Fourth at Anaheim 2 edges Red Bull KTM Cooper Webb closer in 450 SX standings 29.01.2023: Round 4 – AMA Supercross Championship Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Cooper Webb has moved to within four points of the lead in the 2023 AMA Supercross Championship aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, after finishing fourth overall at Anaheim 2's

Round 4 – AMA Supercross Championship

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Cooper Webb has moved to within four points of the lead in the 2023 AMA Supercross Championship aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, after finishing fourth overall at Anaheim 2's first Triple Crown event of the year. Teammate Aaron Plessinger finished a consistent seventh overall, as Maximus Vohland claimed fifth overall in the 250SX West division.
 


After setting the fifth-fastest qualifying time, Webb found himself mid-pack off the start of the first race of the night program. He smoothly worked his way through the pack into a top-five position, before colliding with another rider on the final lap and finishing seventh.



The second race saw Webb and another rider make contact down the start straight and he was pinched out of the leading group through the first turn. From there, he stormed his way through the field in one of his customary charges to fourth position, finishing just short of a third-place result.



Webb quickly jumped out of the gate for the final race of the night, settling into third, then capitalizing on his strong track position to claim the runner-up result and finish the round in fourth overall. Two-time 450SX champion Webb is currently third in the championship standings.



Cooper Webb: "It was an up and down night. In the first race I had a run-in with another rider and ended up on the ground with a banged-up hand, which is never great. After a fourth in the second race, I got a much better start in the last one, rode up front, and ended up second.


There were some weird racing incidents tonight, but we’ll take fourth overall. I’m looking forward to heading back east and moving forward to Houston where I’ll try and get our first win of the season."






Meanwhile, Plessinger and his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION put in a consistent evening of racing to leave with a seventh-place result. A 10th pick of the starting gate saw Plessinger in the thick of the action in the early stages of the first race, but some strategic passes saw him move his way up to eighth before the checkered flag.



Race two saw Plessinger leap into the top three out of the starting gate, before getting involved in a spirited battle for second. Unfortunately, a mistake saw him lose quick positions and he finished the race in seventh position. Another mid-pack start in the final race again saw Plessinger trying to move forward through the field, resulting in another seventh-place finish that had him end the night in P7 overall.



Aaron Plessinger: "Seventh overall isn’t horrible, but it isn’t what I wanted and I know I’m capable of a lot more. In the first race I fought my way back through the pack as far as I could after a bad start. I got a good start and was riding well in the second main event, but I washed my front wheel out while fighting for second.



It’s a shame I hit the ground, as I was really happy with that performance to that point. In the final race I got run high in the first corners and got stuck behind some riders, which slowed me down. I know what we need to work on for next week and it’s going to be nice to get back home and work with the team who we spent all off-season with."






In the 250SX West class, Vohland put in a determined performance aboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to finish the night with a solid fifth-place result overall. After qualifying ninth, Vohland found himself in the chasing pack early in the opening race, but made some crucial late passes to move his way into seventh before the race's end.



A strong start in the second race saw Vohland well in contention. Early incidents promoted him into P2 and he began tracking down the leader, however, a small error saw him remount further down the order and he went on to finish the race in eighth place. Race three saw him charge to fourth position and he went on to finish the night in fifth overall once the points from the three main events were combined.



Maximus Vohland: "Tonight was a good rebound from last weekend for me. In the first race I got a mid-pack start and moved my way up to seventh. I got off to a good start in the second race, but made some mistakes that I felt could have cost me a really good shot at the win.


In the final race, I almost got the holeshot and found my way into fourth, where I finished. I’m happy with the way I was riding all day, and now that we’re into a two-week break on the western region, I’m going to work hard to try and get on the box at my home race coming up."





Next Race: February 4 – Houston, Texas





Results 450SX Class – Anaheim 2 Triple Crown

1. Chase Sexton (USA), Honda, 1-5-1
2. Jason Anderson (USA) Kawasaki, 5-1-3
3. Ken Roczen (GER), Suzuki, 2-3-4
OTHER KTM
4. Cooper Webb (USA), KTM
7. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM
14. Justin Hill (USA), KTM
22. Kevin Moranz (USA), KTM




Standings 450SX Class 2023 after 3 of 17 rounds

1. Eli Tomac, 69 points
2. Chase Sexton, 65
3. Cooper Webb, 65
OTHER KTM
8. Aaron Plessinger, 45
14. Justin Hill, 27
19. Marvin Musquin, 11
23. Josh Hill, 5
25. Kevin Moranz, 4




Results 250SX West Class – Anaheim 2 Triple Crown

1. Levi Kitchen (USA), Yamaha, 4-2-2
2. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda, 3-6-1
3. Stilez Robertson (USA), Yamaha, 6-1-3
OTHER KTM
5. Maximus Vohland (USA), KTM
7. Derek Kelley (USA), KTM
20. Max Miller (USA), KTM
21. Joshua Varize (USA), KTM




Standings 250SX West Class 2023 after 3 of 9 rounds

1. Jett Lawrence, 75 points
2. Cameron Mcadoo, 59
3. RJ Hampshire, 58
OTHER KTM
9. Derek Kelley, 43
11. Maximus Vohland, 36
17. Joshua Varize, 13
26. Hunter Cross, 4
28. Max Miller, 3
 



- KTM Mattighofen, also photos