During the final round of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross at California’s Fox Raceway, Jason Anderson might not have been fighting for the title, but he was still fighting.
“I was kind of just stuck in third place in points, but I still wanted to have a good day,” Anderson said. “Eli [Tomac] and Chase [Sexton] have been on another level this year, so, for me, I just was trying to get closer and closer.”
The first moto in Pala, Calif., didn’t quite go his way. With an early crash and temperatures above 100 degrees to contend with, Anderson logged a fourth-place result on his No. 21 Monster Energy Kawasaki.
In the second moto, Anderson was off to a solid start after gate drop and was out front, battling with points leader Eli Tomac as the Star Racing Yamaha rider attempted to clinch his fourth Pro Motocross championship. Anderson ultimately came away from the last round with a 4-3 result on the day and a third-place finish in the championship.
“For me to have a full season, healthy, and end the last round like that is still pretty good for me,” Anderson said.
The last two motocross seasons have been littered with injury for Anderson and his prior Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team. He hasn’t completed a full season since 2019 when he finished fourth in the standings.
While emerging from the summer healthy certainly provides peace of mind for Anderson going into next year, the Kawasaki rider also managed to check another box off his to-do list that only adds to his growing confidence.
At the Hangtown Motocross Classic, the second round of the season, Anderson claimed his first-career overall win — a win, no less, that took 12 years to attain.
“It’s taken me a really long time to make that happen. For it to come this year, just with how everything’s been going, it was cool to get that,” Anderson said. “When it happened, it felt more like ‘about time’ then excited. It was almost a relief off my shoulders.”
To further solidify the fact that this was his best season yet, Anderson rode to victory again eight rounds later at Budds Creek. His consistent 2-2 performance was enough to earn him another overall win, and fortunately, it came at one of his favorite tracks.
“The first one was more of a shock to me, because it was so much work to get there. And then, the second one definitely came a bit easier,” Anderson said. “Still shooting to maybe have some more next year, but I’m thankful for what I got.”
Perhaps what’s most impressive about Anderson’s stellar year — finishing the summer third in the championship and also claiming runner-up in the Monster Energy Supercross championship this spring — is that he’s done it with a new team and a new bike.
It has been a year of progress for Anderson and Monster Energy Kawasaki, but looking back, it didn’t take long for them to find their stride together.
In both Supercross and motocross, Anderson’s first wins with Kawasaki came at the second round of each respective series, launching the No. 21 into two remarkable campaigns.
“With the direction my career was heading in previous years, I think if you would’ve told me I would’ve won, you know, nine races total this year between supercross and motocross, and then second and third in the championship, I would’ve definitely been OK with it,” Anderson admitted. “But then when you’re in it, you’re like ‘aww’ you feel like you could’ve had a little bit more, maybe made a better run at it.”
As he said, there’s always a point where the grass could’ve been greener.
But the truth is, over the course of 29 races this year, Anderson has brought Kawasaki colors to the podium 17 times. And next year, Anderson is hoping to paint it all Team Green.
“I’ve improved every round, I’ve improved every time I’ve got out on the track,” Anderson said. Looking forward to the championship in 2023, he added, “If things go my way, I could win it. And that’s what my goal is right now.”
As he prepares to turn 30 during next year’s Supercross season, making him one of the veteran riders in the 450 class, Anderson plans to stay in contention for both titles and believes his better days are still ahead of him.