Supercross returns for races in Glendale
Supercross superstars Cooper Webb and Eli Tomac will headline Monster Energy's Triple-Crown race Saturday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
Webb and Tomac finished first and second, respectively, in the 2019 Monster Energy AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) Supercross Championship, competing in the 450SX Premiere Class.
Round 4 of the 2020 racing season features the lone stop in Arizona on the schedule.
The event will be the first of three Triple-Crown main events on tap — the next is slated for Feb. 22 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, followed by a final destination trip to Las Vegas on April 25. The world championship racing series concludes each season in Salt Lake City for the finale and title crowning after a 17-race schedule.
Webb, who races for Red Bull's KTM Factory Racing team, and Monster Energy Kawaski's Tomac are the most notable riders set to compete in the highest racing class Saturday. But, they're not the only riders with a chance to win.
One athlete with particularly close to ties to Arizona, and high expectations heading into the weekendis local rider Deven Raper.
The Mesa native turned pro in 2009, and races as a privateer, which means he handles most pre-race preparation, and bike maintenance on his own. Raper lives in California now, primarily so he can stay in the "mix of things," but still calls Arizona home.
A graduate of Red Mountain High School, Raper expects to see plenty of familiar faces at State Farm Stadium.
"Besides my family and friends, my two title sponsors are out (in Arizona), too, so it's a big deal," Raper said.
Raper has raced on the big stage in his home state on numerous occasions, but he's never quite delivered the outcome he's desired.
In 2016, around the time Raper says he finally began to hit his racing stride, he placed 5th in the last chance qualifier (LCQ), finishing just outside the top-4 mark that's needed to advance to the main event.
Following a thumb injury in 2017 that kept him sidelined, Raper finished the 2018 LCQ in 6th, two spots too low, yet proof that he's close to reaching his goal.
Last season, Raper missed the Arizona event because he was recovering from a preseason wreck that resulted in a broken pelvis and two broken vertebrae. After opting out of surgery, and a prolonged recovery, Raper's back on the track, and says he's feeling no signs of complications, or lingering pain.
"It's my kryptonite, trying to get it done in Phoenix in front of the hometown crowd. (I'm) so close, I can taste it," Raper said.
Raper will face tough odds if he reaches the main event, though. He says the surrounding talent is more and more stacked each season.
Honda HRC team member, Ken Roczen, is the surest bet to challenge Webb and Tomac for rights atop the podium based on recent performances. Roczen finished fourth overall in last year's standings, two years removed from a career-threatening arm injury suffered when he was thrown off his bike 75-feet into the air at the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross Championship in Anaheim.
He earned Championship Runner-Up honors in 2016. He was sandwiched between Tomac and Webb in the top-3 at last week's Anaheim 2.
Another 450SX rider expected to deliver in Saturday's main event is former AMA 450 Class Rookie of the Year, Justin Barcia. The New Yorker, nicknamed "Bam Bam" for his aggressive racing style, got his first taste of victory at Phoenix's AMA Supercross event in 2013. Barcia's 2020 racing campaign started fast with a Round One victory in Anaheim.
Grabbing the most attention in the 250SX racing class is first-time defending champion Dylan Ferrandis. Ferrandis is the reigning Western Regional Champion, and already has earned two top-3 finishes this season.
Details:
When: Saturday, Jan. 25. Gates Open / Practice & Qualifying starts a noon; FanFest hours: Noon —6 p.m. Opening Ceremonies at 6:30 p.m.; Racing starts at 7 p.m.; Sunday: Jan. 26: Supercross Futures Amateur Event: venue opens 8 a.m., racing starts at noon.
Where: State Farm Stadium;, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale/
Tickets; Prices start at $18. FanFest passes are priced at $15 (available in advance or at the gate) Supercross Futures Amateur Racing general admission tickets available for $25. Ticketmaster.com or in-person at box office.