SOLID TOP-FIVE RESULT FROM ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING’S MALCOLM STEWART.
JALEK SWOLL RETURNS TO RACING WITH SEVENTH-PLACE FINISH IN 250SX.
The 2022 AMA Supercross Championship made its way back to Southern California for round three of racing in San Diego and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart had another steady performance in the 450SX class, finishing inside the top-five for the second-straight week.
Qualifying fifth earlier in the day, Stewart got a decent jump in 450SX Heat 2 but he found himself outside the top-10 on the opening lap. He steadily climbed toward the front and with three laps to go, he powered his way into the top-five, finishing strong in fifth. In the Main Event, Stewart got pushed wide off the start and rounded the first lap in 10th. He put his head down and charged up to sixth by the halfway point, where he went to work battling for a top-five position. With the podium battle within reach later in the race, Stewart held strong to come away with a fifth-place finish in San Diego.
„The night was great! Another P5 and moving in the right direction,”Stewart said.“We had a nice little battle going – I think it was Ferrandis, Cooper and myself. The box is right there – a little bit better of a start and we would’ve been in there but we’re moving in the right direction and I’m really stoked on the way I’ve been riding. I can’t thank the whole team enough, everyone’s been putting the effort in. It’s all about being consistent and just learning each and every race.”
Dean Wilson didn’t get the best start in 450SX Heat 1 after being forced off-track to avoid carnage early on. After rounding the opening lap in 16th place, he slowly climbed into a transfer position just after the halfway point. He continued to charge in the final laps to ultimately secure an eighth-place finish. In the Main Event, Wilson grabbed a top-10 start but he had a mishap early on that dropped him back to 20th. With his work cut out for him, Wilson clawed his way back up to finish 14th on the night.
„On paper my night doesn’t look very good but I actually felt good with my riding,”Wilson said.“I actually got a pretty good start in the main but my clutch broke on the first lap and I stalled it. It took a minute to get the bike going and I was kind of riding without a clutch for the whole race. A little bit frustrating because I felt really good physically and I felt like I could have done the whole Main Event at a good pace but it is what it is and we’ll come back next weekend.“
In the 250SX class, team rider Jalek Swoll returned to racing for his first Main Event of the 2022 season. Following a heat race crash at Anaheim that kept him sidelined for the first two rounds, Swoll came back on solid ground with a seventh-place qualifying position. He grabbed a 10th-place start in 250SX Heat 2, battling his way up to sixth halfway through. He made a mistake on the final lap and dropped a position to ultimately finish seventh in the heat. His Main Event performance was on par with the heat, beginning with a 10th-place start and resulting in a seventh on the night.
“I know where I should be, so seventh-place kind of stings but it’s my first week back so I’ll take it,” Swoll said. “I’ll get some laps in this week and work on getting my starts back and I’ll honestly be just fine. I feel like I’m in a good spot speed-wise, so I feel really confident going into next week and I know I’m going to turn it up.“
Round 4: January 29 – Anaheim SX 2 – Anaheim, California Round 3
Results: San Diego SX
450SX Results 1. Chase Sexton (HON) 2. Eli Tomac (YAM) 3. Dylan Ferrandis (YAM) …5. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing14. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX West Results 1. Michael Mosiman 2. Hunter Lawrence (HON) 3. Christian Craig (YAM) … 7. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX Rider Point Standings 1. Eli Tomac – 59 points 2. Chase Sexton – 58 points 3. Cooper Webb – 58 points …8. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 52 points11. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 33 points
250SX West Rider Point Standings 1. Christian Craig – 73 points 2. Hunter Lawrence – 67 points 3. Michael Mosiman – 62 points
Text/Bild: Husqvarna