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MONSTER ENERGY®/PRO CIRCUIT/KAWASAKI RIDER LEVI KITCHEN DOMINATES THE FINAL TRIPLE CROWN OF THE SEASON IN ST. LOUIS
Foothill Ranch, Calif. (March 31, 2024) - Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Levi Kitchen continued his momentum, dominating the St. Louis Triple Crown by executing near perfect starts, leading every lap, sweeping the weekend and further extending his points lead in the Western Regional 250SX Class. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green™ rider Drew Adams triumphed through yet another severely rutted track claiming his second 250SX Futures race win of the season, and Monster Energy® Kawasaki riders Jason Anderson and Adam Cianciarulo claimed 11th (4-7-19) and 22nd (22-DNS-DNS), respectively after mid-race crashes removed them from contention.
The Dome at America’s Center, located in the heart of downtown St. Louis, Missouri, stands as a renowned venue for a variety of events, from conventions to concerts and sports competitions. This past weekend, it once again became the epicenter of adrenaline-pumping action as Monster Energy AMA Supercross made its return to the venue. The rider always look forward to the facilities and central location The Dome provides along with some of the best dirt the championship has to offer.
In the 250SX Class, Kitchen started the day off strong by qualifying second fastest overall to line up for the three races of the Triple Crown format. At the start of Race 1, Kitchen had a great start, slotting into the second position as he crossed the holeshot line. The No. 47 remained close to the leader, quickly overtaking the lead before the end of the first lap. Kitchen quickly began to create a gap from the competition, crossing the finish line first to start the night off with a win for Kawasaki. In Race 2, the No. 47 nearly captured the holeshot, quickly took command of the lead and never looked back, running a flawless race from start to finish, securing the win by more than four seconds. Coming into Race 3, Kitchen launched his KX™250 out of the gate, claiming the holeshot and never looking back. Kitchen ran another remarkably flawless race considering the deteriorating track conditions, securing his third and final win of the night, sweeping the Western Regional 250SX class Triple Crown event, and extending his series points lead.
In the 250SX Futures Class, Adams started off the weekend strong qualifying second overall. In the Main Event, Adams had a subpar start crossing the holeshot line in the eighth position. Adams began maneuvering through the pack, quickly racing his KX™250 into a podium position. By Lap 3, the No. 300 of Adams caught another Team Green racer, Reven Gordon, and quickly overtook the lead. Adams maintained his pace and took home the win by nine seconds, claiming his second 250SX Futures Main Event win of the season. Gordon battled for podium after leading laps early and ultimately finished in fourth.
In the 450SX Class, Anderson and Cianciarulo kicked off the day qualifying seventh and eighth, respectively. In Race 1 Cianciarulo secured a third place start and Anderson in ninth. A few turns later, a rider crashed in front of Cianciarulo, causing him to crash into the downed rider and sending him off the bike. In the incident the No. 9 injured his ankle, taking him out of the race and the remainder of the event. Anderson charged hard through the remainder of the race, finishing fourth. In Race 2, Anderson secured another ninth place start, and began to battle throughout the remainder of the race initially crossing the finish line with third place position and sat in third overall going into the third and final race. Following the race five of the top contenders were penalized for jumping on a red cross flag and Anderson was credited in seventh. At the start of Race 3, Anderson was cross jumped in the first rhythm lane off the start causing him to crash and forced a stop in the mechanic’s area for adjustments. Anderson returned to the race and began battling his way back through the field to finish 19th. The No. 21 was credited with a 11th place overall.
“It was another great weekend with my Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team. Back to back wins and now a Triple Crown under my belt feels great. The team and I have been working so well together, I couldn’t be more stoked. Winning all three with nearly flawless races and extending the points lead is exactly how I wanted to head into this break. I felt so good on my KX™250 all day and I’m excited to see which is the best coast at our East/West shootout here in a few weeks in Nashville.”
- Levi Kitchen
“After a promising start to the night in Race 1 and 2, Race 3 I had a big crash off of the start and then all hell broke loose. The red cross flags were hard to see, so I was penalized for jumping those which is super frustrating on a night that could have been a podium. There are five more races left in the season, so it’s time to get back to work and get ready for Foxborough.”
- Jason Anderson
“I felt so good in practice here in St. Louis and had such a great jump in Race 1. Oldenburg went down right in front of me as I was jumping into the turn and I had nowhere to go. The bike landed on my ankle and that was it for me. I tried to get back out there but my ankle was too swollen to fit in the boot so I had to call it for the night. I’m super bummed about the situation, but I’m glad it didn’t end up worse and we will be ready to go in a few weeks. Thanks to my team and everyone for their support, and again a special thanks to my mechanic of the past four years, Justin Shantie, and wish him the best of luck with his next chapter.”
- Adam Cianciarulo
