ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING’S RJ HAMPSHIRE EXPERIENCES HIGHS AND LOWS AT ANAHEIM 2
CHRISTIAN CRAIG CARDS HIS BEST RESULTS OF THE ’23 SEASON
As the AMA Supercross Championship returned to Anaheim, Calif. for the second time this season, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team was looking forward to some positive results, as RJ Hampshire continues to impress with his speed.
250SX
With a pair of second-place finishes already this season, Hampshire has shown he had the speed to be competitive at the top of the 250 West. That trend continued early in the night, as he scored the holeshot in the first main, and he held the lead until the finish aboard his FC 250. That put him in a great spot to make some headway in the title chase. Unfortunately, a crash in the second main put a damper on his results for the remainder of the night’s action. Despite the tough day, he still holds a spot in the top three of the championship standings.
“Man, what a brutal day. The track just had that feeling where it was a bit off. In the first main I started out good and got a holeshot and won,” Hampshire said. “Then the second main was chaos from the beginning. I think it was about the third or fourth lap I just lost my hand in the sand and I had a big one. Thanks to Dr. G we were able to tape my shoulder up and gave it all we had for that third main. It’s not ideal, but I think we’re still in it. It could have been much worse and we have a little break now, so we’ll be ready for Oakland in a couple of weeks.”
450SX
With Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Malcolm Stewart sidelined due to a practice crash last week, the team’s full attention was on Christian Craig and his FC 450 Rockstar Edition. While Craig’s still not where he wants to be with his riding, all three of his main event finishes at Anaheim 2 were inside the top 10, and topped his previous finishes this season.
“A2 started off better. I put in better times in qualifying,“ Craig said. “I’m just struggling a little bit mentally, just trying to get more comfortable. I’ll keep working on that and try to improve for Houston. All-around I’ll just try to take the positives from the night, know that I’m capable of more, and try to keep working toward my goals.”
Next Event (Round 5): February 4, 2023 – NRG Stadium in Houston, TX
Round 4 Results: Anaheim 2
450SX Results
1. Chase Sexton (Honda), 1-5-1
2. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki), 5-1-3
3. Ken Roczen (Suzuki), 2-3-4
…
11. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 9-10-10
250SX West Results
1. Levi Kitchen (Yamaha), 4-2-2
2. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 3-6-1
3. Stilez Robertson (Yamaha), 6-1-3
…
11. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 1-22-13
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Eli Tomac – 69 points
2. Chase Sexton – 65 points
3. Cooper Webb – 65 points
…
12. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 34 points
15. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 15 points
250SX West Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 75 points
2. Cameron Mcadoo – 59 points
3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 58 points