Racing News

The Arlington round also served as the Military Appreciation race, with both Marchbanks and Anderson sporting special graphics on their Kawasaki machines in honor of the men and women who serve. The patriotic designs added to the energy of the night as the riders battled through the demanding conditions of the Triple Crown format.

After a two-week break, the Western Regional 250SX Championship resumed in Arlington, Texas, for the second Triple Crown race of the series where Marchbanks kicked off his day by qualifying 13th on the technical track. The unique Triple Crown format, featuring three shorter sprint races, made starts more critical than ever, forcing riders to be aggressive from the gate drop. In Race 1 of the 250SX Class, he faced a tough start deep in the pack but quickly worked his way forward to secure a seventh-place finish. In the second Race, the No. 36 got off to a strong start in third, made a quick pass through the whoops into second, and applied pressure on the leader before finishing third. In the final race, Marchbanks started inside the Top 5, briefly dropped to sixth, and made a late charge to finish fifth. By the end of the night, claiming fifth overall (7-3-5).

Anderson started his day by qualifying fourth aboard his Monster Energy® Kawasaki KX™450SR. In Race 1, he began inside the Top 10 and quickly worked his way into the Top 5, but a late-race crash forced him to remount in 12th, where he ultimately finished. In the second Race, Anderson got off to a strong start inside the Top 5 again and immediately challenged for a podium spot, but a collision with another rider set him back to 13th, eventually finishing 17th. The Monster Energy Kawasaki team fine-tuned the suspension between the second and third races, setting the stage for Anderson to showcase his skill in the final race. Starting in fifth, he executed a swift double pass to move into third and continued his charge, advancing to second while closing in on the leader. Anderson ultimately took the checkered flag in the runner-up position, securing 11th overall (12-17-2) at the end of the night.

“Overall, my day had its ups and downs. Practice went pretty well—I was feeling decent on the track and ended up qualifying fourth, which put me in a good spot heading into the night show. In the first race, I was running inside the Top 5 early on, but I went down in the sand section and had to remount, which set me back to 12th by the finish. In the second race, I got another solid start and was battling in the Top 5, but I tangled with another rider and went down again, which was frustrating. I had to fight my way back but could only manage 17th. Going into the final race, I just wanted to put in a clean ride and finish strong. I got a great start, made some quick passes, and worked my way into second while trying to stay out of the chaos around me. It felt good to end the night on a high note, but overall, I know I have more in me, and I’m looking to put it all together next time."

• Jason Anderson

“The day started solid, but I struggled in qualifying. In Race 1, a bad start put me toward the back, but I worked up to seventh after finally hitting a key rhythm. Race 2 was much better–I ran P2 for most of the race but made a few mistakes, finishing third for my first triple crown podium in a while. Race 3 was solid but tough. The top five guys were pushing hard, and the track got more technical and one-lined. I managed to finish P5 overall. We’re making progress, and the bike felt great.”

• Garrett Marchbanks