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MONSTER ENERGY®/PRO CIRCUIT/KAWASAKI RIDERS CAMERON MCADOO AND SETH HAMMAKER SCORE CONSECUTIVE DOUBLE PODIUM IN BIRMINGHAM
Foothill Ranch, Calif. (March 10, 2024) - Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki riders Cameron McAdoo and Seth Hammaker secured another dual podium in the 250SX class this weekend after eventful heat races at the inaugural Monster Energy AMA Supercross in Birmingham, Alabama. Monster Energy® Kawasaki riders Jason Anderson and Adam Cianciarulo claimed second and sixth in their heat races, and sixth and 12th in the 450SX Main Event, respectively.
Protective Stadium, located in Birmingham, Alabama, has quickly become a premier venue for sports and entertainment since its opening. This past weekend marked a significant milestone as it hosted its inaugural Monster Energy Supercross event, thrilling fans with high-flying action and adrenaline-pumping races. The state-of-the-art facility provided the perfect backdrop for riders to showcase their skills and compete in front of enthusiastic crowds. With its modern amenities and world-class infrastructure, Protective Stadium continues to solidify its position as a top destination for thrilling sporting events and memorable experiences in Birmingham and beyond.
After more than two inches of rain hit Protective Stadium on Friday, morning practices on Saturday were canceled to prepare the Alabama clay for the remainder of the day. Hammaker came out swinging, only two thousandths of a second behind the fastest overall qualifying time. McAdoo charged hard and found his rhythm, claiming fourth overall in qualifying. As rainfall scattered through the night program, it would not hinder Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki riders from consistently executing Top 5 starts, with the exception of a first turn incident in the 250SX Heat Race which collected Hammaker and his bike becoming tangled with another competitor. Hammaker remounted his KX™250 almost two laps down, and pulled off the track early so the team could prepare his machine for the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ). McAdoo would capitalize to charge through the pack and while battling for second, collided with his competitor who apparently missed a shift, sending McAdoo to the ground. McAdoo quickly remounted his machine in the second position where he would finish but not without making a valiant charge, closing in on the leader. In the LCQ, Hammaker would claim the holeshot and never look back, landing him a spot in the 250SX Main Event. At the start of the main event, both Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki KX™250 machines shot out of the gate, securing Top 5 positions and charging towards the front. Hammaker began his pursuit, clicking off positions every lap. The No. 43 soon overcame third place and eventually caught up to his teammate, finishing one second behind McAdoo and securing a second consecutive double podium for the Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team.
In the 450 Class, Anderson and Cianciarulo kicked off their weekend with the 10th and 13th qualifying positions. In 450SX Heat 1, Anderson had a quick jump out of the gate and secured second place off of the start. The No. 21 Kawasaki remained consistent, holding onto second where he would finish. In Heat 2, Cianciarulo had a great start, landing him in the Top 5 around the first turn. The No. 9 would maintain his speed, but eventually lost positions towards the end finishing sixth. In the 450SX Main Event, Cianciarulo started the night off strong in fourth place while Anderson did not have the same luck, and was shuffled to mid pack at the start. Anderson began to charge, moving forward from 12th place. Anderson made his way through the pack of title contenders, eventually overtaking sixth place on the last lap where he would finish. Cianciarulo lost a few positions during the race, and finished in 12th place. Cianciarulo was later penalized five championship points after jumping on a red cross flag.
“I cannot complain about today. I was really consistent on my KX™250, and ran my race trying to make as few mistakes as possible. Obviously the incident in the heat race was not ideal, but I recovered quickly and still managed a second place finish. In the main I had a good start and ran a safe and quick pace, and towards the end I saw Seth coming up on me and we finished nose and tail with each other. The back-to-back double podium weekend is so cool, and the Alabama fans are awesome. I’m super happy for Seth too and his recovery from his heat race. Let’s keep this going into Indy!”
- Cameron McAdoo
“The day started out really well, having the fastest Q1 time and then almost having the overall fastest time. The heat race crash was a bummer deal, and I handled it the best way I could. Once I knew we had to go to the LCQ the team and I decided it was best to pull off and get the bike ready since it had quite a bit of damage. Once we won the LCQ and headed to the main I knew I had my work cut out for me to make it to the front with a bad gate pick, but the start went pretty well and I just rode my race and made it to the podium. I’m really happy with my comeback and keeping my head straight after all that happened. I’m pumped to get another double podium for my Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team.”
- Seth Hammaker
“I didn’t have the best qualifying time but getting second in the heat race got us back on track for the main event. In the main I didn’t get the best start, so I had to charge through the pack and eventually made my way up to sixth which I was stoked about. Sixth place is not where we need to be but I’ve already shown where we can be, so it’s time to keep putting in work on my KX™450SR and make it happen.”
- Jason Anderson
“The track workers did an awesome job of keeping the track dry considering the conditions, but limited track time was difficult to gauge the conditions. I am happy with my performance this weekend, I’m still fighting my hand injury a little bit but it gets better every round. I jumped on the red cross flag which was on me, apparently I was overly focused on my riding and unfortunately made that mistake that cost me points. I also had some really good starts on my KX450SR, now I just have to work on staying there. Let’s go Indy!”
- Adam Cianciarulo