The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team duo of Jason Anderson and Dean Wilson headed to Las Vegas, NV for the seventh running of the Monster Energy Cup to duke it out with the world’s best supercross racers and battle for their share of the most lucrative single race purse of the season. The unique three-race format features a challenging, high speed supercross style course, split start and the always interesting “Joker Lane” which always provides maximum excitement for the packed stadium of fans.
When the gate dropped for race one of the Cup class, Jason Anderson jumped out to a third-place start and was immediately mixing it up for the lead on the action packed opening laps as riders strategically chose when to use the Joker Lane to their advantage. Around lap four, Anderson moved into the second position and pushed after the leader, ultimately coming home in second at the finish to keep himself firmly in the hunt for the weekend overall. Dean Wilson gated well in race one, and sat fifth on the first lap. He then rode strong, laying down quick lap times with his eyes set on the leaders. On lap four, Dean moved into fourth, then into third on lap six where he stayed for the remainder of the race to take a podium finish.
In race two Anderson pulled another great start to sit second after the opening lap. He rode strong consistent laps and chased the leader all race long, ultimately ending with another second-place finish, putting him just two points behind the leader heading into the all-important third and final moto. Wilson again was in the mix from the start in race two, battling for a top-five position. After some back and forth battles that lasted the entire 10 lap race, Dean made a great last lap pass to snag a fifth-place finish at the checkers.
All eyes were on the start for the pressure filled, third and final race which would decide the overall finishes on the night. Jason and Dean rocketed off the drop down, split start on their Husqvarna FC 450 machines to come out second and third, respectively, and put themselves in great positions to battle for overall podiums. Jason rode the edge all moto long to try and run down the leader by the time the checkered flag flew, but was forced to settle for second. His consistent 2-2-2 finishes would net him second overall on the night and a trip to the podium to claim his 35 thousand dollars in prize money. Deano used his great start to his advantage and kept his eyes fixed on his teammate all moto long. With pressure from behind, that would ultimately decide the final overall spot on the podium, Wilson held strong all 10 laps to claim third at the finish and log 3-5-3 moto scores for third overall, and put another Husqvarna on the podium to cap a great night for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team.
“Las Vegas was great,” said Anderson. “The track was awesome and I had good starts all night. Everything about this race is so much fun because it’s so different and unique. All-in-all it was a great weekend.”
“I’m always excited for this race,” said Wilson. “The track is just so different and it makes the race that much more enjoyable. I think I rode well all day and I’m happy with my results.”
MONSTER ENERGY CUP RESULTS
Cup Class
1. Marvin Musquin (1,1,1)
2. Jason Anderson, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (2,2,2)3. Dean Wilson, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (3,5,3)4. Broc Tickle (4,3,4)
5. Jordon Smith (5,4,6)
6. Justin Barcia (10,6,5)
7. Josh Grant (6,7,8)
8. Benny Bloss (7,8,7)
9. Vince Friese (8,10,10)
10. Tyler Bowers (12,9,9)
Amateur All-Stars1. Seth Hammaker (1,1)
2. Pierce Brown (3,2)
3. Jo Shimoda (2,4)
4. Tanner Stack (9,3)
5. Dylan Greer (6,6)
6. Ramyller Alves (5,10)
7. Carter Halpain (7,9)
8. Jordan Bailey, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (10,8)9. Mitchell Falk (12,7)
10. Garrett Marchbanks (16,5)