Two rounds into the 2022 AMA Supercross Championship, Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia established himself as a consistent leader with a third-place finish at the Oakland SX. As the only 450SX rider to double-podium in multiple laps, Barcia’s consistency earned him an early points advantage and a red badge on his MC 450F. Teammate Michael Mosiman was also on the track, winning his second straight Heat race on the MC 250F and finishing on the podium in front of his hometown crowd in Northern California.
Barcia took control of Oakland’s red number plate, Mosiman won two-for-two on the MC 250F, and Barcia was the only 450 rider to make the podium over the first two laps.
Barcia got off to a slow start in qualifying 13th, but the gate fell on fuel in the first race. With the MC 450F’s top-five start in the heat race, Barcia made an early run to fourth and finished on the podium late in the race. With two laps left, he ended up in the Heat’s top three.
In the Main Event, Barcia started in the top five and moved up to fourth early on. Accelerating outside a multi-rider race for the lead, Barcia patiently waited for his attacking moment to move up to third before half-time. Barcia rode smoothly and steadily in the checkers to secure their second consecutive podium finish in Oakland.
Justin Barcia: “I was just riding my race and having fun out there. I got a little tight in the middle but I was able to regroup. I saw Eli coming so I knew I needed to put the hammer down and I really wanted those two in front of me but they rode awesome, AP and Jason. I want to dedicate this race to Fed [Ryan Fedorow], he unfortunately passed away last week, so this is for him and I feel like he would be proud of me tonight. I can’t thank the whole team enough. We’re going to keep coming up here, it was fun tonight!”
It was another up and down night for Michael Mosiman in the 250 class. A good start to the day, second in qualifying, and his second start on the MC 250F brought that momentum into the heat race. Mosiman put pressure on the race leader early on, moving up two laps from the finish and crossing the finish line for his second Heat race victory.
With a top pick in the Main Event, Mosiman didn’t get off to a great start, but he rushed into the top five on the first lap. He grabbed another spot on the second lap, and his podium was quicker than expected as the third-place finisher in front of him fell. After finishing third, Mosiman put his feet down and tried to pass second but eventually slipped and fell back to sixth. Mosiman fought back with a wild performance and missed the podium in fourth.
Michael Mosiman: “It was so good to be back at my hometown race in Oakland representing NorCal, the fans were awesome! It was a fun weekend with the team and a lot of really good racing. I’m a little disappointed with the result but I’m focusing on the positive. I had great speed, my race craft has significantly improved from years past and I think I am one of the best – if not the best – guy in the whoops and that feels good. If you don’t consider the finishes, it’s been fun to mix it up with the guys and I look forward to replicating some of that heat race magic in the main. It’s coming soon, I think everyone knows it and I look forward to the upcoming races.”
The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing Team will return to racing next Saturday, January 22 for Round 3 in San Diego, California.
Results – 2022 AMA Supercross Championship, Round 2
450SX – Main Event
1. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki) 21 laps; 2. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) +3.366; 3. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) +6.165 … 19. Justin Starling (GASGAS)
250SX West – Main Event
1. Christian Craig (Yamaha) 16 laps; 2. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) +5.698; 3. Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki) +9.954; 4. Michael Mosiman (GASGAS) +14.809 … 9. Chris Blose (GASGAS); 13. Jerry Robin (GASGAS)
Championship Standings – After Round 2
450SX
1. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) 42; 2. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki) 39; 3. Cooper Webb (KTM) 39
250SX West
1. Christian Craig (Yamaha) 52pts; 2. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 44; 3. Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki) 44; 4. Michael Mosiman (GASGAS) 36; 10. Chris Blose (GASGAS) 26