Spokane, Wash. (January 25, 2022) - Smartop | Bullfrog Spas | MotoConcepts | Honda was back to full strength at the 2022 San Diego Supercross, round three of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross Championship. Vince Friese posted a season-best result in the 250 Main Event, while Justin Brayton and Mitchell Oldenburg returned to action after issues forced their absences the round prior and put in resilient rides during the 450 Main Event.
Friese and MCR continue to take steps forward with the newly formed 250SX program. The rider’s pace improved by nearly a full second during the two practice sessions, and a 50.220 lap ranked him ninth overall in the Timed Qualifying. An excellent start in 250 Heat Race Two put him near the front of the field, and after nine hard laps, he crossed the finish line in third. Friese turned a bad start in the 250 Main Event into something special, as he avoided a first-turn pileup that claimed multiple competitors, pushed through the pack, and reached third place. Friese did his best to keep the position during the final laps, but the defensive tactics were not enough to keep him on the podium, and he ended the evening in fourth place. “Tonight was the night when I really needed a start, and I didn’t get one. That was the only bummer takeaway from the night. I think the guy next to me flinched a little bit, and it threw me off,” he noted after the race. “I was a lap and a half away from a podium. I think it will come. The guys at the front are all so fast, and I wish I could have been in with the lead guys a little longer. I put up my best fight but tried to stay clean, and that was as aggressive as I could be. I saw the clock ticking down and knew it was for a podium, so I couldn’t let it go. Overall, it’s not a bad result. I collected points, I’m healthy, and we’re getting better. I’m still learning this bike, how to race it and everything, but I think that I’ll get up there.” Friese is now ranked fourth overall in the championship standings.
The time off didn’t deter Justin Brayton. Less than a second separated the top riders during the Timed Qualifying sessions, and with a 48.672 lap to his credit, Brayton ended the afternoon in eighth overall. A good start in 450 Heat Race Two put Brayton in fourth place, a position he held from the first lap to the checkered flag, and it proved that a top-10 finish in the feature was possible. An eventful start to the 450 Main Event pushed Brayton to 14th place, but he took advantage of repeat interactions caused by other riders in the opening laps and reached ninth place by the halfway point. Although all of the effort was wiped away by a crash on lap 14, Brayton put in a final push and ended the race in 11th. “The whole day was good. I qualified in eighth place, my Heat Race was solid, and things were going good in the Main Event,” he said of round three. “I was right behind that lead group when I had a weird crash. My front wheel tucked and then caught, which sent me over the bars. I dropped to 14th place but came back to 11th. What can you do? Overall, it was a solid day from top to bottom, I just have to stay off the ground.” Brayton is now ranked 16th overall in the championship standings.
Although Mitchell Oldenburg had a more challenging time at round three, he managed to make it through the night without significant issues. Unable to ride much during the past week, he used the afternoon’s practice sessions as a warm-up, logged a 50.179 lap, and was placed 19th overall in the Timed Qualifying results. An excellent start in 450 Heat Race Two put Oldenburg in an excellent position for the short sprint, and with an eighth-place finish, he advanced directly to the 450 Main Event. Oldenburg started the 26-lap feature at the very back of the pack, but persistency and experience helped him finish in 16th place. “I haven’t done anything but 15 laps of riding on Wednesday, but even those were challenging,” he stated at the end of the night. “I gave it my best, but it was frustrating because it was one of those days when you need to push the extra little bit and can’t. It was all my body was willing to give. We’ll get back to work this week with the program, and because the East Coast is the focus, it’s good to get out of here safe.” Oldenburg is now ranked 18th overall in the championship standings.
The 2022 Monster Energy Supercross Championship continues with the 2022 San Diego Supercross on January 22nd at Petco Park in San Diego.