Cooper Webb ...Up for the Fight!

The Anaheim 1 opener looked typical for Cooper Webb. The two-time Monster Energy AMA Supercross Champion is one of the best of his generation, and yet has never delivered a win at round one. He was his usual solid self on Saturday, coming through the pack to net fourth, and nipping at the heels of Jason Anderson to try to steal a podium. Webb wasn't spectacular at any point, but he was good.

There's more to this story, though, as our Steve Matthes is reporting that Webb had a crash late in the off-season and had to take some time off from riding. Thus, Anaheim's performance was a bit more of a mystery than realized, even though you wouldn't know it by watching him ride.

Webb continued to make progress throughout the day, qualifying eighth and finishing fourth in his heat race. In ninth after the start of the main event, the North Carolina rider once again showed grit and determination, fighting his way to fourth before the halfway mark. Webb kept pushing throughout the race and had the final podium position within sight. Although he finished just shy of the podium in fourth, he scored valuable points at the first round of the 17-round 450SX title fight.

“Anaheim 1 is always a crazy race," said Webb in a Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing statement. "It was an up-and-down day and an up-and-down off-season, but I’m happy. That was a good race. Obviously, being in the top five is important, but I wanted to be on the podium and felt like I was riding good enough to be up front. We need to get our starts a little bit better and be in the mix for next week. It was definitely a good starting point. We’re right in the fight, which is great.”

Billy Bolt Triumphs at Valleys Xtreme Enduro 2025

Experience the adrenaline and skill on display at the 2025 Valleys Xtreme Enduro held at Walters Arena in the Welsh Valleys. Watch as Billy Bolt secures a commanding victory, showcasing his unparalleled talent in extreme enduro racing. Following closely, Paul Bolton delivers an impressive performance on his Beta 300, earning a well-deserved second place. Rounding out the podium, Radford Chugg leverages his extensive trials riding background to navigate the challenging course and clinch third place. The Valleys Xtreme Enduro is renowned for its grueling terrain and fierce competition, attracting top riders from around the globe. This year's event was no exception, with participants tackling treacherous obstacles and pushing their limits in pursuit of victory.

Highlights Stage 8

Dakar Bikes Stage 8

2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 8

Luciano Benavides (KTM) took the Stage 8 win, his first triumph of the Dakar this year after his Stage 5 win was awarded to Van Beveren when time was awarded back. The Argentinian took P1 after being awarded back time after he helped Chelan Pablo Quintanilla (Honda), who crashed out of the race at kilometer 133 and damaged his shoulder.

Benavides headed home Quintanilla’s teammate Adrien Van Beveren, who also came to Quintanilla’s aid, the Frenchman banking another stage podium as the race heads into the final three days of racing this week.

Benavides finally got his stage win at the eighth time of asking.

“It’s never easy to see a fellow rider crash, so Adrien [Van Beveren] and I stopped to help Pablo [Quintanilla] and we stayed with him for about 30 minutes,” said Benavides. “After we restarted, it was difficult because the crash is always playing on your mind, but you have to just keep going. Despite having to ride in the dust from many riders and make several overtakes, I pushed really hard, and it paid off with my first stage win of the race, which is amazing!”

Tosha Schareina (Honda) produced another podium in third, the young Spaniard proving to be the most consistent podium finisher in the 2025 Dakar Rally as he consolidates second overall.

For Daniel Sanders (KTM), it was a damage limitation day as the Australian led out after winning Stage 7, dropping a little over four minutes to Schareina in the overall standings with his ride to seventh on the day.

“That might have been the toughest stage yet, especially the first 100 kilometers, which were really technical and hard to navigate, so I lost a fair bit of time there,” Sanders said. “After the refuel it was really fast and I was opening with Edgar [Canet], which was cool. I made a few little mistakes here and there, but I have a decent starting position for tomorrow so I’m happy.”

Fourth on Stage 8 was Ricky Brabec (Honda) from his teammate, compatriot Skyler Howes, with South Africa’s Michael Docherty (KTM) in sixth. Rounding out the stage’s top 10 was Sanders, Rally 2 winner and class leader Edgar Canet (KTM), Nacho Cornejo (Hero) and Rui Goncalves (Sherco).

Jacob Argubright (Honda) had a better ride today, no mechanical issues meaning the American took 20^th on the stage to move up to 23^rd overall.

Jason Thomas on A1

Monster Energy AMA Supercross is underway for 2025. Jason Thomas was on hand as a trackside reporter for NBC Sports, and we fired off some questions to him after the race.

Some A1 tracks are technical, and some are super basic. Where do you think this track landed on that scale?
The layout was really busy but on paper, it wasn’t overly technical. The technical aspect came from the changing soil and varying traction levels. Riders were losing the front end all day and night, the tire losing grip when riders needed it most. Much of that could be attributed to it being one of the driest Anaheim races we have seen in years.

The sand section was treacherous, and led to the undoing of more than a few riders, including Malcolm Stewart. What was it about that section that was so tricky?
I did a report on this for the broadcast and yes, it was tricky. The base was really hard underneath the sand. So, as riders hit the throttle hard to blast through the sand, the rear tire would get down to the base and then spin up far too quickly. That would break traction and create a lot of uncertainty as to where they were headed. That variance led to riders being out of position and unsure of what was happening next. The easy solution is to slow down and remain patient but that approach also meant losing time versus a perfect run through the section where that aggression was rewarded. Riders could also make passes in this section, and on a tight track, it’s hard to hold back when you see a rare opening. It was a slippery slope to get through there quickly without making a critical mistake.

Jo Shimoda started as good as one possibly can by winning the main event. Is this the step forward he needs to bring the heat in the first half of the season?This was a gigantic step forward. It doesn’t guarantee anything moving forward but at least it doesn’t disallow anything. That’s where he’s lived time after time. Usually, after few races most are already disregarding any chance for him to win a title. That’s not the case now.

 

Shimoda finally gets a start--to the race and the season. Align Media

During qualifying, in both the 250 and 450 classes, guys were going for it to get the fastest lap time. Was this a product of guys wanting to send a message at the opening round?
There is that, yes, but also the gate picks were critically important at this round. The split start wreaked havoc on the entire event and one way to help your odds was to get a better gate position. The ego side of qualifying will always be a thing but the gate pick aspect was more of a thing than it usually is.

Julien Beaumer was fantastic. He was fastest in qualifying, won his heat, and didn’t ride over his head to get the second in the main. What impressed you most about his Saturday night?
You nailed it. The speed, the maturity, and getting the little things right all came together to present a very impressive opener. I wasn’t sold on JuJu being a future title winner in this class but I’m coming around. He has the tools and is progressing quickly. Much more quickly than most, including myself, expected.

Haiden Deegan went down right away in the 250SX main event. What initiated that crash?
He didn’t get the jump he wanted and went into the first corner mid-pack. That opened the door to chaos. In the first rhythm, he rubbed tires with the rider in front of him and high sided over it. It was a very common crash and one I have had many times. Unfortunately for Haiden, it was in the main event of the opening round. He will bounce back and it could be argued he already did to get a 5^th.

How big is Jordon Smith’s podium [third] for him, and for Triumph?
It was a milestone moment for the brand. They are taking steps in the right direction and have the talent on their equipment to win. It’s not a matter of if, only when, they win their first main event. I have been impressed from the jump with their performance and this only furthers that.

What’s up with Justin Hill? At one point he was battling with Tomac, and he ended the night in eighth place in a stacked field. Was this on your Bingo card?He was ripping! I will never pretend to understand when or why he will bring his best stuff. I don’t know how anyone ever could predict that. He has the talent, that’s a given. Displaying it regularly, though, that has been a tougher ask for the former 250 west champ. He marches to the beat of his own drum both on and off the bike. He is one of the more interesting characters that most know little about.

Coty Schock had an opportunity to blast Deegan in the final turn before the checkers, and it could be argued a move like that would have been justified after Deegan smashed Schock in Birmingham on the last lap last year. Were you surprised Schock didn’t capitalize?
He did try but he would have had to do something egregious to do it. Make no mistake, though, he did go in for a hard pass. Once Deegs committed to his line, though, it would have been nuclear had Schock gone through with it. With Deegan committed to going wide open around the outside, the only way to stop him was to create huge contact, and possibly injure himself, Haiden or both. Colliding with a motorcycle going wide open around the top of a berm is no joke. Had Haiden checked up, it would have been different, but this would have required a hard pass. Coty made a business/career decision to not finish that and honestly, it was the right one.

Jett Lawrence tangled with Jason Anderson on the start and got stuck on a Tuff Block. He later crashed in the sand section and never really recovered. He definitely wasn’t displaying the same speed we’re used to seeing from him and finished 12^th, his worst career 450SX finish. Why do you think he wasn’t able to move forward very quickly?
He was fighting his bike like it was Conor MacGregor. It’s the most uncomfortable I have ever seen him look. Normally, Jett is very over the front of the bike, very sure of what’s about to happen. Saturday, he appeared to be more uncertain of how the bike would react to different obstacles or varying traction. That uncertainty is more than enough to take Jett from immortal to another elite rider. Honda and both Lawrence brothers have a lot to sort through this week. They will figure it out eventually, though. I am confident of that.

Chase Sexton was phenomenal. Is this what we should expect from him for the rest of the year, or do you think his ride was a product of not having to deal with pressure from Eli Tomac or Lawrence?
Great question, impossible to answer. Only Chase really knows the answer to that. Was he as comfortable as he wants to be? Or did he get the starts and just have an ideal night as far as the other riders go? The only way we get that answer is with time. Regardless, it had to be a big sigh of relief to start the season like that. Chase is a rider that feeds both positively and negatively from his internal thoughts and confidence. When things are going his way, he’s hard to take down.

Speaking of Tomac, what the heck happened on that first lap? How does someone like Tomac throw away the lead all by himself?
It was a pretty basic crash. It was very slippery in the spots where the soil had been blown off. Riders are sprinting on those opening laps. They are pushing the limits and Tomac’s adrenaline was probably surging. He wanted to nail that first lap and get out of Dodge. He just trusted the front tire and it didn’t hold. Simple, straight forward crash that every pro rider has had dozens of times. It just hurts badly in that spot with that much riding on it.

Chase...“It’s almost like a switch happened in my brain."

Chase Sexton silenced doubts and internal questions at round one of 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross via a dominant main event win. Not only did he take the early championship lead, but he also showed impressive pace in practice and was better positioned to tackle the racetrack aboard his KTM 450 SX-F.

Kick Start Kenny Has Some Fight Left

Ken Roczen wasn’t standing out in practice at Anaheim one but, when the lights came on, Ken Roczen shone! He looked brilliant all night long winning his heat race and then taking second in the main event with only Chase Sexton able to outpace the talented German!

On what changed from the day time to the night show, Roczen revealed he had been ill in the lead up to A1! “I was just stoked to be on the podium, because the last couple of weeks I hadn’t ridden much, my whole family we all got sick as a dog, but before I got sick I was feeling really good so obviously that’s in me and it was just getting back to 100% so I can ask myself to go out there and give it 100% and show the fitness I have.”

“We were tinkering a tiny bit with the bike not too much with suspension, I was doing some gearing stuff it was just very hard pack and very slippery and I haven’t been in California conditions in forever, I have just been in Florida so we were just tinkering with stuff a little bit. Honestly that last qualifying session was a little bit me I made the wrong choice in the beginning where I positioned myself to get a fast lap. I made a couple of mistake when I tried to do a fast lap and then a couple of laps I got messed up by somebody else and before you know it practice was over and I was 14th.

“I wasn’t stoked about it by any means but I was just calm and it didn’t bother me too much, I knew when the gate dropped I was ready to go and it proved it again, racing I put a lot more enthusiasm into my riding and into my focus than in practice.“

In the pre-race press conference Ken reference past tense about being a title contender, after his second place at Anaheim 24 hours later we asked Ken if he now believed he could contend for the title after his performance and his answer was interesting, forthright and honest: “I don’t know, I am just a little bit more mellow, 2021 I think was the last time I was really hunting for a championship, it seems so long ago but it really isn’t that long ago. Deep down, inside me, I think I can but I have really got to put it together over the whole season and that makes me not want to worry about it too much.

“That’s also where I think the calmness came from today, I have been in these shoes a lot and lately I have been far away from a championship. I think I wouldn’t be out here if I didn’t believe I could do something about it. Tonight was a good start for but I am not worried about the championship, I am going to take it weekend by weekend. I haven’t been on the podium a whole lot these last few years, never mind winning. My goals are weekend after weekend and putting it on the box, if I can do that week-in, week-out , which I know is tough, but I can. It’s kind of fun playing those mind games as well with what you are capable of and what can happen.

“Let’s see where we are at at the end of 17 rounds, I sure would love to be up there and keep it exciting, it’s exciting for me too and my wife loves the racing side of things too, I don’t know, we are just enjoying ourselves right now, wherever that may put me.“

Before Ken answered that question, Chase interjected and said: “After I saw Ken win the heat race I said ‘uh-oh, we have a monster on our hands!’ Because I talked to him after practice, he is not so comfortable but after the heat race I was like, ‘here we go!’

It shows the other riders know how good Ken can be, maybe he will believe in himself a little bit more again after such a strong ride at A1.

Jett Lawrence on a tough night

Jett Lawrence was pretty positive after a tough night at A1, saying the only way is up after his 12th place after getting caught in the tuff blocks in turn one then a crash after the whoops. But Jett did admit he needs more testing to sort out the new Honda.

Jett said: “Wasn’t ideal… at least now the only way to go is up for me! We are going to go back and do some testing, we still have to figure out the bike it’s still making some troubles for us in the whoops and stuff like that and yeah, we tried skimming and it was sketchy, we tried jumping and I was sketchy just jumping. So gotta go back and work hard and we will come back we will come back and be better. We always do, people say we left but we didn’t leave, we never left in the first place. We are going to come back and hit them harder…no more Mr nice guy!”

Sanders Tops Stage 7

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders claimed his fourth stage win on stage seven of the 2025 Dakar Rally, extending his overall lead to over 15 minutes – the largest margin so far. Rally2 standout Edgar Canet overcame an early roadbook issue, bouncing back to secure an impressive second place overall on the stage – the best result for a Rally2 rider this year. Edgar now leads the Rally2 category by 21 minutes. Luciano Benavides delivered another strong ride, finishing sixth on the stage and moving up to fifth in the overall standings.

Riders faced a 708-kilometer loop for stage seven. Starting and finishing at the bivouac at Al Duwadimi, the route traversed numerous rocky expanses and some short dune sections. Navigation proved key to a strong result, with riders forced to take extra care of their roadbook notes.

Daniel Sanders made the most of his ninth-place start position for stage seven’s challenging timed special, skillfully navigating the 411 kilometers raced against the clock without issue. Battling with his closest rival, Tosha Schareina, for the stage lead for most of the route, Daniel ultimately crossed the line in first place with an advantage of nearly four minutes. This victory marks Daniel’s fourth stage win of the 2025 Dakar, and extends his overall lead to well over 15 minutes, the largest the gap has been throughout the rally.

Daniel Sanders: “That was a pretty fast stage, and technical at the start while it was raining. I stayed fully focused all day as the navigation was tricky, so it was a much better day for me. We adjusted the bike to suit the sand more as well, which really helped in the dunes. I’m feeling confident, and as a team we’re doing everything we can to put ourselves in the best position possible to retain the lead for the remaining stages.”

Despite showing blistering pace over stage seven’s timed special, Edgar Canet’s day was far from straightforward. Forced to stop due to an issue with his digital roadbook tablet, Edgar lost nearly an hour and a half waiting for a replacement tablet. However, Canet’s setback only fired him up more as he raced to a sensational second place finish, once the time lost was reallocated to him, marking the best result of a Rally2 rider this year. The young Spaniard extended his overall class lead to a comfortable 21 minutes and solidified his position in 10th overall, gradually closing the gap to the riders ahead.

Edgar Canet: “I had a problem with my roadbook tablet from the start, but I managed to get to the first refueling stop at kilometer 89 by following the lines of the riders ahead. I had to wait for well over an hour for my tablet to be changed, but after that I felt really good on the bike and enjoyed the rest of the special. I’m happy with my riding and loving every part of the Dakar experience!”

Maintaining his impressive form in the second week of racing, Luciano Benavides delivered another strong performance on the demanding 708-kilometer loop around Al Duwadimi. Starting mid-pack, the Argentinian pushed hard and focused on precise navigation throughout the stage. Despite a minor error 70 kilometers into the special, Luciano quickly recovered, consistently posting competitive times at each checkpoint to ultimately finish sixth. Benavides’ solid result moves him up to fifth place in the provisional overall standings, as he continues to close in on the rally leaders, stage by stage.

Luciano Benavides: “Stage seven was really long again, but so far, it’s been one of my favorite stages in terms of the terrain as it had a mix of everything. I’m super happy with the bike and my speed, but I made a navigation mistake near the beginning of the stage and after that I had to push really hard to recover the time I lost. I’m pleased with my result and looking forward to the rest of this week.”

Stage eight of the Dakar will challenge riders with a total distance of 733 kilometers, including 483 kilometers of timed special raced against the clock.

FIM SuperEnduro World Championship