Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart finally clinched his long-awaited first 450SX Class victory at Round 5 of the 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship inside Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The 32-year-old Florida native delivered a thrilling performance, charging from mid-pack to claim the top step of the podium in his 109th race start.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb followed Stewart through the field, finishing second, while Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson recovered from a tough start to take third place.
450SX Class Recap
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton looked poised to win after leading most of the race, but a hard crash in the whoops handed the lead to Stewart. Sexton remounted in second but faded to fifth place in the final laps.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac, dealing with a foot injury sustained in qualifying, struggled throughout the night and finished 17th, salvaging valuable championship points.
Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen had a strong start, running as high as second, but his night took a turn when he collided with lapped riders in the sand section, ultimately finishing outside the podium.
Defending 450SX champion Jett Lawrence of Team Honda HRC Progressive was absent from the race due to injury, and his brother, Hunter Lawrence, also sat out after a hard crash in his heat race.
450SX Class Results – Tampa Supercross
- Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna)
- Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
- Jason Anderson (Kawasaki)
- Aaron Plessinger (KTM)
- Chase Sexton (KTM)
Rider Reactions
“Big bro, you know. You’ve done this a long time, racing Daytona and Jacksonville, and you know there’s something about that hometown crowd, buddy. I don’t know if they were twisting the throttle for me, but for a split second, I was like, ‘Alright, I need to get this done.’ I was feeling really good, and you know what, Stewart is back in the whoops, y’all!”
Malcolm Stewart (Race Winner):
“I ended up spinning out of the gate, and that was all she wrote. I made a good charge through the pack. I’m a little bummed on myself. I was right there with Malcolm coming through the pack, and he got around guys while I wasn’t able to as quickly. Malcolm was crushing the whoops; he deserved that win.”
Cooper Webb (Runner-Up, Now 2nd in Points):
“To be honest, tonight I was more likely to be a fifth-place guy, but I hung in there. It was a bummer for what happened to Ken [Roczen], but I was able to pass Chase [Sexton] at the end, so that was nice. This class is tough, and you never know what can happen. Congrats to Malcolm—it’s pretty cool to watch him win his first one after so many tries.”
Jason Anderson (Third Place):
250SX East Championship Begins – Max Anstie Takes the Win
The Tampa Supercross also marked the season opener for the 250SX East Championship, and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Max Anstie grabbed the victory to take the early points lead.
Anstie got the holeshot, but Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Pierce Brown quickly took over the lead. Unfortunately, Brown crashed hard while leading, leading to a red flag and a staggered restart with eight minutes left. Anstie pulled away to take the win, while his teammate Daxton Bennick held on for a career-best second place.
Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo, despite racing with a torn ACL, battled through the pack to finish third. Defending champion Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle settled for fifth place.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire, running the 250SX East season, had a rough night after getting stuck on a track obstacle and finishing 18th.
250SX Class Results – Tampa Supercross
- Max Anstie (Yamaha)
- Daxton Bennick (Yamaha)
- Cameron McAdoo (Kawasaki)
- Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki)
- Tom Vialle (KTM)
Rider Reactions
“Pierce [Brown] went down. I hate to see that. He was riding so well and just spun and ended up going over the bars. After that, it kind of took the wind out of my sails. They red-flagged it, me and [teammate] Dax were up front, and it was like a day at the Goat Farm [Training Facility]. Honestly, I was like, ‘Let’s not do anything silly right now.’ The whoops were really tricky, and it’s round one, so you’re always a little more nervous.”
Max Anstie (Race Winner):
“I told [Max], I looked at him and said, ‘Hey, it’s just like the practice track now, so we’ve got this covered.’”
Daxton Bennick (Second Place):
“I’m so grateful for the strength that God gave me to be able to do this tonight and to be here racing. It was a difficult day. It’s been difficult since the occurrence [of the knee injury one week prior], and we’re making the best of it. I’m so stoked with how tonight ended and how we were able to manage.”
Cameron McAdoo (Third Place):
Next Stop: Detroit Supercross – Round 6
The 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship heads to Detroit, Michigan, next Saturday for Round 6 at Ford Field. With Malcolm Stewart riding high on confidence, Cooper Webb closing in on the points lead, and Max Anstie setting the tone for the 250SX East Championship, the season battle is heating up.
Stay tuned for more Supercross action!