4 Surprises from Anaheim 1

If history is any guide, A1 is usually a bit of an oddball—more chaos than clarity—and it rarely gives us a straight answer about the championship. Still, it’s the first race of a new season, and for a lot of riders, it’s the big test. New bikes, new teams, new training programs. They’ve spent months preparing, and now they find out if they nailed it or if there’s more work to do.

With that in mind, here are my four biggest surprises from Anaheim 1.

Cole Davies

Let’s start with the kid who turned heads all day long. Davies, a 17-year-old from New Zealand, shocked everyone with his performance at Anaheim 1. This wasn’t just his first race of the season but his first Supercross race ever! And yet, he looked like a seasoned pro out there. As I mentioned earlier on X (formerly Twitter), the most impressive thing wasn’t just one element of his riding. It was the whole package. Composure, speed, and a level of comfort you just don’t see in a debut performance.

Davies was the fastest rider in the 250 B qualifying sessions, finishing 6th overall in combined times heading into the night show. Then, in his heat race, he grabbed 2nd place, right behind his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate and 2x 250SMX champion, Haiden Deegan. And in the main event? Despite a terrible start that left him back in 20th, Davies clawed his way through the pack to finish 8th and was the fastest rider in sector 2 in that main. That’s a statement ride if I’ve ever seen one.

Nobody outside the Yamaha Star Racing camp saw this coming, but they knew it was there. From what I’ve heard, he’s been as fast as the team’s regular contenders during off-season sessions, and now he’s proven he can bring it when it counts. Is it too early to call him a podium contender? Maybe. But after that performance, I wouldn’t bet against him.

Jett Lawrence

It’s not often we see Jett Lawrence struggle, but that’s exactly what happened at Anaheim 1. The reigning 450SX champion and 2x 450SMX champ finished 12th. Yes, 12th. When was the last time Jett placed outside the top 10 in Supercross? Salt Lake City 4 in 2020, during his rookie season in the 250SX class. That was over four years ago! It’s a shocking stat, no matter how you look at it.

So, what happened? Well, there’s a lot of “new” in Jett’s program this year. He’s riding the 2025 Honda HRC Progressive CRF450R, which features a new chassis, new suspension components from Showa, a new ECU system with GET, and even a switch to ETS fuel. All these changes add up, and Jett has been vocal about the challenges of adapting to this new bike. We saw glimpses of these struggles during the Paris Supercross and AUS-X events in the off-season, but seeing him this uncomfortable at Anaheim was still surprising.

Will he and the team figure it out? Absolutely. But the real question is how long it will take. If they solve the issues by San Diego (this weekend), this “surprise” will be a distant memory. If not, we could see the champ playing catch-up for a few more rounds.

Ryder DiFrancesco

Ryder D came into Anaheim 1, looking like a different rider. The sophomore made some big changes during the off-season, including teaming up with Davi Millsaps for on-the-bike training, joining the new Rockstar Energy GasGas in-house team, and adding 15 pounds of weight and muscle.

Ryder qualified 3rd overall, finished 3rd in his heat race, and capped off the night with a career-best 4th in the main event. He even held 3rd place for several laps before Triumph’s Jordon Smith edged him out late in the race. Looking back to the 2023 SMX Playoffs, Ryder showed potential, like his 4th-place finish at the inaugural SMX Playoff round in Charlotte on the Pro Circuit Kawasaki. Still, he couldn’t quite put it all together last year when switching to the GasGas machine. I believe that changed at Anaheim 1 on Saturday.

The difference and surprise were clear: his riding was more aggressive, confident, and just plain faster. The extra weight seems to have added strength and stability, and working with Millsaps has clearly elevated his game. Plus, riding alongside Julien Beaumer at the test track every day can’t hurt. A podium in the 250SX West region feels inevitable, and it’s just a matter of when now, not if.

Jo Shimoda

Jo Shimoda has always been a slow starter in Supercross, but not this year. At Anaheim 1, the Japanese rider claimed his first win at the season opener, his third career 250SX victory, and made a statement that he’s here early to contend for the title.

Shimoda, now in his second year with Honda HRC Progressive, is riding the new CRF250R, and it seems to suit him perfectly. In the heat race, he had to work his way through the pack after a mid-pack start, finishing 4th. But in the main event, Shimoda was untouchable. He grabbed the holeshot, battled briefly with Beaumer, and then checked out to win by over four seconds. That’s exactly the kind of start he’s been looking for, for years.

One big change for Shimoda this year is his move to Florida to train at the Sandbox facility. He mentioned during the pre-race press conference that he wanted to make the move last year but held off due to the transition to a new team. Now, with a year under his belt, he’s fully committed to the change, and it’s already paying off.

Unlike Jett and Hunter Lawrence, who struggled with the new CRF450R, Shimoda’s CRF250R looked dialed in. The bike was balanced, stable in the whoops, corning looked good, and gave him the confidence to push all night. Is Shimoda a championship contender for the 250SX West title? Without a doubt.

I know what you’re thinking—Deegan’s 5th? Tomac’s crash? Sexton figuring out the KTM? All solid points, but none of them are surprising to me

Deegan’s still the top contender for the 250SX West title. Even with what you might call a ‘bad’ race, his come-from-behind charges are almost routine at this point.

Tomac? He’s flying. Dead last to 5th on Saturday night proves his fitness is on point, the bike looks dialed, and he’s mentally sharp in his ‘last season of racing.’ If he didn’t fall on that opening lap, I believe he and Sexton would’ve had a heck of a battle for the win. No surprise there.

And Sexton? The question was never about his ability to win or be in the title hunt, it was the bike. From what we saw on Saturday, it’s clear KTM has made huge progress compared to last year’s Supercross struggles.

San Diego is up next. Let’s see who keeps the momentum going.