2009 Anaheim 1 Supercross (450cc) Main (Josh Grant’s Only 450cc Supercross Win)

This is the Supercross (450cc) Main from the 2009 Anaheim 1 Supercross opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. In 2009, the hype for Supercross was at an all-time high. With Ricky Carmichael in full retirement mode as of 2008, the time was now to see who would be the 2009 Monster Energy AMA Supercross champ. There were some major changes though.

Defending Supercross champ Chad Reed on his new ride, was sporting the #1 in a Supercross event, and the whole season. It was the first time the Supercross world saw the #1 since Jeremy McGrath at the 2001 Las Vegas Supercross finale.

After 9 wins in 2008, en route to the 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, Chad Reed left his long-time home of Yamaha for the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team in a Supercross-only deal. Oddly enough, Reed has logged a race on a Suzuki before — he finished 17th in the 125cc main at San Diego in 1999. Despite a so-so U.S. Open with a DNF-3, Reed showed he was ready for 2009.

After his Supercross season was cut short after just two races, but coming back to sweep the 2008 Toyota Motocross Championship, James Stewart left his long-time home of Kawasaki for the San Manuel Yamaha team due to sponsorship conflict. Strangely, Stewart had rode a Yamaha before during his amateur days before going to Kawasaki from age 7 on.

Despite a mishap in his heat race, Chad Reed still finished in 2nd behind new 450cc rookie Ryan Villopoto on the Monster Energy Kawasaki #2. James Stewart easily won his heat race on his new Yamaha. For both guys, the main was a different story.

In that main, James Stewart nailed the holeshot with JGR Yamaha’s Josh Grant #33 in 2nd, and Suzuki’s Reed in 3rd. Reed made short work of Josh Grant, and eventually got by Stewart for the lead. Reed led for several laps until Stewart got back around him. On lap 7, Stewart hit a false neutral heading into the whoops and Reed tagged his back tire unintentionally. Both combatants crashed. Reed remounted while Stewart, who was visibly dazed, could not restart his carbeurated 2009 YZ450F.

Josh Grant inherited the lead while Stewart caused more trouble pushing his bike into the path of GEICO Powersports Honda’s Kevin Windham #14. Eventually, Stewart ended up out of the race while Chad Reed remounted in 3rd behind Grant, and Honda’s Andrew Short #29.

With two laps to go, Josh Grant clipped a tuffblock cover on the right side of his rear wheel, and his Yamaha was smoking. Despite a 12-second lead, Grant kept it together for those last two laps and won his first (and later only) 450cc Monster Energy AMA Supercross race! It was Grant’s first Supercross win since Detroit 2006 in the Supercross Lites class.

As for Stewart and Reed, Stewart was credited with 19th (2 points), while Reed finished 3rd (20 points) behind Andrew Short. Stewart erased that 18-point deficit by reeling off the next 7 races in a row and took the points lead after Atlanta, while Chad Reed outright struggled with his starts. Reed would not lead a lap until round 9 in Indianapolis.

Reed finally got on the board winning Indianapolis after nailing the holeshot and Stewart made multiple mistakes. He made it two straight at Daytona while Stewart crashed HARD off the start and came back to finish 7th. Stewart won New Orleans, but Reed responded back by winning St. Louis. Unfortunately for Chad, a lousy 7th at Seattle ultimately cost him the points lead after Stewart finished 2nd behind Villopoto. Stewart would win Salt Lake City (his 11th of the season) and take a 6-point lead over Chad Reed into the Vegas finale.

Ryan Villopoto would win the Vegas finale while Reed and Stewart finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. Stewart would win back the title he was forced to surrender a year ago by 4 points. Unknown to anyone at the time, the 2009 season would mark the “beginning of the end” for Stewart riding for a Supercross-only team at the prime of his career.

Enjoy.