Eli Tomac dominates Toronto Supercross for fourth win in six races
Eli Tomac picked up his fourth 450SX win in six races Saturday night at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
With his win, Tomac moves up to second in the points, but he is still 24 points behind Ryan Dungey who salvaged a second-place finish after dropping to the back at the start.
While Tomac has been on the back foot from the start at a couple of races earlier this season, it was Dungey who had his work cut out for him in Toronto after completing the first lap in ninth position.
Slowly but surely, however, Dungey was able to work his way up through the field and cross the finish line in second position, making his final pass for second on Broc Tickle in the closing moments of the race. For Tickle, his third-place finish was the first 450SX podium finish of his career. It also came following a discussion with the officials after an earlier altercation with Justin Barcia. Tickle had been penalized by being forced to pick his gate last for the Semi.
Behind Tickle, Chad Reed placed fourth after a solid night. The Australian had taken his first heat race win of the season earlier on in the night on his Yamaha.
In fifth place was Blake Baggett, who had completed the first lap in second position but had lost multiple spots when he dropped his bike mid-race.
“The track was gnarly,” explained Tomac. “It really broke down, so it was important to be consistent and ride smart. The long start let the Kawasaki open up and put us in a good position out of the gate, which was key. We had a good time here [in Toronto] and we'll see what we can do [moving forward in the championship]. We have eight rounds left with a lot of good tracks ahead. I'll just keep hammering.”
Meanwhile in the 250SX East class, Zach Osborne extended his points lead with his second career win in his second straight race. Yamaha riders Dylan Ferrandis and Colt Nichols swept the heat races, and it was Ferrandis who took the Holeshot in the Main. Joey Savatgy engaged Ferrandis in a tough battle for the top spot in the opening laps of the race and, when Savatgy emerged triumphant, Ferrandis began to fade back.
However, things weren’t clear sailing from then on for Savatgy as the former championship leader made a few mistakes in the second half of the Main. The first mistake cost him the lead to Osborne, while the following two would see him drop all the way back to sixth by the time he made it to the checkered flag. While this was horrible news for Savatgy in the championship fight, it was great news for Adam Cianciarulo and Christian Craig who moved up to the second and third spots on the podium respectively.
“The track was tough tonight, but I had a good feeling from the start of the day,” said Osborne. “I'm enjoying riding right now and I have the confidence to come out here and do well. It's an amazing feeling, and the pressure is going to build week in and week out [as points leader]. To get my first win last weekend and back it up here [in Toronto] is awesome and ensures we avoid any sort of slump.”
The 450SX and 250SX East riders will be back in action next weekend from the Daytona International Speedway in Florida.
450SX Class Results
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki
2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
3. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki
4. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha
5. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM
6. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda
7. Davi Millsaps, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM
8. Dean Wilson, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna
9. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Suzuki
10. Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., Honda
450SX Class Championship Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM - 196
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki - 172
3. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM - 157
4. Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda - 153
5. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna - 123
6. Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., KTM - 112
7. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha - 101
8. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM - 99
9. Dean Wilson, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna - 97
10. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Suzuki - 96
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Results
1. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna
2. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki
3. Christian Craig, Corona, Calif., Honda
4. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha
5. Dylan Ferrandis, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Yamaha
6. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki
7. Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., KTM
8. Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Suzuki
9. Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Honda
10. Anthony Rodriguez, Cairo, Ga., Yamaha
Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
1. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna - 70
2. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., Kawasaki - 58
3. Jordon Smith, Belmont, N.C., KTM - 52
4. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki - 52
5. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Okla., Yamaha - 49
6. Kyle Peters, Greensboro, N.C., Suzuki - 37
7. RJ Hampshire, Brooksville, Fla., Honda - 36
8. Dylan Ferrandis, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Yamaha - 34
9. Luke Renzland, Hewitt, N.J., Yamaha - 31
10. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., KTM - 29
11. Christian Craig, Corona, Calif., Honda - 29
