Defending Supercross champion Cooper Webb (left) is introduced to the crowd prior to the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Carson Brown gets thrown over his handle bars as he goes down during one of the two 250SX Heat races at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Ken Roczen (94) races out of the bumps as he wins the first 450SX Heat race at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Ken Roczen (94) celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 450SX Main Event at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Christian Craig, from Temecula, celebrates as he crosses the finish line after winning the 250SX Main Event at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Ken Roczen (94) digs into a corner during the 450SX Main Event at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Cooper Webb (1) leads a pack of riders through the bumps during the 450SX Main Event at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
450SX Main Event winner Ken Roczen (center) celebrates with second place finisher Cooper Webb (left) and third place finisher Justin Barcia (right) following the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Defending Supercross champion Cooper Webb prepares for his 450SX Heat race at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Carson Brown gets thrown over his handle bars as he goes down during one of the two 250SX Heat races at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Chase Sexton flies off a jump during his 450SX Heat win at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Ken Roczen (94) celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 450SX Main Event at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Christian Craig (right), from Temecula, celebrates after winning the 250SX Main Event at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Chase Sexton shows his disappointment following the 450SX Main Event, were he crashed twice resulting in a 5th place finish, at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Ken Roczen (94) leads Chase Sexton (left) during the early laps of the 450SX Main Event at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Chase Sexton flies off a jump during his 450SX Heat win at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Kyle Chisholm (11) kicks up dirt as he races through the bumps during the second 450SX Heat race at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Malcolm Stewart (right) tries to hold onto his position the second 450SX Heat race at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motorcross rider Ken Roczen (94) rides through the bumps during the final qualifying session at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross rider Chase Sexton (23) races out of a corner during the final qualifying session at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Supercross light up their phones during the national anthem prior to the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Ken Roczen (94) talks with television after winning the first 450SX Heat race at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross rider Ken Roczen (94) races out of a corner during the final qualifying session at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motorcross rider Jason Anderson (21) get sideways as he rides through the bumps during the final qualifying session at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Chase Sexton flies off a jump during his 450SX Heat win at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Carson Brown gets thrown over his handle bars as he goes down during one of the two 250SX Heat races at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motorcross riders take a jump during the final qualifying session at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross rider Marvin Musquin (25) races out of a corner during the final qualifying session at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Christian Craig, from Temecula, races to his 250SX Heat win at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motorcross riders Justin Barcia (51) and Malcolm Stewart (27) ride through the bumps during the final qualifying session at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross rider Marvin Musquin (25) races out of a corner during the final qualifying session at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motorcross rider Jason Anderson (21) rides through the bumps during the final qualifying session at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
250sx rider Colt Nichols (45) blast out of starting gate during the final qualifying session at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross rider Eli Tomac (3) races out of a corner during the final qualifying session at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross rider Justin Barcia (51) takes a jump during qualifying at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross rider Joseph Savatgy (17) takes a jump during qualifying at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross rider Ryan Breece (200) rides through the bumps in qualifying during the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross rider Jason Anderson (21) takes a jump during qualifying at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross rider Chase Felong (154) looses control of his bike as he rides through the bumps during qualifying at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross rider Malcolm Stewart (27) takes a jump during qualifying at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross riders Justin Brayton (left) and Jason Anderson (right) fly off a jump in qualifying during the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross rider Malcolm Stewart (27) takes a jump during qualifying at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Defending Supercross champion Cooper Webb(1) takes a jump during qualifying at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross rider Justin Bogle (19) takes a jump during qualifying at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Defending Supercross champion Cooper Webb(1) takes a jump during qualifying at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motocross rider Ken Roczen (94) takes a jump during qualifying at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Christian Craig, from Temecula, celebrates as he crosses the finish line after winning the 250SX Main Event at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Motorcross rider Malcolm Stewart waits for the final qualifying session to start at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Ken Roczen (94) jumps to the early lead to win the the 450SX Heat #2 at the season opening race of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim Saturday Jan. 8, 2022. The race returned to Anaheim after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
ANAHEIM — Ken Roczen coasted to his fifth career win in Anaheim to kick off the 2022 Supercross season on Saturday.
A sold-out crowd of 45,500 packed Angel Stadium for the first Supercross event in Southern California in nearly two years after the pandemic forced the series to skip Anaheim on last year’s schedule for the first time since 1998.
Angel Stadium hosted its 31st series opener Saturday, by far the most of any city.
“I love how full the stadium is,” Roczen said. “The sense of normalcy is awesome.”
Roczen, 27, pulled out of the gate in first and was threatened only at the start of the race by Honda teammate Chase Sexton, who spent the first couple minutes unsuccessfully trying to maneuver around Roczen.
But the 22-year-old Sexton, seen as a rising star in Supercross, crashed twice — first while rounding a corner and then on the ensuing whoops.
Related Articles
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings: Everything you need to know about the Week 18 game — plus the latest buzz around coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace
3 keys for the Giants vs. Washington Football Team in season-finale
How to watch Ravens vs. Steelers: Week 18 playoff path, TV, odds and more
Mater Dei girls basketball earns ‘much-needed’ victory against Sage Hill at Matt Denning Hoops Classic
Kings build early lead, blank Red Wings
Roczen cleared the field by more than seven seconds for his 20th career win. He said that he had a “horrendous” December, dealing with a non-COVID illness and didn’t expect to win at all.
“At the same time, once racing starts, I’m always more of a racer,” Roczen said. “We’re really focused on our starts. Everything just went right, and I’m very thankful for that.”
Roczen said he eased off, knowing that he had a big lead and that the track conditions had deteriorated.
“The track was brutal out there,” Roczen said. Towards the end I was really just trying to keep it on two wheels. It’s kind of a weird position when you have that much of a gap and so many laps to go.”
Roczen also snapped Justin Barcia’s season-opening win streak. Barcia had won the previous three season openers, one shy of setting the record for most consecutive season-opening victories.
Defending champion Cooper Webb finished second and Barcia was third.
All three podium finishers agreed that the track was rough and uncharacteristic of a typical Anaheim 1 race.
“The track was tough,” Webb said. “I think you had to find that fine line of being aggressive, but also being smooth and fluent.”
Barcia called the track “one of the more wicked ones” — the whoops were steep and there were many tight spots, he said.
“They threw it on us for sure,” Barcia added.
History has not exactly treated the winner of the 450SX season opener well, with only 17 of 48 first-race winners ending the season on top. The winner of Anaheim openers has only won the series 30 percent of the time — the last to do it was Ryan Villopoto in 2012.
Malcolm Stewart finished with the top 450SX qualifying time, followed by Eli Tomac. Roczen’s win continued the streak of dominance by the sport’s “Big Three” of Roczen, Webb and Tomac. The trio had entered the night winning 84 percent of races over the last three seasons.
Temecula native Christian Craig, who began attending Supercross races in Anaheim when he was 3 years old, claimed the win in the 250SX main event.
Craig passed Vince Friese early in the race and led the rest of the way. The 30-year-old dominated the 250SX field Saturday, sweeping all three of his races — the qualifying race, his heat and the main event.
Standing at the podium after the race, Craig pointed up at the outfield stands at Angel Stadium where his 7-year-old son, Jagger, was sitting and called the win a “dream come true,” and a “bucket list” event.
“I grew up in those stands right there,” Craig said. “I remember vividly watching all the main events growing up right there as a kid — his age. And now I’m here on the stage. I think that goes to show: All you guys can do it.”
Supercross heads to Oakland next weekend and then San Diego before returning to Anaheim for Rounds 4 and 6 on Jan. 29 and Feb. 12.
