Mosiman and Barcia Score a Pair of Thirds to Round Out West Coast Racing
It was a stellar night in Anaheim for our Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing Team, where we scored podium finishes in both classes! Michael Mosiman had a wild ride in the 250SX West Main Event but he relentlessly charged back to claim his third podium finish in six rounds. For Justin Barcia, it was a positive night all-around with a 450SX heat-race win followed up by a strong third-place podium finish in the Main Event.
- Mosiman had a wild ride but rallied back for a third-place podium finish
- Barcia picked up his first heat win of 2022 and stamped the night with a Main Event podium
- Mosiman moves up a spot to second overall in the 250SX West standings
Back for our third and final run at Angel Stadium, the track conditions were anything but easy and Barcia used that to his advantage all night. He got off to a great start in the heat race aboard his MC 450F and he battled in second on the opening lap. Immediately looking for a way around, Barcia found his chance early on as he charged into the lead on lap two, cruising to his first heat-race win of the season.
In the Main Event, Barcia got a fifth-place start and he mixed it up in fourth for the first 10 laps. He positioned himself to capitalize on a podium position and he did just that when Musquin went down halfway through and he moved into third. With a strong pace in the second half of racing, Barcia was able to score his third podium finish in the first six rounds.
Justin Barcia: "It’s definitely good to be back here on the podium. The heat race was so good tonight but I’m a little disappointed with the way I rode in the Main Event – Jason and Eli had a great race. I got a decent start and fought through the pack pretty good, so a lot of positives for sure. I had a lot of fun and the track was awesome!”
Looking for redemption after a tough result last weekend, Mosiman was ready for battle and it showed right out of the gate. In the heat race, he put his MC 250F into a second-place start and battled up front with the leader for the first few laps. He got passed halfway through and fought hard to secure a third-place finish.
In the Main Event, Mosiman had a great jump off the line and he battled just outside the top-three before going down on the opening lap. Dropping as far back as 13th, Mosiman climbed his way back into podium contention, making his move into second on lap 11. On-track for a second-place finish, Mosiman made a mistake in the whoops and went down with only a few laps to go. Losing one spot, he dusted himself off and charged to the finish to salvage a respectable third-place finish. Heading into a five-week break, Mosiman now sits second overall in the 250SX West standings with three rounds remaining.
Michael Mosiman: “It was a tough race for me. I made a couple of silly mistakes, and I’ve got to clean that stuff up but it’s fuel to the fire. After some post-race reflecting, it really lit a fuse under me and it’s going to be good going into this off-season break to have a lot of motivation. Tough nights like these but it’s hard to be too mad when you’re in front of fans like this.”
The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing Team heads east to Minneapolis, Minnesota for the first round of the Eastern Regional series on Saturday, February 19.
Results – 2022 AMA Supercross Championship, Round 6
450SX – Main Event Results
1. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki) 22 laps; 2. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) +03.481; 3. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) +09.630 … 18. Justin Starling (GASGAS)
250SX West – Main Event Results
1. Christian Craig (Yamaha) 16 laps; 2. Vince Friese (Honda) +25.423; 3. Michael Mosiman (GASGAS) … 6. Chris Blose (GASGAS); 12. Geran Stapleton (GASGAS); 19. Jerry Robin (GASGAS); 22. Mitchell Harrison (GASGAS)
Championship Standings – After Round 6
450SX
1. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 134pts; 2. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki) 122 3. Chase Sexton (Honda) 116 … 5. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) 110
250SX West
1. Christian Craig (Yamaha) 148pts; 2. Michael Mosiman (GASGAS) 120; 3. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 119 … 10. Chris Blose (GASGAS) 63