Because the gates dropped to kick off the 2023 season, it was Colt Nichols who grabbed the holeshot, however Justin Barcia sliced by to seize the early lead forward of Eli Tomac. Ken Roczen was in third with Malcolm Stewart moving into fourth and Chase Sexton into fifth.
Ken Roczen made an early run at Tomac for second and practically had him, however Tomac fought again and held the second spot within the early operating. The battle appeared to wake Tomac up a bit as he instantly closed on Barcia for the race lead.
Barcia made a mistake on the tunnel leap on the fourth lap of the race that gave Tomac the lead after which Barcia crashed two corners later when he bought sideways within the rhythm part after the mechanics space. That moved Roczen, Stewart, and Sexton up as all of them continued their battle for second place now.
Jason Anderson squared up Aaron Plessinger behind all this to get fifth spot as Dylan Ferrandis and Cooper Webb sat proper behind them. It was nearly two 4 rider trains occurring on the similar time.
Malcolm Stewart was capable of make the cross on Roczen for second place and in doing so Roczen missed the end line leap which allowed Chase Sexton by and into third place as effectively. Cooper Webb then bought round Ferrandis and his teammate Plessinger because the #2 was on the transfer.
Ferrandis additionally was capable of get round Plessinger subsequent as the sector was considerably condensing and the 2 4 packs have been turning into one huge eight pack out entrance. Cooper Webb down in sixth place was truly the quickest rider on the observe because the race was approaching the midpoint.
Tomac crashed away the lead on the ninth lap of the race as he bought the tunnel leap mistaken and was shuffled all the way in which again to fifth place proper in entrance of Cooper Webb. Jason Anderson was additionally going to work on Ken Roczen for third place as Webb was going after Tomac all of a sudden.
Jason Anderson then crashed the very subsequent lap attempting to work on Roczen nonetheless and bought pushed again to eighth behind Plessinger however simply in entrance of Colt Nichols. Malcolm Stewart now led the race with Chase Sexton a couple of seconds again and Tomac was on the cost once more again in fourth place.
Chase Sexton was capable of catch and cross Malcolm Stewart for the race lead and within the course of gave Stewart just a little bump off the observe. Stewart bought again on nonetheless in second place however was all of a sudden proper in entrance of the battle between Tomac and Roczen. Tomac made the cross stick on Roczen for third place proper after the 13th lap accomplished.
Dylan Ferrandis was subsequent to catch and cross Roczen as he moved into fourth place and wasn’t too far behind Tomac and Stewart forward of him who have been starting to battle for second. Plessinger slid out from seventh place on the identical lap and drifted again to 11th behind Justin Barcia.
Cooper Webb bought round Ken Roczen a lap later as Webb continued to stay one of many quickest riders on the observe with the time ticking away. The group got here to life as Eli Tomac was capable of catch and cross Stewart for second place and was solely three seconds behind Sexton going over a second a lap quicker.
Sexton made an enormous mistake out entrance the following lap and Tomac caught proper as much as him shortly for the lead. Tomac then handed Sexton in the identical spot he bought Stewart simply moments early to amazingly retake the lead. Malcolm Stewart then had an enormous crash out of third place the place he went over the bars and would take some time to get going once more. That moved Webb onto the rostrum as he had simply moved round Ferrandis and benefitted from Stewart happening.
Cooper Webb then accomplished an unbelievable march ahead to cross Sexton proper because the white flag waved. Justin Barcia fell for a second time whereas operating ninth and slipped again exterior of the highest 10 once more.
Eli Tomac would go on to take the victory to kick off the season. It was additionally the primary time in his profession that he claimed the victory at Anaheim 1. Cooper Webb and Chase Sexton would spherical out the rostrum behind him with Ferrandis and Roczen claiming spots inside the highest 5.
