Supercross

Eli Tomac takes seventh win of the season to extend Supercross Championship lead

Posted:

Monday, June 8th, 2020

11:03 AM

Eli Tomac took his sevent win of the season in the 450SX class.

Eli Tomac has extended his championship lead at round thirteen of the Monster Energy Supercross season with his seventh win of the season at Rice Eccles Stadium, Utah, while Chase Sexton took victory in the 250SX East class to regain the championship lead.

Track conditions had deteriorated throughout the day as the 450SX main event for round thirteen of the AMA monster Energy Supercross Championship fired out the gate with Zach Osborne taking the holeshot in a sloppy and chaotic first corner. Red Bull KTM Racing's Cooper Webb, Eli Tomac, Jason Anderson and HRC Honda's Ken Roczen formed a freight train behind.

It only took a lap for Webb to get by Osborne while Tomac made the move a few turns later and moved into second. While Webb and Tomac stretched their lead championship contender, Roczen was having a hard time getting by Osborne and losing time. To make matters worse for Roczen Anderson demoted him to fifth with fifteen minutes still to run.

By the halfway mark Tomac had made his way to the rear wheel of Webb before the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider made the move into the lead with a good run through the whoops. Anderson also got the better of his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team-mate to move into third and a podium position. Meanwhile, Roczen's day was getting worse as Malcolm Stewart demoted him to sixth and thirty-seven seconds off the lead.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing‰Ûªs Cooper Webb battled down to the very last moment in Sunday‰Ûªs 450SX Main Event to claim a hard-fought second place finish. Photo: Align Media

With lappers coming thick and fast in the final five minutes as the leaders had lapped up to seventh Webb had the opportunity to close back in on Tomac and a battle ensued. The duo went bar to bar before Webb took the lead back with five minutes still on the clock.

Tomac was not settling for second place though and was throwing everything at Webb and retook the lead with two minutes to go. Webb was not giving up though and showed a wheel to Tomac all the way to the flag for a thrilling final few laps, but ultimately Tomac was victorious in what may well be a season-defining ride. Webb was second ahead of Anderson and Osborne.

Jason Anderson once again battled it out for a podium position with Anderson claiming third. Photo: Align Media

"When I got past halfway I was like I do not want to let this thing go," Tomac said from the podium. "I was feeling so good and comfortable, and at that point, there was no reason to take it down a level. That was a great battle, really fun. It was a great day for the Monster Energy Kawasaki Team."

Tomac now holds a twenty-six point lead in the championship while Ken Roczen now has Webb breathing down his neck in the points for third with Webb now only six points behind the German.

Chase Sexton rebounded for the win and the championship lead in the 25SX East Coast class.

The 250SX East main got underway as the rain began to fall in Salt Lake city with Geico Honda's Chase Sexton taking the holeshot, but it only took one corner for Shane McElrath to ease him off the track and take the lead dropping the Geico Honda rider back to fifth. Adding insult to injury Sexton then went down on the next straight dropping back to ninth and a whole lot of work to do to limit the damage and reel McElrath back in. Sexton's luck quickly changed though when Garrett Merchbanks went down hard with the 18-year-old bringing out the red flag.

Start two saw the rain continue to increase as a complete restart was ordered. As the gate dropped for the second time, it was once again the two contenders in McElrath and Sexton with the advantage as McElrath took the holeshot with Sexton a few bike lengths behind while Swoll and Colt Nichols disputed third and fourth.

The first third of the fifteen-minute main reeled off with the two leaders nose to tail until McElrath ran into a lapper and went down, giving Sexton the lead. With the lead duo already having a sixteen second lead over third McElrath was quickly back up and in hot pursuit of Sexton. Meanwhile, Colt Nichols had gotten by Jalek Swoll and was now third as Pierce Brown moved into fourth.

With two-thirds of the race down and five to go Sexton was on control extending his lead over Sexton from nine seconds to twenty. From there, the final five minutes reeled off with no change. While McElrath closed the gap back down to ten seconds, Sexton was in total control and notched up his first win in Salt Lake City and his third of the season to retake the championship points lead. McElrath was second ahead of his Star Racing Yamaha team-mate Colt Nichols.

Shane McElrath couldn't make it 3 in a row but second place keeps him in the title hunt, 3 points adrift of Sexton with two rounds to go.

"Shane has been on a roll, and I have been making a lot of mistakes out here. I got a gift with that red flag," Sexton said. "Honestly I was being way too impatient in the first couple of opening corners in the first race. When we got the red flag, I thought I gotta win this; this is my race!. I felt really good all day," he concluded.

Chase Sexton now holds a three point lead over McElrath in the championship standings with to rounds remaining.