setting a fast pace and pushing towards the lead. While making a charge on second, Wilson’s trajectory off a jump carried him into the tuff blocks. After narrowly avoiding getting hit by several riders, Wilson remounted in eighth and looked to fight back. He gained the ground he lost and engaged in a battle for sixth in the final lap, but ultimately finished seventh.
“Obviously I’m not happy with that result,” said Wilson. “I drifted a little to the right as soon as I took off and just couldn’t do anything about it at that point. I was lucky it wasn’t any worse and I was able to get back out there and get some points back. We should be battling for wins and I think it’s obvious the speed is there. I just need to put it all together in the main event.”
Dean Wilson has been one of the fastest riders in the 250SX Class West Region since the start of the 2014 season. In Anaheim, he posted the second-fastest lap in practice and kicked off the evening by leading a dominant 1-2 effort for Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki in his heat race.
Wilson got a strong start in the main event and took over third place early on, setting a fast pace and pushing towards the lead. While making a charge on second, Wilson’s trajectory off a jump carried him into the tuff blocks. After narrowly avoiding getting hit by several riders, Wilson remounted in eighth and looked to fight back. He gained the ground he lost and engaged in a battle for sixth in the final lap, but ultimately finished seventh.
“Obviously I’m not happy with that result,” said Wilson. “I drifted a little to the right as soon as I took off and just couldn’t do anything about it at that point. I was lucky it wasn’t any worse and I was able to get back out there and get some points back. We should be battling for wins and I think it’s obvious the speed is there. I just need to put it all together in the main event.”
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