main content of page
Racing News |
MONSTER ENERGY® KAWASAKI RIDERS SECURE TOP 5 FINISHES IN SAN DIEGO
Foothill Ranch, Calif. (January 21, 2024) - Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Levi Kitchen landed a heat race win and fifth place finish on his KX™250 in the 250SX Main Event through wet weather and sticky track conditions. Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Jason Anderson battled through the sloppy track, securing himself in fifth place. Adam Cianciarulo would finish 13th after battling through the pack during the 450SX Main Event.
Home to the San Diego State University football team, Snapdragon Stadium opened in 2022 and joined the Monster Energy® Supercross series in 2023. Only 10 minutes from the heart of downtown San Diego, Snapdragon Stadium is a staple for San Diego State College sports and is known to be a tighter, more technical track in the Monster Energy® Supercross circuit. Similar to Round 2 in San Francisco, the steady rainfall on the clay-filled track after the first qualifying led to a sticky, slick track, resulting in the cancellation of the second qualifying session and unpredictable expectations heading into the races.
Kitchen started off the day on the slick track, the eighth place qualifying position. Heading into the heat race, the No.47 of Kitchen was running in the fourth position until an injured rider brought out the red flag, fully restarting the 250SX Heat Race. In the second restart, Kitchen grabbed the holeshot and never looked back. He fought through the treacherous track conditions, securing his first heat race win of the 2024 season. In the 250SX Main Event, Kitchen shot out of the gate in the fourth position, quickly maneuvering through the pack and rutted track, eventually entering the battle for the lead. During the battle Kitchen tipped over, sending him back to the sixth position. The No.47 of Kitchen would continue to charge, finishing fifth in the 250SX Main Event.
Anderson kicked off the muddy event qualifying in fourth on his Monster Energy® Kawasaki KX™450SR, with Cianciarulo in 14th during the only session riders had on track before the races started. Anderson persevered through the heat race, finishing eighth. The No. 9 struggled throughout the heat, falling multiple times and finishing 10th, sending him to the Last Chance Qualifier, which he would win and secure a spot in the main event. In the 450SX Main Event, Anderson battled within the Top 6 throughout the race and quickly deteriorating conditions, ultimately finishing fifth for the night. Cianciarulo fought through the pack, eventually making his way up to 13th where he would finish.
“I am actually pretty happy with my results this weekend considering the conditions. The track was awesome during practice and I felt great, and even when it started raining for qualifying I still felt comfortable on my KX™450SR. The heat race went okay, and the main event I was really pumped about my performance in the mud compared to last week. Obviously weather conditions like this aren’t ideal, but I’m happy that we are learning how to maintain a solid place in these situations. Time to get ready to go back to Anaheim.”
- Jason Anderson
“San Diego, it was a tough one. I felt really good and comfortable during practice and very happy with the changes we made on the KX™450SR from last week. Then the rain came and I began to struggle. The heat race I fell over a few times. Obviously going to the LCQ is not something I’m proud of, but I was stoked to get some more track time and figure it out before the main. I tried my best to get through the pack, and I feel like I learned a lot and am ready to move forward the rest of the season.”
- Adam Cianciarulo
“I feel okay about San Diego. We have shown we can do well in the mud, so I was prepared coming into this weekend for those conditions. To grab the holeshot and heat race win was really awesome, and gave me a ton of motivation coming into the 250SX Main Event. I was happy we had a restart in the main, because I ended up with a better position the first lap, and battling for the lead until my tip over. We learned a lot this weekend and I’m looking forward to going back to Anaheim this weekend.”
- Levi Kitchen
