Jason Anderson takes SX1 title in Cape Town showdown
By Team TMX on 15th Dec 25
Jason Anderson emerged victorious from a dramatic three-way showdown in Cape Town to claim his first World Supercross SX1 Championship, sealing the title at the inaugural South African GP on Saturday night.
Just one point separated Anderson, Joey Savatgy and Christian Craig heading into the final round of the 2025 series, setting the stage for a tense finale on the hard-pack track in front of a crowd of more than 20,000 fans. When the chequered flag fell on the third and final race, it was Anderson who had done enough, sweeping all three races to secure both the overall victory and the SX1 crown.
Riding for Pipes Motorsport, Anderson went 1-1-1 across the night, fending off sustained pressure from Savatgy in what became a closely fought and physical contest. The pair ran nose-to-tail throughout the final race, exchanging positions and pushing the limits as Savatgy searched for a decisive move that ultimately never came.
The result marked a significant achievement for Anderson, who entered the season as a World Supercross rookie and a new signing for Pipes Motorsport, adapting quickly to the Suzuki RM-Z450. Savatgy, by contrast, arrived in Cape Town as the most experienced World Supercross contender of the trio, while Craig was also contesting his first full SX1 campaign with a point to prove.
Anderson took control early by winning the opening Sprint race and backing it up with fourth in Sprint Two, opening a narrow two-point advantage over Savatgy. The Quad Lock Honda rider responded with a charging ride in the second Sprint, climbing from sixth to second to keep the championship fight alive heading into the decisive final.
In the main event, Savatgy led the early laps as Anderson applied constant pressure. Despite a late challenge from Savatgy in the closing laps, Anderson held firm to secure the race win and the championship.
“Man, that’s racing,” said Anderson. “Joey kept me on my toes. Two eight-minute races and a 12-minute final is a lot of intense racing. I’m exhausted, but it’s cool to win this for Suzuki, Pipes Motorsports and everyone behind me.”
Savatgy praised both the atmosphere and the level of competition, despite narrowly missing out on the title. “We had an amazing crowd – definitely the loudest this year,” he said. “I’m glad we got to put on a show. I tried my best, but tonight we were just not quite good enough.”
Christian Craig’s title hopes ended early after crashing in the opening Sprint and again on the first lap of Sprint Two, leaving him to recover to ninth. He bounced back with a third-place finish in the final race, though Colt Nichols edged him out for third overall on the night.
Elsewhere, Jorge Zaragoza delivered Stark VARG its first SX1 top-three finish by running second in Sprint Two, with teammate Vince Friese initially finishing third before being handed an energy-tolerance penalty that dropped him to 10th. Quad Lock Honda secured the 2025 Teams Championship, topping the standings through consistent points accumulation across both classes.
