Broc Tickle made the official Supercross Class debut for Mitch Payton’s Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team at Anaheim 1 last weekend.

After winning the 2011 Supercross Lites Western Regional Championship and pointing out of the class, Payton decided to complete his rider’s two-year contract by offering Tickle the historic 450cc ride.

Anaheim marked Tickle’s debut effort on the big bike, and he definitely proved that he’s tough enough to run with the big boys.

The Michigan native looked strong the entire night, but ended up nearly landing on fellow Kawasaki rider Jake Weimer in an odd turn of events.

The incident caused a collision between the two, sending Tickle to the ground and to the back of the pack. He remounted and fought hard to finish just outside the top 10 in 12th overall.

“I’m bummed that I didn’t finish where I had hoped, but I couldn’t control what happened,” said Tickle. “I’ll just have to bring it even harder next week in Phoenix.

“The Supercross Class is so packed this year. Getting a win will be tough for everyone, but it just motivates me even more to work harder. I’m feeling good on the Kawasaki 450F. It’s going to be a good season.”

Tickle’s form was back to full strength following a disastrous outdoor season in 2011 during the Lites title chase.