The opening round at Anaheim tends to be an anomaly, with the outcome meaning little over the course of most seasons — just 33 percent of racers who won the opener in Angels Stadium went on to capture the title, and in the last 28 seasons, only 7 riders have done so.

Anaheim II is a different story altogether. Seventeen of 25 racers who came out on top of the second Angel Stadium race has went on to win the championship. That’s nearly 70 percent, and includes four of the last five seasons — with Cooper Webb in 2019, Eli Tomac in 20 and 22, and Chase Sexton in 2023.