Smartop | MotoConcepts | Honda kicked off its campaign of the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross Championship with Mitchell Oldenburg and Anthony Rodriguez at the Anaheim One Supercross. A sold-out crowd at Angels Stadium of Anaheim watched the talented duo navigate their CRF250R motorcycles around a treacherous track in the 250 Main Event, with Oldenburg finishing in fourth place and Rodriguez in fourteenth place.
A preseason filled with practice, training, and racing helped Mitchell Oldenburg and MCR prepare for a run with the 250 West Coast Region. Oldenburg walked away from a hard crash in Timed Qualifying Session One, returned for Timed Qualifying Session Two, and ended the afternoon ranked tenth overall, thanks to a 1:02.290 time. Excellent starts in the 250 Heat Race One and the 250 Main Event put the experienced rider towards the front of the pack, a position he maintained through consistent laps and calculated passes. “The weekend was good, even if it started a little rough. I took a digger in the first Timed Qualifying session and went over the bars, which I felt for the rest of the night,” said Oldenburg. “Making it through the day was the goal on a brutal track, and I wanted to make it count in the Main Event. I got a decent start, put my head down, and charged the whole way to score a fourth-place finish. That’s a solid first round.”
Anthony Rodriguez made his debut with MCR and returned to competition in the United States on Saturday night. The Venezuelan racer, who caught the team’s attention after an impressive run of international results, was part of the Unseeded Group during Timed Qualifying but still clocked a 1:03.607, the eighteenth-fastest lap in the afternoon practices. Rodriguez limited his mistakes during the night show and climbed up the running order in 250 Heat Race One and the 250 Main Event during his first SX in nearly four years. “We had an awesome weekend, and it was great to be racing in the United States again,” said Rodriguez. “We learned a lot about the bike in race conditions, which led to a few usual changes, but overall it was a great time for me. We’ll make the most of the week ahead at the practice track and be ready for the next round.”
The 2023 Monster Energy Supercross Championship continues on January 21 with the 2023 San Diego Supercross, which will take place at SnapDragon Stadium.