Glendale, AZ – January 12, 2019 – Following his stellar win at the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season opener, Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Colt Nichols rode a smart race to hold onto his championship lead with a solid second-place finish at State Farm Stadium.
Nichols got the night off to a great start with a heat win aboard his Yamaha YZ250F. He was hoping to repeat that in the main, but the track conditions tested a rider’s patience and the 24yr old made a few mistakes trying to push for the win. At the end of the day, Nichols was rewarded with an important points haul, giving him a five-point lead in the 250SX West title chase.
Unfortunately for his teammate Dylan Ferrandis, the challenging conditions made for a disappointing round two. The Frenchman started the day looking like the man to beat, showing a lot of speed and topping the time charts in qualifying. Ferrandis got a decent start, but had a big crash that ended his hopes of a repeat podium finish. Still, he never gave up and fought his way back to sixth to score valuable championship points.
The Monster Energy/Star/ Yamaha Racing team returns to Anaheim, California, next Saturday, January 19, for round 3 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship at Angels Stadium of Anaheim.
Colt Nichols
Monster Energy/Star/ Yamaha Racing
“The bike was great. It felt really, really good all day. We made a few changes to the suspension before the night program and that helped a lot. The track was just so dry and you had to be really, really patient. I was trying not to rush everything, but sometimes I kind of rushed it and made a few little mistakes. That’s all right though. I still salvaged a second, so I’m really happy to leave with the points lead and will get ready for next weekend.”
Dylan Ferrandis
Monster Energy/Star/ Yamaha Racing
“The track was slippery but it was a good layout. The bike was awesome. I felt I had the speed for a good result, but I crashed hard in the race. I worked hard to regain some points in the championship, but it was a disappointing night. I’m not happy with sixth.”
Wil Hahn
Monster Energy/Star/ Yamaha Racing Team Manager