Spokane, Wash. (January 18, 2022) - After a solid start to the season, Smartop | Bullfrog Spas | MotoConcepts | Honda ventured to Northern California for the 2022 Oakland Supercross, round two of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross Championship. The weekend was trying time for the three-rider team, as issues prevented Justin Brayton and Mitchell Oldenburg from lining up in the 450 Class, but the MCR team maintained their on-track presence with Vince Friese in the 250 Class.
Friese made noticeable progress through the qualifying sessions, particularly during Saturday afternoon's practice, and a 1:01.885 lap in the final outing put him ninth overall in the Timed Qualifying results. Friese spent much of the 250 Heat Race Two battling the top riders, and a fourth-place finish advanced him directly to the 250 Main Event. An excellent main event start helped Friese run with the lead group during the feature race, and after 16 laps of hard racing and aggressive passes, he crossed the finish line in sixth place. "It went okay, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted. I had another excellent start but made a few mistakes early on and ended up sixth in the Main Event," he said after the checkered flag. "I had a tough week this week and wasn't feeling my best, but I think that San Diego will be much better. I'm getting used to the bike and the racing in the 250 Class because it's different, but I'll continue to improve and will be in a good spot soon." Friese is now fifth overall in the 250 West Coast championship standings.
Justin Brayton could not compete at Oakland due to a positive test result in the Supercross COVID protocol but will be clear to return to action this coming week in San Diego. "I've had countless times where I've woken up the morning of the race and thought there was no way I could ride, whether it be a sickness or a broken bone, but when it's race day, it's time to race regardless," said Brayton of the situation. "We live in a different world now, and we're all having to adjust. It's a shame not to race, but I applaud Feld Entertainment and the AMA for doing everything they can to keep the best sport in the world going over the past couple of years." Brayton is now 17th overall in the 450 Class championship standings.
Mitchell Oldenburg withdrew from the weekend's race after being informed of a family emergency and returned to Southern California. "My family will always come first," explained Oldenburg. "I appreciate that the team respected and understood my situation." Oldenburg is now 18th overall in the 450 Class championship standings.
The 2022 Monster Energy Supercross Championship continues with the 2022 San Diego Supercross on January 22nd at Petco Park in San Diego.