Tomac Defends Win in Desert
Eli Tomac wins in Glendale, becomes first two-time 450SX winner of 2022 AMA Supercross season
February 7, 2022
By Keaton Maisano
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac became the first 450SX rider to win twice in the 2022 AMA Supercross season Saturday, winning in consecutive weeks.
Coming off his Week 4 win in Anaheim, Calif., Tomac held a 6-point lead over Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton. With a competitive field of riders chasing the red plate, Tomac shed the pressure and built on his momentum in Glendale, Ariz., notching his second 450SX win of the season in the weekend’s 3-main-event Triple Crown format and increasing his lead to 11 points.
“The win means a lot to me and puts us in a great spot for points position in the championship,” Tomac said. “My motorcycle was just so good the whole day, especially in the first two mains. My game plan was to go out and really just try to get the first race win and really set the tone for the night.”
In Race 1 of the Triple Crown format, Tomac got the holeshot, eventually pulling away from the rest of the pack, continuing his success from the week prior. Race 2 felt like déjà vu as Tomac once again led the entire race thanks to another holeshot.
In the final 450SX race of the night, Sexton slightly slowed Tomac’s momentum with a win, vaulting him to No. 3 overall in Glendale. Sexton finished 11-3-1 in the three races.
Tomac’s third-place finish in Race 3 secured his overall victory for the event.
“[Winning and winning early is] really important with the Olympic scoring that they use for these events,” Tomac said. “So in my mind, I knew I wanted to go out and win the first one and try to back it up. Obviously, we wanted to get all three, but I didn’t get the holeshot as I did in the others. I just felt good and had a good ride tonight in front of the home crowd. I’m not sure how many ended up down here, but we had a lot of people from my hometown [in Colorado], and of course, that makes it special.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Malcolm Stewart filled out the podium in Glendale with finishes of third, second and fourth — good for second overall, his best 450SX finish to date.
While Stewart sits just outside the top-3 in the 450SX standings with 93 points, Tomac (111), Sexton (100) and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson (96) stand above the rest five weeks into the season.