The fourth round of the reinvigorated FIM World Supercross Championship continued its international tour with the Swedish Grand Prix held at the 3Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
With previous wild-card winners Ken Roczen and Eli Tomac now out for the remaining rounds, the SX1 points chase blew wide open for the series regulars. Pipes Motorsports Group (PMG) Suzuki’s Jason Anderson took full advantage of the opportunity and grabbed his first win of the season, and now he and Joey Savatgy sit tied for the championship points lead. In SX2, points leader Max Anstie gave up his perfect season but still continued his streak of overall wins.
Jason Anderson came out as the big winner in Sweden. Despite the treacherously soft conditions, the Suzuki rider finally clicked off his first win of the WSX season. Taking the checkers in the second SX1 sprint race gave the New Mexico native some much-needed momentum heading into the third “main race” of the night. Anderson then held a narrow advantage over Savatgy throughout the final race and used the extra points to claim the overall win. The two traded mistakes on the rutted track, but Anderson held strong for a standout performance aboard his new ride. The two are now tied going into the season finale next weekend in South Africa.
“All day I was floundering and thought Joey had me,” Anderson said. “But going into the
last race, I knew I had to kick in and hit my marks and also send it at the same time. I got in front and I thought I was going to pull away, but Joey was on me all the way.”
Savatgy put in a strong night in Sweden as well. The Quad Lock Honda rider kicked off the event by setting the fastest lap in Superpole and backed it up by winning the first sprint race. It looked to be Savatgy’s night, but an untimely fall in race two changed the trajectory of the evening. He still managed to grab second in the final two races and ended the event with 1-2-2 scores. This put Savatgy second overall and sees him tied with Anderson for the series points lead.
“It is a little tricky; it looks brand new,” Savatgy said about the track conditions. “I might have played it a little too safe early in the moto. Ultimately, it was a positive day, but I just need to be a little better than that, and I will be happy.”
Christian Craig ended the night in third overall. The second Quad Lock Honda rider rode a wave of momentum coming into the Swedish GP but never managed to back up his winning ways like he did a week ago in Australia. Craig started the night on the box with a third in race one but a crash in race two set him back in the early laps. He managed to remount and claw back through the field to a fourth-place finish at the checkers, his worst result of the night. He bounced back with a strong third in the final “main race” and rounded out the overall podium for the night. Craig sits third in the championship, just one point behind the Anderson/Savatgy tie.
“I struggled in the ruts, and the corner speed was not there,” Craig said. “These guys were on it; I wish I was a little closer and matched those guys. I had a fall in the second race, and it was fun to come through the pack.”
Henry Miller and Colt Nichols rounded out the top five in Sweden.
SX2
Max Anstie continued his stranglehold on the SX2 division with another overall win in Sweden. The Team GSM Yamaha, backed by Star Racing, won every single SX2 race leading into round four, and looked to continue his reign as he clicked off wins in both of the opening two sprint races. A poor start in the final main event saw Anstie put his championship mindset to work, bringing home a safe third place behind Enzo Lopes and Shane McElrath. A third place in race three sees an end to Anstie’s perfect season, but 1-1-3 finishes still earned him the overall win. No doubt the British veteran is the odds-on favorite for the SX2 crown at next weekend’s finale.
“Obviously, the first two races went very well,” Anstie said. “And that last one, man, it was hard with the ruts. I had a moment where my feet came off at one point, and I twisted my ankle–twisted my legs–and I was like, ‘Okay, I’m just bringing it home right now.’ That was tricky. The track was tough, so I just focused on bringing it home.”
Enzo Lopes had his best night of the year with a second-place finish. The Brazilian rider saved his strongest ride for last and won the final main event of the night in a close showdown with the series leaders. Even with a crash that resulted in an eighth in race one, Lopes bounced back with a second and a first to finish off the event. The final race paid more points than the first two, and a crucial win allowed him to claim second overall, just one point clear of the defending champion McElrath. Lopes is now fifth in the SX2 standings.
“I finally got a good start, and it was not easy because Max [Anstie] and Shane [McElrath] were on me the whole race, especially the last turn,” Lopes said. “The win feels amazing and I want to take everyone in Brazil watching.”
Shane McElrath grabbed the final spot on the podium in third. The defending champion looked up to par in race one as he and Anstie moved their way into the first two positions on track. In race two the Honda rider struggled with the rutted conditions and found himself outside the top five, finishing a disappointing sixth. He then bounced back with his best ride of the night in the main race, challenging Lopes all the way to the final corner. McElrath ended up second in race three, less than a second behind the winner Lopes. 2-6-2 scores put him third overall, just one point away from second. McElrath sits third in the SX2 points, three markers back from second place Coty Schock.
“It’s a little bittersweet,” McElrath said. “It’s been a tough year so far. We have been working. Last year, I just wanted to win, and I feel like I should win, but we are still fighting. It is not super easy, but I am learning and getting back.”
Michael Hicks earned his best result so far with fourth place overall after leading most of race one. Coty Schock rounded out the top five overall despite a big crash at the end of the night. Schock still sits second on the SX2 points. CN
2025 World Supercross Round 4 Results
SX1 (Top 5)
- Jason Anderson (Suz) 2-1-1
- Joey Savatgy (Hon) 1-2-2
- Christian Craig (Hon) 3-4-3
- Henry Miller (Yam) 4-13-4
- Colt Nichols (Suz) 5-3-13
SX2 (Top 5)
- Max Anstie (Yam) 1-1-3
- Enzo Lopes (Yam) 8-2-1
- Shane McElrath (Hon) 2-6-2
- Michael Hicks (Sta) 4-3-4
- Coty Schock (Yam) 3-4-9
