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MONSTER ENERGY® KAWASAKI RIDERS FIGHT HARD AT TRIPLE CROWN OPENER AS TEAM GREEN™ DOMINATES SMX NEXT
Foothill Ranch, Calif. (February 2, 2025) - Jason Anderson and his Monster Energy® Kawasaki rode strong with brilliant moments to secure seventh place overall at the opening Triple Crown race and Round 4 of the 2025 Monster Energy® Supercross Championship on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona. Monster Energy® Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Garrett Marchbanks tackled the demanding track to earn a sixth-place overall result, while teammate Drew Adams was sidelined after a crash in qualifying left the No. 98 with a broken collarbone. Monster Energy® Kawasaki Team Green™ riders Landen Gordon and Enzo Temmerman stole the show in the first SMX Next race of the year, claiming an impressive one-two finish aboard their KX™250 machines.
Anderson kicked off the day by qualifying fifth aboard his Monster Energy Kawasaki KX™450SR. With dry and technical track conditions which have been common to the Glendale round, the No. 21 had to brace for a battle. In Race 1, he started mid pack and was unable to work his way forward on the fast-paced track and shorter Main Event, ultimately crossing the line in 11th place. The second Main Event saw Anderson launch into the Top 5 early, immediately challenging for the lead. As the race wore on, the demanding conditions took their toll, and he settled for a sixth-place finish. In the final Main Event of the night, Anderson started in sixth and quickly charged up to fourth, but a few late-race mistakes dropped him to eighth. Wrapping up the first Triple Crown of the season, his Main Event tally (11-6-8) would secure him seventh overall.
After taking a weekend off to rehab a shoulder injury, Marchbanks returned in Glendale and began his day on the technical track by qualifying sixth. In Race 1 of the 250SX Class, he found himself buried in the pack off the start but quickly worked his way up to seventh early on. The No. 36 kept charging and secured a fifth-place finish. In the second Main Event, he executed a better start inside the Top 10, but a mid-race crash forced him to remount in 15th before battling back to finish 10th. In the final Main Event, Marchbanks once again started inside the Top 10 and pushed through the field to claim sixth. At the end of the night, the No. 36 finished sixth overall (5-10-6).
The Glendale round would also serve as Round 1 of SMX Next – Supercross, an AMA National Championship consisting of four invitational qualifying rounds, consisting of the best A and B class amateur riders in the world, preparing them to make the next step into racing the world’s fastest professional riders. In each event racers may earn points towards their pro license based on their finishing positions.
In the SMX Next Class, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green riders Gordon and Temmerman commenced their day by qualifying second and fifth, respectively. When the Main Event began, Gordon’s No. 18 KX™250 rocketed out of the gate, grabbing the holeshot, while Temmerman settled inside the Top 5. A red flag led to a staggered restart, with Gordon maintaining first and Temmerman in third. Late in the race, the No. 21 of Temmerman mounted a strong charge, making a decisive pass for second, but Gordon would build a gap and be unchallenged to take his first SMX Next victory. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green demonstrated its strength and dedication to the sport’s future, claiming an impressive 1-2 finish.
“We pulled through and made the best of a less than ideal night. I qualified fifth, but the first Main Event didn’t go my way, and I ended up 11th. In the second race, I had a stronger start inside the Top 5 and battled up front before finishing sixth. In the final race, I was running fourth early on, but a few mistakes late in the race dropped me to eighth, which put me sixth overall for the night. The track was technical, and the conditions wore on me as the night went on, but we’re taking the positives and looking ahead to the next round.”
Jason Anderson
“It was a solid day, considering my shoulder injury. I felt pretty good in both qualifying sessions and ended up sixth overall. Going into the Triple Crown, I was feeling pretty good. Race 1 went well with a solid finish. In Race 2, I got a great start, running in fifth or sixth, but unfortunately, I had a small tip-over in the sand. I did my best to recover and worked my way back up to 10th. Race 3 didn’t start great, so I had to fight through the pack. I made some good passes early on, but it was just a little too late. Overall I’m just happy to be back racing after the shoulder injury and we’ll take the next couple weeks to come back stronger in Arlington.”
Garrett Marchbanks
