ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING’S JALEK SWOLL EARNS FIRST-CAREER PODIUM IN 250SX WEST DIVISION

JASON ANDERSON OVERCOMES A TOUGH START TO FINISH SEVENTH IN THE 450SX CLASS

Round 11 of the 2021 AMA Supercross World Championship took place in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday serving as the second of three races to take place inside AT&T Stadium this week. It was a memorable day for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, who witnessed a break-through performance by Jalek Swoll as he earned his first-career podium with a strong second-place finish in the 250SX West Main Event.

250SX West

It was a superior day all around for Swoll, who placed a season-best sixth in qualifying before setting out to a strong start in 250SX Heat 1. With a top-three start, Swoll ran up front throughout the entire race to ultimately capture third, his best heat race finish of the season. In the Main Event, Swoll kept the momentum rolling with another great start, sitting second right away on the opening lap. He diced back-and-forth inside the top-three in the first few laps but he eventually set claim to the number two spot. Maintaining his composure through the pressure up front, Swoll went on to secure his first career podium with an impressive second-place finish.

“I’m so happy right now, I can’t even put the words together,” Swoll said. “It was such a long road but I kept my head down and I knew I was going to get here. First podium – I’m pumped and just happy to reward the people who have stuck behind me. I definitely want to carry the momentum into Saturday.”

It was an unfortunate ending to the day for Daytona SX runner-up Stilez Robertson, who made it through qualifying and his heat race before ending his night early due to a foot injury. In 250SX Heat 1, Robertson grabbed a sixth-place start and he raced in that position until two laps to go, when he overtook fifth. Although he secured a fifth-place transfer position, Robertson was unable to line up for the Main Event due to a foot injury sustained earlier in the day.

450SX

Coming off a season-best podium finish just a few days ago, Anderson returned to Arlington on Tuesday with high hopes of a repeat performance. Qualifying fifth, Anderson was on-track heading into 450SX Heat 2, but he got pinched off the start and began the opening lap in 15th. He was able to quickly charge through the field, scooping up 10 spots to secure an eighth-place transfer into the Main Event. In the main, Anderson once again found himself at the back of the pack after getting tangled up and going down in the first turn. As he was working his way forward, Anderson got stopped up behind a few downed riders and lost a lot of momentum but he did his best to continue climbing. With an impressive charge, Anderson worked his way up to just outside the top-five battle, ultimately finishing seventh.

“My riding was actually really good once I figured out some issues we were having,” Anderson said. “I had a little mishap in the heat race and ended up eighth. In Main Event, I had a not-so-good of a gate pick and had a first corner fall, starting in dead last, but I was able to get back up to sixth. I’m looking forward to the next round, I think we can do some damage.”

Wilson got a seventh-place start in 450SX Heat 1 and he put himself into a favorable sixth-place position early on. With consistent laps, Wilson held onto sixth for a majority of the race until encountering a race-ending issue with the rear wheel on the final lap. In the LCQ, Wilson secured a fifth-place start and he charged his way up to second late in the race, ultimately passing for the lead and securing the win. In the Main Event, Wilson started in ninth and he battled around the top-10 for most of the race. He locked in 10th heading into the final laps, where he finished 10th on the night.

“It’s not an amazing ride for me but I’ll definitely build from it,” Wilson said. “I need to keep being in the top-10 and then to the top-five and eventually on that podium. It’s been a tough season so far with injuries but I’m working through it and trying my best. Thank you to the team, my bike was awesome!”

Next Event (Round 12): Saturday, March 20 – AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas

Round 11 Results: Arlington SX 2

450SX Results

1. Cooper Webb (KTM)

2. Eli Tomac (KAW)

3. Ken Roczen (HON)

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7. Jason Anderson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

10. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

250SX West Results

1. Hunter Lawrence (HON)

2. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

3. Kyle Peters (HON)

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DNS Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

450SX Rider Point Standings

1. Cooper Webb – 249 points

2. Ken Roczen – 237 points

3. Eli Tomac – 213 points

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7. Jason Anderson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 153 points

10. Zach Osborne – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 123 points

13. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 97 points

250SX West Rider Point Standings

1. Hunter Lawrence – 84 points

2. Cameron Mcadoo – 83 points

3. Justin Cooper – 82 points

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5. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 74 points

10. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 45 points