SEATTLE — Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac won round 11 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season and reached a milestone by tying for second most 450SX class victories in history with his 50th triumph.
Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb earned a second-place finish to the cheers of 58,261 Seattle fans at Lumen Field. Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia rounded out the podium, earning points for both the Supercross season and the inaugural 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship.
The Western Regional 250SX class returned to racing with round five after a five-week break and Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence grabbed his fourth win of the season.
Tank Masters Red Line Oil Next Level KTM’s Kevin Moranz grabbed the 450SX class event Holeshot and held the lead ahead of Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton, Eli Tomac, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo, and Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen.
Roczen was on the move early and got by Tomac for third place just as Sexton took Moranz wide in a bowl turn. Moranz went over the berm, got hung up on Tuff Blox, and was well behind the pack before he got back onto the track.
With Sexton out in the lead, Tomac pressured Roczen to earn back second place. But two minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap race it was Cianciarulo who made a move happen. Tomac gave up the spot to Cianciarulo, then lost another position when Cooper Webb got by him.
Tomac found himself in fifth place and going the wrong direction down the leader board. He wasted no time re-grouping and striking back; within thirty seconds Tomac had the spot back from Webb and 30 more seconds later broke free of Webb’s re-pass attempts.
Sexton bobbled up front and Roczen closed the gap to under one second. The top five racers were still tightly bunched together. Four minutes into the race Tomac took back third and within two more laps was into second. Roczen momentarily took back the spot, but Tomac got around him again and set his sights on Sexton nearly three seconds up the track. Barcia was then the rider making headway, passing into fifth place and looking very fast on what was his 31st birthday.
Just before the race’s midpoint Sexton washed his front end entering a corner. When the front wheel caught on a rut Sexton’s off-balance momentum threw him off the bike. Tomac took over the lead with Roczen and Webb still close behind.
With 9:45 showing on the race clock Webb got around Roczen for second and sat 2.3 seconds back from Tomac. In a race that did not start out well for Tomac and Webb, they’d each put themselves into position to win the night.
With 8:00 left on the race clock Barcia took over third. Sexton claimed fourth shortly after, and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson snatched fifth with 5:30 on the clock. In the final few laps the top three, Tomac, Webb, and Barcia, pulled clear of the rest of the racers but never got close enough to one another to challenge for the position. Anderson earned fourth before the checkers flew.
Tomac and Webb’s finishes brought the season’s points standing to a tie for the lead. So after a rare weekend-off from racing, Tomac and Webb will face off again with both the No. 1 Yamaha and No. 2 KTM running the red number plate that signifies the season’s points leader.
Interestingly, Tomac’s milestone 50th Supercross win comes in the year Supercross celebrates its 50th year of racing since the inception of the sport.
Western Regional 250SX
In Western Regional 250SX class racing, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Stilez Robertson grabbed the Holeshot and led the aggressive pack of 250cc racers. Partzilla PR-MX Racing’s Hunter Yoder held second with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire, Jett Lawrence, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo and Smartop MotoConcepts Racing Honda’s Mitchell Oldenburg right behind. Just one minute into the 15-minute plus one lap race Lawrence was into second and started to reel in Robertson.
One lap later Lawrence was in position to replicate his pass move and take the lead, but Robertson held strong. As Robertson commanded the race through speed and defensive lines, McAdoo reached third ahead of Hampshire. Soon McAdoo was up to the leaders and it looked like it would be a three-rider race for the win.
With 10:30 on the race clock Lawrence got around Robertson and into the lead. A half lap later Robertson crashed hard exiting the whoops and was out of the race. Hampshire attacked McAdoo and took over second with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Levi Kitchen close in fourth place. From there Hampshire and McAdoo battled and traded the second spot.
As the top three weaved through lappers the gap to Lawrence close at times but the lead was never in jeopardy. Hampshire got the final pass for the second place spot with the white flag in sight.
At the checkered flag Lawrence took the win with Hampshire in second, McAdoo third, and Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha’s Enzo Lopes reaching fourth place.