Slaw Dog
I was going to stop with the bold predictions. Then I picked Tomac to win San Diego and Jett to finish runner-up and I couldn’t. Don’t go read the other picks. I think Troy wrote those.
Striking while the iron is hot, I’ve decided to continue my 5 bold (mild) predictions for another week as we head into round 3 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship this Saturday at Anaheim 2.
Read on…
# 5 JA Top 5
Like a lot of the paddock last weekend, Jason Anderson was under the weather. Hence his finish outside the top 10. Or at least that is what I think caused said finish. We shall find out this weekend.
I’m not putting much stock into last weekend for Ando. Being sick, while the field is this deep, puts you at a massive disadvantage. He finished behind Jorge Prado, Justin Cooper, Joey Savatgy and Dylan Ferrandis. All former title winners (aside from Savatgy, but you get what I’m saying). My point is: you can ride great right now in this class and finish outside the top 10. That’s the way it is going to be for the next few rounds. #deepfield
If you are still reading this, here is my pick for JA this weekend: top five with a strong possibility at a podium.
# 4 Privateers Continue to Struggle
Through two rounds, there has been one true privateer (Kevin Moranz 21st in San Diego) that has made a 450 main event. If you want to argue Fredrick Noren and Mitchell Harrison at Anaheim 1, ok, I’m fine with that. Tough sledding for the road warriors early in the year. Logan Karnow said it best after San Diego:
With the field still very healthy, it is going to be another long weekend for the privateers. Maybe one or two make it?
# 3 Prado Top 8
Some people (me) knew it would be a tough start for Jorge Prado. Adjusting to a new bike can be difficult for even the most seasoned veterans. Even harder when this is your first true Supercross season. So, his 14-12 start to the season isn’t a shock to me. It’s about where I expected him to be. Anaheim 2 will be different. He’s had time to adjust—to the racing, the bike, etc—and he’s on familiar dirt, as the series makes its second visit to Angel Stadium. No, I still don’t think he is a front-runner—yet—but he’ll be much better on Saturday and score his first top 10 of the year.
#2 Justin Cooper Top 5
I lot of pre-season hype surrounding Justin Cooper in his second 450 season. Myself included. After a rookie season that included 14 top ten’s in 16 rounds raced (including a runner-up at the season finale in SLC), Cooper was expected to take the “next step” in his sophomore year. While he hasn’t been bad—7-11 finishes to open the season—he hasn’t been the podium threat some of us foresaw.
“My riding was okay, but I locked bars with a rider in the heat race, and then a bad gate pick in the main left me pretty far back,” he said after San Diego. “I just did what I could from there. It’s time to rebound next weekend.”
We’ll we see a different J Coop this weekend? I think so, which is why I have him top five at Anaheim 2.
#1 Haiden Deegan Wins…Finally
Is this a bold prediction now? No?
There is no reason to panic in the Deegan camp. Jo Shimoda suffered broken fingers in San Diego and he only trails Julien Beaumer by 10 after two rounds. He’ll be fine. But, you could tell after San Diego, he’s tired of losing.
“First off congrats to JuJu, that was a great race on him,” he said.” I just… embarrassing man, sorry you guys had to watch that. Just got a little pumped up in the beginning and it went on from there. All I can do is work harder this week and come out swinging.
“I just want to win. It’s miserable not winning. It’s like I go through these weeks and it’s just like it sucks man, but we’ll figure it out. It will come around here soon. A positive at least we got through this round safe and it was still a podium. We just got to figure out how to get to that top step.”
Different Deegs this weekend as he rides to his first win of 2025. Lead Slaw Lock of the Week.
Images: @octopi.media
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