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Chase Sexton wins AMA Supercross 450 season opener in Anaheim, Calif.

Chase Sexton, shown with super fan Skee Hartmann of Princeton, won the 450 Supercross in the 2025 season opener in Anaheim, Calif. on Saturday. Sexton, 25, is a Mendota native who lived in rural LaMoille before moving to Florida.

Chase Sexton is off to a fast start in the AMA Supercross racing season.

The Mendota native took the lead on lap 4 and never looked back to win the 450 event in the 2025 season opener Saturday in Anaheim, California. His best lap time was 1:04.583.

“I knew where I was at coming in here. I knew I had good speed. I feel more like myself in 2023 when I was fast, but I feel like I’m a little more mature now and I can get out front and run my own laps and not make mistakes, so it was a fun race,” Sexton told the American Motorcyclist Association.

“I had so much fun on this track tonight. I can’t give it up to the team enough. They put in so much hard work this offseason to get me comfortable, knowing that I wasn’t comfortable last year; and coming in now we’re back where we need to be. We still have lots to improve; it’s only one race in, and there’s 16 left, but we’re off to a good start, and the first time winning A1 feels pretty good.”

Sexton, 25, who lived in rural LaMoille before moving to Florida to pursue his career, was the 2024 winner of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship 450 and 2023 Supercross champion.

Kevin Hieronymus

Kevin Hieronymus

Kevin has been sports editor of the BCR since 1986 and is Sports Editor of Putnam County Record. Was previously sports editor of the St. Louis Daily News and a regular contributor for the St. Louis Cardinals Magazine. He is a member of the IBCA and Illinois Valley Hall of Fames. He is one of 4 sportswriters from his tiny hometown Atlanta, IL