Kit Palmer | January 22, 2017
2017 Anaheim 2 Supercross Results: How quickly things change. After winning the first two rounds of the 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, Ken Roczen’s supercross season is already over. While running third and pressuring second-place Cole Seely, his Honda HRC teammate, at the Anaheim II Supercross, in Anaheim, California, January 21, Roczen got kicked off his bike spectacularly, leaving him with a broken arm. The official word from Honda is that Roczen suffered a compound fracture to his left forearm.
2017 Anaheim 2 Supercross Results
Ryan Dungey, the defending champion, went on to win the race and most likely would have won even if Roczen had not crashed. Dungey put his Red Bull KTM out in front right off the start and took command of the race, while Roczen was already making up for a midpack start. Dungey quickly opened up a small lead over Seely and seemed to be in control of the race.
Roczen, meanwhile, made some quick passes and had taken over third place after passing Marvin Musquin, but Roczen’s charge seemed to stall out a bit as he followed Seely around the track for the next five laps when, on the 10th lap, he suddenly got launched skyward in a rhythm section and departed his bike midair, landing hard on his left arm/shoulder area of his body on the face of another jump. He also hit his head on the ground, breaking off his helmet’s visor and losing his goggles on impact. It was an ugly crash that silenced the large Anaheim crowd for pretty much the rest of the evening.
Ken Roczen’s crash at Anaheim II
Dungey finished 2.7 seconds ahead of Musquin, who got around Seely for second when Seely stalled his Honda on the 11th lap.
Seely ended up taking the checkered flag approximately eight seconds behind Musquin, who has finished on the podium in all three races thus far.
Fourth went to Cooper Webb who enjoyed his best ride of his rookie season. Webb actually nabbed the holeshot but was quickly displaced by Dungey, then Seely, Musquin and Roczen. Webb, however, ran a strong race, finishing just 13 seconds behind winner Dungey on his factory-backed Yamaha.
AutoTrader.com/JGRMX/Suzuki’s Weston Peick also finished off a great ride with fifth.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Josh Grant was sixth, followed by Yamaha’s Chad Reed, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac, and Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/KTM/WPS teammate Davi Millsaps and Blake Baggett.
One of the 450SX’s classes top riders, Jason Anderson, did not start the main event after getting disqualified following an incident in his heat race with Smartop MotoConcepts Racing’s Jeff Friese. The two riders collided in the race with Anderson going down (as did Musquin who got collected in the mishap). After the race while riding back to the pits, Anderson rode up alongside Friese and took out his frustration on Friese by giving him slap/nudge to the head with his hand, which the AMA did not like and told him that he couldn’t ride for the rest of the night. As a result, he dropped from fourth to ninth in the standings. Friese was allowed to continue, though it appeared that his mechanic, who was on the back of Friese’s bike, knocked Anderson to the ground.
2017 Anaheim 2 Supercross Results
Dungey is now the new points leader. He leads his teammate Musquin by six points. Roczen and Seely are currently tied for third, 11 points behind Musquin.
Malcolm Stewart made his debut on the Ride360.com/Stewart Racing Suzuki and looked strong for much of the night. The 250SX East Champion finished second to Roczen in his heat race and was running ninth in the main before falling. He finished out the race 18th.
2017 Anaheim 2 Supercross Results
Angel Stadium
Anaheim, California
January 21, 2017
Click here for complete results.
Click here for the 2017 Anaheim 2 250 Supercross Results.
Click here for all of the latest Supercross and Motocross news.