After his startling double podium one week earlier the teenager continued his stunning form in qualification in California as he even had the audacity to pass the world champion to lead for four laps before finishing second, and he continued his fine form on race day with a solid ride to third in the opening thirty-five minute moto. After another promising top six getaway in race two a crash put him at the back of the field but he was well on the way to saving a second consecutive overall GP podium as he raced onto the edge of the top ten by half distance before another crash forced his retirement as the bike was damaged.
 
Darian Sanayei of Bud Racing Monster Energy Kawasaki continued his learning curve with a solid race from twelfth to tenth in the opening GP moto and a top ten overall finish seemed on the cards as he raced from an initial tenth to seventh before a crash put him at the back of the field but he persevered to nurse his damaged bike home seventeenth.
 
Austin Forkner: “Qualifying day went good; I had some battle with Herlings in the qualifying race and second gave me a good gate pick. First moto I was third and did my own race, a pretty solid ride. Second moto I was fourth or fifth but I went down at the bottom of a hill while I was with Herlings; I was last, came back in the pack and I was putting some very fast laps to come back to tenth, but then on a table top at the back of the track I had a big crash; luckily I wasn't badly hurt though my back was sore but the bike was damaged and I had to retire. I would have like to finish the second race today, and maybe got another podium as my team told me that if I finished eighth in race two I would have got it. Racing these two GPs was definitively a good experience.”
 
Darian Sanayei: “I like this track, but they watered it so much that it was pretty muddy in some sections. Yesterday in the qualifying race I was in the top ten when I crashed in a muddy corner so I finished sixteenth which was not so good. In the first moto I started in thirteenth and I just worked to come back to tenth; that was good as my goal was to be in the top ten. In the second race I had a similar start but moved up to seventh before I hit a bump pretty hard and crashed. Paturel hit me and crashed too; after that my bike was damaged and I could only finish seventeenth. Not a super good weekend, but I know what I have to work on this winter to be stronger.”