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SUZUKI’S JASON ANDERSON EARNS FOURTH-PLACE RESULT AT ANAHEIM 2 SUPERCROSS

Brea, CA – (January 26, 2026) – Rain two days prior to Round 3 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season created very different track conditions when the series returned to Angel Stadium. The Anaheim 2 Supercross, which also pays points toward the SMX World Championship, offered saturated soil, soft jump faces, and deep ruts. The riders adapted to changing dirt conditions throughout the daytime qualifying sessions and the evening’s racing.  

Race Highlights:

  • Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Ecstar Suzuki
    • 450 Class
      • Ken Roczen fought forward throughout the main event to recover to an impressive top-ten result. 
  • Twisted Tea Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance
    • 450 Class
      • Jason Anderson holeshot and controlled the race through the opening laps to card his season-best main event result.
      • Colt Nichols soldiered through a tough night to deliver another strong performance.

Ken Roczen (94) had the speed to salvage a top-ten result at the Anaheim 2 Supercross after two early setbacks in the main event.

Ken Roczen (94) came into A2 with two podium finishes at the first two rounds. When the gate dropped for his heat, Roczen found himself just outside the top five. Roczen and his Suzuki RM-Z450 moved past two riders early, then nabbed a podium finish for a good gate pick. In the main event, Roczen tangled with another rider on the start, but kept it on two wheels and instantly started progressing through the pack. Unfortunately, a minute and a half into the 20-minute plus one lap race, Roczen was down on the ground and outside of the top 20. In an unbelievable display of speed, Roczen was able to drop only 4.3 seconds to the race leader while gaining ten positions on his charge through the pack. With eight minutes remaining on the race clock, Roczen passed three more riders to score eighth-place points and remain strongly in title contention.
 
“Anaheim 2 was not quite the night that we wanted. My starts just weren't there, and I made a big mistake on lap two and went down,” said Roczen. “We charged from 21st to eighth and left it all out on the track. That was as far up as I could [reach]. Luckily, I didn't lose too many points, so on that side of things it's all good. I'm pumped on the effort we all put in, and sometimes that's just the way it goes. So, we're going to try again in Houston.”

Jason Anderson (21) led the Anaheim 2 Supercross in front of a wild, sold-out crowd in Angel Stadium.

Jason Anderson (21) emerged from the first turn of his heat race in sixth place. From there Anderson sliced forward, took over a podium spot midway through the race, and held on for his third consecutive heat race podium. When the gate dropped for the main, Anderson and his RM-Z450 shot out of the gate, carved around the first corner, and emerged with the holeshot. Jason Anderson’s loose, flowing riding style worked great on the rutted track; he led the field for the opening seven minutes of racing. When challenged down a rhythm section, Anderson squared up the next corner and immediately re-took the lead down the long whoop section. Anderson battled with the front group and stood strongly in fourth place when the checkered flag flew. The event points moved Anderson and his Twisted Tea Suzuki up two positions in the championship standings.  

“The weekend here at Anaheim 2 went pretty well,” Anderson said after the race. “Practice was mediocre, I qualified ninth overall. In my heat race I was able to get a third, and then in the main event I [grabbed] a good start and was able to get fourth. So, we’re trending upwards but obviously we want to be on the podium.” 

Colt Nichols (45) continues to put in strong rides and make clean passes regardless of the Supercross track conditions.

Colt Nichols (45) started the night’s racing with a charge forward from a mid-pack start in his heat. Nichols moved quickly in the six-minute plus one lap race, including grabbing two positions on the final lap to earn a direct transfer into the main. Another disappointing start in the main put Nichols near the back of the pack, but he went to work and moved forward. Just past the midpoint Nichols reached 16th place and held it until the end. 

“It was a rough day, [I’m a] little under the weather and just had to figure it out and push through,” said Nichols. “It was just a struggle, I was a little off all day, the mental clarity wasn't quite there, but I survived and did as best as I could with what I had today. We’ve got a lot of work to do to try to get out of the gate; we need to snowball my day a little bit better, starting with qualifying, and just give myself a better chance. If we do that, we’ll be okay. The speed’s good, the bike is good, I just have to give myself a chance, so we'll try again next weekend. 

“We led a lot of laps, Jason rode great, we had a holeshot, and I think we led nearly half of the main event,” stated Dustin Pipes, Principal of the Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance team. “We ended up P-4 with Jason. It was great to see him out front and back riding his pace and being able to sprint a little bit. It was a really good bounce back for him. Ken Roczen had a little bit of a rough main. He tangled bars off the start and then had a fall on the second lap, so he came from dead last all the way back up to eighth. It was a great ride. His laps were great, just a tough finish. Colt Nichols, P-16, he rode good; he's a little bit sick this week. I think there are a lot of people battling bugs, and Colt was one of them. So, for us it was just about managing our expectations and kind of getting him through the round.”

The Supercross schedule now sends the teams and riders halfway across the country for the Houston Supercross inside NRG Stadium on Saturday, January 31st. The Texas event will deliver the season’s first Triple Crown event, which eliminates heat races and determines the overall winner based on three separate Races. With two riders inside the top five in the title standings, the Suzuki squads are looking ahead to continuing a strong 2026 title hunt. 

For the latest team updates, news, and race insights, visit SuzukiCycles.com/Racing/Motocross or HEPMotorsports.com.

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About Suzuki
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.