Interstate 15 twists by way of Southern California and rolls by way of the city of Corona, house of the Kawasaki K1 Take a look at Observe, and the place the place the Monster Vitality Kawasaki and Monster Vitality/Professional Circuit/Kawasaki race groups type out their gear.
It’s right here that we discovered Jason Anderson on New 12 months’s Eve, dialing in his bike for the 2025 Monster Vitality AMA Supercross Championship season-opener at Anaheim’s Angel Stadium on January 11.
“I’ve been using and racing filth bikes since I used to be six years previous, so having the ability to nonetheless do it at age 32 is unimaginable,” stated Anderson, a 14-time 450cc fundamental occasion winner throughout his Supercross profession. “I’m probably not a man that thrives on stuff that different guys thrive on. Guys can thrive on successful and different stuff. I really feel like I’m extra of a man that simply loves what I do, and I simply need to maintain the dream alive extra so than something.. Fortunately, I’m fairly able to doing properly.
“I’m going into this Anaheim in 2025 and I’m excited nonetheless. It’s loopy as a result of I nonetheless really feel like that little child strolling in to do the press convention. It’s loopy once I’m up there. Typically I don’t even perceive how massive of a deal it’s. From being the place I used to be once I was little and watching these guys, after which being up there and being part of the press convention for thus a few years now could be actually cool. And the environment at Anaheim usually is superb. I really feel just like the nearer you get in direction of the top of your profession, the extra you need to take full benefit of it. All of it goes by within the blink of a watch, however I don’t need it to finish.”
Certainly one of Anderson’s fiercest rivals within the sport, each then and now, is Eli Tomac. With Anderson now at 31 years of age and Tomac at age 32, do the 2 veteran racers ever talk with each other?
“Not a lot,” answered Anderson. “We don’t actually speak a lot. More often than not we’d in all probability see one another is on the races. Clearly, we grew up two hours from one another so we’ve been racing round one another since we have been on 60s. For him, He’s at all times type of stored doing his personal deal in Colorado and I’ve at all times been in California. I type of migrated right here from New Mexico. We type of have two completely completely different packages, however on the identical time, I really feel it’s has been fairly cool to undergo all the things we’ve gone by way of and all of us are nonetheless racing one another some 25 years later.”
Fifth place general within the 2024 Monster Vitality Supercross Championship with a median ending place of 5.76, Anderson additionally raced to 4 podium scores alongside the way in which.
“I used to be fortunate I acquired 4 podium finishes within the 12 months,” he stated. “I additionally closed the season sturdy with 5 straight prime 5 finishes. Having the ability to have a powerful finish to the 12 months and stuff like that was good, however I feel there was just a little bit we missed on our bike simply because we have been within the first 12 months of the bike. I feel there are issues that we have now proper now that may perhaps enhance on that.
“I’d actually like to win in my 30s. I haven’t been in a position to get a win in my 30s but. So that will be a cool factor if I can accomplish it. That will be an enormous factor for me.
“It’s a fierce sport and it isn’t straightforward to win. In no way. I feel it’s robust to be a winner. It’s robust to win for a very long time. There are such a lot of facets of it to the place you need to lock in, however you then even have your life on the opposite aspect of it that you just additionally need to maintain sustaining. You cant be at all times totally locked in. It’s simply onerous on us and to take care of a profession going lengthy, you need to have that steadiness, however it’s so onerous. Particularly like proper now. We’re preparing for Anaheim 1, and you’ve got Christmas and New 12 months’s Day and right here we’re spending New 12 months’s Eve on the observe. It’s no joke. Nevertheless, I’m fortunate and I actually do love what I do, so I’ve to determine find out how to make that occur.”
Whereas out on the K1 Take a look at Observe, Anderson ran alongside new Kawasaki teammate Jorge Prado.
“To be sincere, it has been actually, actually refreshing with Jorge right here,” he stated. “Clearly, he’s new to all of this, so it’s good to have that enthusiasm in a teammate. As a 450 man, each teammate that I’ve ever had has been type of aged, as in being on the circuit for some time and all the things like that. Jorg, coming from Europe, he nonetheless sees the shine on all of these things. It’s glowing and new to him and it’s refreshing and I feel it helps the power throughout the entire board.”
A rider who has at all times loved and maintained a decrease profile than many others throughout his journey by way of the game, Anderson has at all times been recognized to have his personal manner of doing and seeing issues.
“I’m simply extra low-key,” he stated. “I prefer to go house and do my work and simply hang around and revel in what I do. That’s simply how I’m. I’m probably not a giant man on getting a number of consideration, so I simply type of maintain to myself, for probably the most half. I imply there may be a number of stuff I love to do exterior of the game, but it surely’s onerous to do simply because my time is taken. You get to the purpose to the place you’ve acquired to determine who you’re in addition to racing, you realize? Clearly now I really feel like I’m on the nearer aspect to the top and I need to determine who I’m.
“Truthfully, it’s robust since you begin racing at six years previous and you then’ve acquired to determine who you’re as quickly as you retire. It’s a tough factor to do. As you become older, too, you need to perceive the unhealthy nights. It’s a must to go away it there. I nonetheless have gotten to be current with what I do after and never have any destructive on my power each time I’m away from the observe as a result of it’s onerous on you. However yeah, I undoubtedly really feel I can do it, and we’ll see the place we stack up once we present as much as Anaheim 1. I’m wanting ahead to it and I simply need to maintain having fun with myself. That’s my greatest factor.”
How will he strategy rivals as Chase Sexton, Cooper Webb and Eli Tomac come the clank of the beginning gate into Angel Stadium filth?
“To be sincere, I really feel like the one strategy you may have is to simply get one of the best begin you may and create one of the best outcome from no matter begin that you just get,” he stated.
“I really feel like the times of you being so quick to the place you may simply run by way of the pack are gone. Proper now the category is de facto, actually, actually stacked. There are the title guys and I’d clearly prefer to put my identify in there, however you then even have the fellows behind them. You have got Malcolm Stewart, Justin Barcia, Kenny Roczen and there are a ton of men which might be nonetheless simply so insanely good they usually undoubtedly get neglected for the way proficient they’re. All of these guys that I simply stated, you wouldn’t be shocked to see them p1 in observe. The quantity of men is simply insane. The extent our sport goes to is superb.”
And might the younger and achieved Jett Lawrence be defeated in 2025?
“I feel proper now could be the time is the place if he’s going to get beat, he must get beat proper now,” he stated. “If you happen to maintain letting him go together with his confidence, he can probably win out till he’s bored with successful. I feel proper now could be a giant second for individuals to try to cease it. I really feel like if it doesn’t occur now, he’s going to be a tricky practice to decelerate.”
