Colorado’s Eli Tomac claimed the overall win inside AT&T Stadium, Arlington, in Texas, round 8 of the 2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross series.
The win marked Yamaha rider Tomac’s sixth Triple Crown victory in the unique event schedule that lines up the top riders for three separate races to determine the overall finishing positions.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson won the final race of the night to earn second overall, and Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb rounded out the podium in a wild night of intense racing and dramatic moments.
The 450SX Class started off with a wild and dramatic Race 1. Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin got into the lead early but Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart quickly took over up front with Jason Anderson on his tail.
Webb was back several spots while Tomac was slicing through the pack after a bad start. Late in the 12-mintue plus one lap race, with only two and a half minutes on the race clock, Anderson put a hard contact pass on Stewart and both riders hit the Texas dirt.
The incident put Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia in the front spot, Webb close behind, and Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton just out of reach of the two.
On the final lap Webb pushed past Barcia under the track’s bridge jump. Webb took the win, Barcia grabbed second, and Tomac’s charge gave him the final podium spot in the first of the three races.
Sexton took the early lead in Race 2 ahead of Anderson and Tomac.
Webb quickly turned a mid-pack start into a top four spot and the race was on. Tomac passed Anderson twice with Anderson dramatically passing him immediately back, reminiscent of their Anaheim 3 battle.
At the race’s midpoint Anderson took over lead from Sexton. Two and a half minutes later Tomac was also around Sexton. The Honda rider fought off Webb’s pressure to hold the spot through the final laps. The results put Tomac and Webb tied with five points and Anderson and Sexton tied with seven points going into Race 3.
At the final gate drop of the night, Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WPS KTM’s Shane McElrath took the point spot early with Tomac and Anderson on his fender. Webb ran into trouble and was way back in the first corner while Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen and Musquin were involved
in a first turn crash. Less than a minute into the race Tomac moved to the front; Anderson pushed past McElrath soon after. Malcolm Stewart got into third a few laps later but was ten seconds back.
The gap allowed some games as Tomac slowed to block Anderson’s pass attempts. With just under five and a half minutes on the clock Anderson made the move into first. Tomac held close but never got by. Stewart held third as Webb closed in but had to settle for fourth.
The overall went to Tomac, his sixth Triple Crown event win.
“It was a night of consistency to win the overall,” Tomac said. “In that first race, it was a big fight back to a podium spot, and I was just charging. Then in the second one, I had a really good battle with Jason (Anderson). We passed each other multiple times, and I ended up finishing second. I took some good momentum into race three, so I knew where we were at and what needed to be done.”
Anderson’s second overall puts him now three points back in the title chase. Webb earned third overall for the night, Sexton finished fourth, and Stewart rounded out the top five and sits in third place in the title points.
The series heads to Daytona International Speedway for Round 9 of 450SX Class racing and Round 3 of the Eastern Regional 250SX Class championship. The Florida event marks the first of two speedway venues of 2022.
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450SX Class Results:
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha
- Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki
- Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM
- Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda
- Malcolm Stewart, Murrieta, Calif., Husqvarna
- Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS
- Dylan Ferrandis, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha
- Justin Brayton, Charlotte, N.C., Honda
- Shane McElrath, Oakland, Fla., KTM
- Dean Wilson, Murrieta, Calif., Husqvarna
450SX Class Championship Standings:
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (177)
- Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki (171)
- Malcolm Stewart, Murrieta, Calif., Husqvarna (149)
- Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (147)
- Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS (145)
- Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda (142)
- Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM (128)
- Dylan Ferrandis, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha (118)
- Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda (117)
- Aaron Plessinger, Leesburg, Fla., KTM (97)
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Results:
- Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Kawasaki
- Jeremy Martin, Rochester, Minn., Yamaha
- Jett Lawrence, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda
- Mitchell Oldenburg, Aledo, Tex., Honda
- Jordon Smith, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda
- Enzo Lopes, Indian Trail, N.C., Yamaha
- Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki
- Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Honda
- Phillip Nicoletti, Bethel, N.Y., Yamaha
- Stilez Robertson, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings:
- Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Kawasaki (47)
- Jett Lawrence, Wesley Chapel, Fla., Honda (47)
- Jeremy Martin, Rochester, Minn., Yamaha (42)
- Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki (39)
- Enzo Lopes, Indian Trail, N.C., Yamaha (32)
- Stilez Robertson, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna (29)
- Jordon Smith, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda (28)
- Pierce Brown, Sandy, Utah, GASGAS (28)
- Phillip Nicoletti, Bethel, N.Y., Yamaha (27)
- RJ Hampshire, Minneola, Fla., Husqvarna (25)
