Tomac Breaks Through At Anaheim

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha’s Eli Tomac grabbed his first Monster Energy AMA Supercross victory of the season and extended the points lead during round four of the series Saturday at Angels Stadium.

Jason Anderson of the Monster Energy Kawasaki team led early and was close at the end but settled for the runner up spot at the checkers.

Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton backed up his career first 450SX class win with a podium finish at the series’ second visit to Anaheim.

It was an exciting event in the Western Regional 250SX class, with Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha’s Christian Craig earning his third victory of the season after a race-long battle that kept the win uncertain until the end. 

Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen rocketed off the gate in the 450SX event, exiting the first corner neck and neck with Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WPS KTM’s Shane McElrath. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart pushed into second place just 30 seconds into the race as behind him Anderson was on the move from fourth place and Tomac was pushing forward from a seventh-place start. 

Anderson took second place from Stewart just three and a half minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap race. He reeled in Roczen and made an aggressive move in the sand section where two lines came together.

The riders collided in a spray of sand. Roczen’s bike flipped sideways off the track while Anderson managed to stay on two wheels. Anderson took over the lead but had Tomac charging hard to steal the top spot. 

Just before the race’s midpoint Anderson took a risky triple-triple rhythm line into an elevated berm and nearly high-sided off the track. The bobble allowed Tomac to cut under. From there he held the lead until the finish.

Sexton kept the two riders in sight but never closed enough to challenge Anderson for the second spot. 

In the Western Regional 250SX class, Smartop Bullfrog Spas MotoConcepts Honda’s Vince Friese grabbed the holeshot as the previous round winner, Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Michael Mosiman, jockeyed with Christian Craig for the runner up position.

Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda got past Craig momentarily in the early going, but Craig regained third place as Mosiman took over the lead spot – all within the first minute and a half of the 15-mintute plus one lap race. 

Craig got past Friese a few laps later and started chipping away at the gap to Mosiman. Behind them, Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence got around Shimoda and set his sights on Friese in third. Friese took a nasty crash in the whoops that allowed Lawrence past. While getting up Friese was hit by Shimoda, who also went down in the incident. 

Mosiman and Craig separated from the pack with less than one second separating them for several laps. With four and half minutes on the clock Craig made a clean move and took over the top spot. Mosiman retaliated immediately but did not get back around. One lap later Mosiman put on another pass attempt but it lost him time and put him just outside of striking distance.