Jason Anderson looks to claim Supercross title in Las Vegas

Jason Anderson (21), right, rides the end of a corner during the cup class race at the Monster Energy Cup at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto

Jason Anderson, left, rider in the 2017 Monster Energy Cup Race, speaks during a press conference as Justin Barcia, center, and Marvin Musquin look on at Sam Boyd Stadium Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, in Las Vegas. Bizuayehu Tesfaye Las Vegas Review-Journal @bizutesfaye

This was supposed to be the year the AMA Supercross title would be decided before the riders flew over the jumps and whoop-de-doos at Sam Boyd Stadium in the series finale Saturday night.

Jason Anderson, who has led the championship since Round 2 of the 17-race season, had a stranglehold on the crown before crashing and finishing 17th at Salt Lake City last weekend.

With a 14-point lead over Marvin Musquin, the New Mexico rider still has a firm grasp on his first 450SX division championship. But Anderson must steer clear of another huge bobble such as the one that delayed his coronation at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday.

If Anderson finishes eighth or better in Las Vegas, he clinches the title, even should Musquin win. Action begins at 6:30 p.m.

Another story worth watching is a festering feud between Musquin and Eli Tomac, the Kawasaki rider who was won a series high seven races in 2018 and is running third in the championship. Two weeks ago at Gillette Stadium, Musquin sent Tomac sprawling with a pass that was aggressive and ill-timed.

“It was out of nowhere and a cheap shot,” Tomac said during the postrace news conference with Musquin sitting directly alongside.

To which Musquin replied after going on to win: “Obviously the outcome was pretty brutal. I’m sorry for what happened. But with the crash, it could have been bad for me, too.”

Noah’s career arc

After predicting he was in for a rude awakening and then finishing second in his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut, Noah Gragson said racing on the Talladega Superspeedway high banks in the second of three races he will drive for Joe Gibbs Racing would be a much more daunting task.

He finished fourth in a race won by fellow Las Vegan Spencer Gallagher. But the Las Vegas teenager was mostly disappointed — not with the result but in the way he raced.

“I felt like I didn’t do the best job there,” said Gragson, who will perform double duty at Dover, Delaware, this weekend, competing in Trucks and Xfinity. “Still trying to learn, and these (Xfinity) guys — the competition is just so good. We were in the position where it panned out, (but) I don’t think I deserve a fourth-place finish.”

Here and Gaughan

Brendan Gaughan finished 22nd at Talladega Superspeedway in his second Cup Series restrictor-plate drive of 2018 for part-time car owner Mark Beard.

The Las Vegan led one lap at NASCAR’s biggest track and was the last car running on the lead lap when Joey Logano took the checkered flag. Gaughan’s right-front tire blew on the final lap, sending his No. 62 Camaro scraping along the wall and Gaughan back into semiretirement as a NASCAR competitor.

At the Bullring

Las Vegas Motor Speedway will honor servicemen and women of the U.S. Armed Forces at the fourth Military and Veterans Appreciation Night on Saturday.

Active-duty military and veterans with valid ID will be admitted free for a night of racing topped by a 150-lap SPEARS Southwest Tour Series race that will include a refueling break at the midway point.

Call 1-800-644-4444 for tickets or visit LVMS.com.

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.