Moto two fall erases the opportunity of 450MX victory or podium.
Image: Octopi Media.
Opening moto winner Eli Tomac conceded that a mid-race mistake during Hangtown’s second 450MX moto was ‘all she wrote’ in his charge toward the front, with an ninth-place finish contributing to fourth overall for the round.
Tomac commenced round two by claiming a hard-fought victory in moto one, engaging in an intense showdown with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger throughout the encounter to take what was his first Pro Motocross win since 2022.
A poor start in moto two had the 32-year-old classified outside the top 20 on lap one, with a charge through the field seeing him rise to P8 by the midway mark, only to wash the front-end while battling for a top five.
The crash would relegate him to 12th position, before another late-race push resulted in an eighth-place finish, with a 1-9 scorecard enough for fourth overall on the day from the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider.
“A bit of bad luck on the start [of moto two], I got hit by the guy next to me, and then I made a mistake of my own,” commented Tomac post-race. “I was around sixth or seventh, and washed the front-end, which really ended my day. I probably would have had a good chance at a run towards the front if not for the crash, but once that happened, that was all she wrote.”
It was a welcome return to the winner’s circle for the four-time Pro Motocross premier class champion in race one, with a balance of both speed and race smarts required to conquer what were brutal conditions at the Northern Californian venue.
“I focused on that first start, had a great jump and came out about third,” he added. “I paced myself behind Aaron for most of the race, as it was really tough out there. It’s important to stay steady in those warm conditions, and strike [when the opportunity arises] and then maintain [from there].”
Despite the speed across the first two rounds, Tomac faces a 17-point deficit to series leader Jett Lawrence (Honda HRC Progressive), with the series heading to his home round at Thunder Valley in Lakewood, Colorado, this Saturday.
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