Monster's 250 Class SX Riders Sweep Podium in Tampa

As Monster Energy AMA Supercross moved its high wire traveling motorized roadshow eastward to Florida, Monster Energy-backed racers roared ashore like a hurricane as they captured five of a possible six podium spots – including a full podium sweep of the opening 250 ESX round – at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on Saturday.

Leading the fray was Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Max Anstie, who became the first British-born citizen to win again at Monster Energy AMA Supercross as he, for the third time in his career, captured top honors on the night at the opening round of the 250 Eastern Region Supercross series (ESX). Joining Anstie on the Tampa podium were his Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha teammate Daxton Bennick in 2^nd and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker in 3^rd.

On the 450s, it’d be Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Cooper Webb checking in with a 2^nd place podium finish, and moving himself up from 4^th to 3^rd in the overall standings. And in 3^rd place, on the Tampa 450s, was Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson, who ollied over a mess of racers in the overall standings - all the way from 6^th to 3^rd place.

Anstie, who grabbed the main event holeshot, re-inherited the lead when Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha teammate Pierce Brown went down hard in the whoops – bringing out the race-stopping red flag.

“Chaotic. And you know that it would be for Round 1. They red flagged it, and me and Dax (Bennick, Anstie’s teammate) were up front and it was kind of like a day at the Goat Farm from there,” said Anstie, referring to the famed Star Racing MX compound in Cairo, Ga. Anstie also noted his concern for Brown’s well-being. Brown’s condition, as of press time, had not yet been reported by Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha team officials.

On the 450s, all kinds of things got shook up at the top of the overall point chase as Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Eli Tomac injured his foot in the second qualifying session (more on that below), points leader Chase Sexton (KTM) crashed in the main and Ken Roczen (Suzuki) derailed his chain in a main event wreck. Monster Energy racers Webb, Anderson and Justin Cooper (Star Racing/Yamaha) were able to maintain and took the No. 2, 3 & 4 spots in the top five, respectively.

Tampa 450 class results                                         250 ESX class results

2^nd – Webb (Monster/Star/Yamaha)                                     1^st – Anstie (Monster/Star/Yamaha)

3^rd – Anderson (Monster/Star/Yamaha                                2^nd – Bennick (Monster/Star/Yamaha)

4^th – Cooper (Monster/Star/Yamaha)                                   3^rd – McAdoo (Monster/PC/Yamaha)

Overall Standings (5 of 17 rounds)

450 class                                                                  250 ESX class

2^nd – Webb, 96 points                                                         1^st – Anstie, 25 points

3^rd – Anderson, 84 points                                                    2^nd – Bennick, 20 points

5^th – Tomac, 64 points                                                         3^rd – McAdoo, 18 points

Notes & Quotes

• Right out of the gate, big ‘High Five’ to Husqvarna veteran racer Malcolm Stewart on winning his first ever Monster Energy AMA Supercross main event. Nice work, Mookie!
• Anstie’s reference to “another day at the Goat Farm” from the podium, regarding Star Racing’s MX compound in Georgia, was formerly owned by Monster Energy’s SX/MX champ Ricky Carmichael.
• Major bummer for Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Elit Tomac as he got his foot caught between his footpeg and his frame heading up the face of a jump in the second qualifying session. Tomac was able to exit the track on his own accord. Despite that, the multi-time SX/MX champion soldiered on in the 450 main event and finished (17^th).
• The 250 ESX starting gate was loaded with talent as no less than 10 different racers had previously won Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250 rounds.
• Reports prior to the Tampa SX noted that Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo would be racing despite a significant knee injury (ACL). And despite that, McAdoo booted up and raced to a 3^rd place podium finish.
• “Knee injury? It was a blown out ACL,” added NBC announcer Ricky Carmichal in response to NBC’s Leigh Diffey noting that McAdoo was riding injured.
• Deemed by AMA officials that he jumped during the red flag (a big No-No), Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Daxton Bennick was docked a crucial five championship points. The penalty bumped him all the way down to 4^th place in the overall standings, despite him being able to keep his 2^nd place Tampa 250 ESX finish.
• “The start was good, but I ended up spinning out of the gate and that was all she wrote,” said Cooper Webb, who battled back from a 12^th place opening lap to a podium 2^nd.

Up next: 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross rips up I-75 – from the Sunshine State to Motor City – for Round 6 of the series at Detroit’s Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, Feb. 15^th.