Eli Tomac stymied his opponents’ momentum with 450SX win in Arlington, Texas
March 1, 2022
By Keaton Maisano
With the field closing in over the past few weeks, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac was able to earn some breathing room Saturday with a 450SX win in Round 8 of AMA Supercross.
Arlington, Texas, was the site of the second Triple Crown race of the season, and Tomac’s gone 2-for-2 in the Triple Crown format this year. Finishing 3-2-2 in the three-race event, Tomac edged out Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson (6-1-1) to double his lead in the 450SX standings.
While he didn’t finish in first in any of the three races, it was Tomac’s consistent performance throughout the night that carried him to the top of the podium for a third time this season.
“It was a night of consistency to win the overall,” Tomac said in a Yamaha Racing release. “It was a good night for us with another win and some more points in the championship.”
While Tomac was steady throughout the night, a sixth-place finish in the first race — after he tangled with then-leader Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Malcolm Stewart, taking them both out of podium contention — doomed Anderson’s hunt for a fourth win in 2022. The red-hot Anderson rebounded and finished the night strong with back-to-back firsts to secure second overall on the final podium.
Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb claimed the early momentum Saturday with a first-place finish in the opening race. However, the defending champion couldn’t quite piece together the last two races to fully capitalize on his advantageous early position. An event resumé of 1-4-4 placed Webb in the final position on the overall podium.
The finish pulled Webb within two points of Stewart, who finished fifth overall in Arlington.
Stewart’s 149 points are good for third in the 450SX standings, but Tomac (177) and Anderson (171) have pulled away from Stewart and the rest of the pack.
The AMA Supercross season resumes Saturday at Daytona International Speedway for Round 9.