Page 10 - Issue_60

JASON ANDERSON
450 SX / 2ND
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Jason Anderson’s experiences in 2017 can all be summed up in one word “almost”. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider had several numbers of finishes on the podium between both Supercross and Motocross but only one win to show for it. And several more times, mostly in Supercross, he finished in fourth just barely missing the coveted podium positions. It seemed like in nearly every race his
pace would be just a tick off the leaders and he’d have to watch them slowly inch away. He was trying everything he could do to try and match and even best their speed but on the days, it appeared he might be able to accomplish that, poor starts would spoil those desires. Anderson did enjoy a success- ful offseason by bringing in two more seconds at the Monster Energy Cup and Geneva SX and then collecting a win at the Aus-X Open. He put in the hard work to give himself a greater chance at finding the top step of the podium more often. Anderson looked springy and energetic in qualifying practice
at Anaheim 1 on his way to securing the fourth fastest lap time. He performs well on the West Coast tracks and that proved no different on Saturday. He was ready to do battle when the racing began. The gate drop in heat one of the 450 class saw Anderson jump out into the second place position.
He was behind the leader Blake Baggett but he did not intend to be there for long. He applied some serious pressure to Baggett in the opening moments of the race and momentarily made the pass for the lead. But because Baggett and Anderson were going at it so fiercly, it allowed Cole Seely to slide underneath both of them in a one-hundred-eighty-degree corner and pass both of them for the lead. Anderson, still in second, now charged after Seely and pressured him into a mistake and a tip over on the following lap. After inheriting the lead, Anderson rode it cleanly to the finish line albeit with a little pressure from Eli Tomac on the final lap. After nailing a heat race win and first gate pick for the main event, Anderson looked ready to pick up his second career Anaheim 1 450 win. Unfortunately for him, his sixth place start in the main significantly hurt his cause. He slowly began carving his way through the field by picking off Jeremy Martin on lap three to take fifth. A few laps later he managed to squeeze his way around Weston Peick for fourth and then quickly hopped into third after early leader Eli Tomac would crash out on lap eight. There was a decent cushion between he and Barcia in second so An- derson dug in and started chipping away. Slowly but surely Anderson closed the gap and would make his move on lap fifteen leaving him enough time to try and reel in Musquin for the lead. However, the closest he would get to Musquin was two and a half seconds. Musquin did a nice job countering each of Anderson’s charges and the Husqvarna rider would have to settle with second place. A great start to the season for Anderson as his speed appears to be there, but he just needs a little better of a hole- shot to give him a better shot at the victory.
10 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 8, 2018