Monster Energy Riders Sweep at Supercross in Detroit

Two more big victories for Monster Energy backed racers on the 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross tour as Cooper Webb (Star Racing/Yamaha) and Levi Kitchen (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) each locked down top honors in their respective classes (450 & 250 ESX) at Detroit’s Ford Field on Saturday.

Also scoring a 2^nd place 250 ESX podium finish in Detroit was Max Anstie (Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha), who now leads the ESX points chase after two rounds, 47-38 over Kitchen.

With his 450 class victory at Detroit, and having finished in the runner-up position in the two prior races (Tampa & Glendale, Ariz.), Webb now sits tied atop the overall Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450 class points race with Chase Sexton (KTM), each with 121 points.

In the Ford Field 450 main, Webb was running in 3^rd position behind KTM’s Aaron Plessinger and race leader, Suzuki’s Ken Roczen. “Cooper (Webb) has had really good intensity the last two weeks. Just looks different on the bike,” commented NBC Sports announcer Ricky Carmichael. “Looks aggressive.”

That aggro riding would come into play soon thereafter as Webb got past Plessinger heading into a rhythm section – and set sail for leader Roczen.

“I really like where I was on Lap 3, when I got around Aaron (Plessinger),” explained Webb. “With Kenny (Roczen), I knew he was riding well and had a good pace. He rode strong. He felt the pressure but rode well the whole event. I was trying hard, and he picked up on some of my lines.”

Webb would catch – and pass – Roczen in a bowl turn on Lap 22 (of 24) and made it stick through the checkers. Webb’s Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha teammate Justin Cooper would bring his YZ450F home in 5^th place, with Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson, who was in 3^rd place podium position late in the race (before a last lap crash), placing 6^th.

In the 250 ESX warm up race in chilly Detroit, points leader Anstie pulled the holeshot and shot out to the early lead ahead of Kitchen. And while the great start allowed Anstie to pull a bit of a gap, Kitchen did his best to eliminate that gap – but Anstie carried upwards of a seven-second lead later into the contest.

Later on in the race, while charging back from an earlier crash, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo, already dealing with a serious knee injury (reported ACL tear), went down hard towards the end of a whoop section – and was unable to get up off the ground without assistance. This brought out the red flag. And, on the ensuing staggered restart, Anstie had his near seven-second lead erased – and Kitchen would win what NBC’s Carmichael referred to – the old Arenacross “Dash for Cash.”

With Kitchen and Anstie going 1-2 in Detroit, Star Racing/Yamaha’s Nate Thrasher rounded out the top five for Monster Energy, placing 5^th.

Detroit 450 class results                                                250 ESX class results

1^st – Webb (Monster/Star/Yamaha)                                                1^st – Kitchen (Monster/PC/Kawasaki)

5^th – Cooper (Monster/Star/Yamaha)                                            2^nd – Anstie (Monster/Star/Yamaha)

6^th – Anderson (Monster/Kawasaki)                                              5^th – Thrasher (Monster/Star/Yamaha)

Overall Standings (6 of 17 rounds)

450 class                                                                        250 ESX class

1^st (tie) – Webb, 121 points                                                          1^st – Anstie, 47 points

4^th – Anderson, 100 points                                                          2^nd – Kitchen, 38 points

6^th – Cooper, 86 points                                                                5^th – Thrasher, 31 points

Notes & Quotes

• “I wonder how much of this was strategy for Cooper Webb. He was doggin’ him.” NBC’s Ricky Carmichael on how Monster Energy’s Cooper Webb pursued race leader Ken Roczen from Lap 3 on, eventually passing him on Lap 22.
• “To get in there and not be dirty. I had some good lines; he had some good lines. Then, it got late and I was like ‘Shoot, you gotta get going.” – Webb on his thrilling late race battle for the win with rival Roczen.
• Added NBC’s Jason Weigandt on the Webb/Roczen battle: “Lot of water under the bridge between them. Now (it’s) very respectful.”
• With Webb and Sexton now tied for the overall Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450 class points lead, who will get to run the coveted ‘Red Plate’ next week at Arlington, Texas? The answer – Both.
• “Anstie had it. The restart cost him. And the win goes to Kitchen.” – How Weigandt called the thrilling 250 Detroit final.
• “That was a crazy race,” said Kitchen from the podium. “Just the emotions from going and then, having to stop. Max (Anstie), he ran so good at the beginning of the main event and pulled away from me pretty big – and then, the red flag came out. And I’m ‘Alright, it’s time to reset and I can capitalize on this.’”
• Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo released, via social media, a burly image of himself with a massive cut on his cheek from his second crash in the 250 main event in Detroit.
• Said McAdoo after the race: “Tough night for me here in Detroit. Unfortunately, I had a crash in the whoops with a couple of laps to go and banged up my face pretty good, ending up with a cut. Other than that, I think I’m okay. We’ll take the next couple of days to assess everything and make a plan moving forward.”

Up next: Onward, to Texas, goes the 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross tour – bringing its high flying dirt show to Arlington’s pristine $1.3 billion AT&T Stadium, Saturday, Feb. 22