Eli Tomac Makes it Two Supercross Wins in a Row at Glendale

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State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ — February 5, 2022

This week the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series ventures out of the state of California for the first time in 2022 with a stop at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. The venue is a facility built preliminary for football instead of the baseball park layouts of the first four rounds. It is also the first triple-crown event of the season.

The triple-crown format takes the results from three main event motos and the rider with the best average finish is declared the overall winner on the night. The championship points are awarded based on the results of those average finishing positions.

Storylines include four different winners so far in the first four rounds of the 450SX class and will Christian Craig continue his domination of the 250SX West competition? The track at Glendale is sure to provide fireworks right from the drop of the gate as riders face a long sprint into a big sweeping left-hand turn. The almost stadium-length straight-a-way doubles as a potential passing lane into a tight right-hander just before the finish line.

The Track at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ / Graphic Courtesy of Feld Entertainment Inc.

250 SX Main Event 1

Hunter Lawrence(96) was the 250SX class fastest qualifier, not a big surprise, as Hunter is second in the season-long points standings. What was a surprise was that Christian Craig(28) came in third in qualifying. Christian was bested by Nate Thrasher(49)

Vince Friese(62) earned the holeshot at the start of Moto #1, but Craig powered to the front right away and began to put space between himself and the rest of the field. By the time Lawrence got around Friese for the second spot, he trailed the leader by six seconds.

Hunter Lawrence at Glendale / Photo Credit: Feld Entertainment Inc

Michael Mosiman(29), third in the points standings coming into Glendale, was slow out of the gate and mired back in the pack into the opening turn. Mosiman hit Carson Brown(910) and went over the handlebar of his GASGAS MC 250F getting trapped under the bike. By the time he untangled himself, Mosiman was last on the field.

Craig, Lawrence, and Friese finished one, two, three, Mosiman recovered to finish in 10th. He will have to improve his finishing position in the next two events to avoid dropping down in the points.

Position Number Rider
 1 28 Christian Craig
 2 96 Hunter Lawrence
 3 62 Vince Friese
 4 35 Garrett Marchbanks
 5 30 Jo Shimoda
 6 31 Jalek Swoll
 7 74 Derek Kelley
 8 49 Nate Thrasher
 9 910 Carson Brown
 10 29 Michael Mosiman

 

250 SX Main Event 2

Again it was Friese, Craig, and Lawrence one-two-three at the start. Just like the first race, Craig passed quickly. However, in the sand section, Friese took the same groove as Craig and ran into the leader taking both riders down. Craig tumbled far off the track and was in last place by the time he climbed back on his Yamaha YZ250F.

Christian Craig crashes after an altercation with Vince Friese / Photo Credit: Feld Entertainment Inc

Mosiman, taking advantage of the situation, was intent on making up for his difficulties in the first moto. Michael rode to the rear wheel of the leader Lawrence, but could not make the pass over the final two laps. Joe Shimoda finished third.

Craig recovered to finish in fourth, taking some revenge by bumping Friese as he passed mid-race.

Position Number Rider
 1 96 Hunter Lawrence
 2 29 Michael Mosiman
 3 30 Jo Shimoda
 4 28 Christian Craig
 5 31 Jalek Swoll
 6 35 Garrett Marchbanks
 7 49 Nate Thrasher
 8 69 Robbie Wageman
 9 910 Carson Brown
 10 62 Vince Friese

250 SX Main Event 3

Hunter Lawrence sits atop the leaderboard for the combined average finish heading into the third moto. Craig is second and can still claim the triple crown title with a win and a third-place finish by Lawrence.

Craig avoided a repeat of the first two races by taking the lead right out of the gate. Friese held second over Lawrence for the first lap and Lawrence had to worry about Joe Shimoda right on his rear tire.

Lawrence made quick work of Friese who fell into a battle with Shimoda that allowed Hunter to pull away and lock into the second position. Even with Craig running away out front all Lawrence had to do was hold that second position against any challenges.

He did as Moto #3 finished Craig, Lawrence, and Shimoda to give Hunter Lawrence his first win of the year and just the second of his Supercross career.

Position Number Rider
1 28 Christian Craig
 2 96 Hunter Lawrence
 3 30 Jo Shimoda
 4 62 Vince Friese
 5 49 Nate Thrasher
 6 35 Garrett Marchbanks
 7 31 Jalek Swoll
 8 910 Carson Brown
 9 74 Derek Kelley
 10 69 Robbie Wageman

250 SX Triple Cross Combined Results

Pos. # Rider Hometown Bike M1 M2 M3 Pts
 1 96 Hunter Lawrence Wesley Chapel, FL Honda CRF250R 2 1 2 26
 2 28 Christian Craig Temecula, CA Yamaha YZ250F 1 4 1 23
 3 30 Jo Shimoda Menifee, CA Kawasaki KX250 5 3 3 21
 4 35 Garrett Marchbanks Coalville, UT Yamaha YZ250F 4 6 6 19
 5 62 Vince Friese Menifee, CA Honda CRF250R 3 10 4 18
 6 31 Jalek Swoll Clermont, FL Husqvarna FC 250 6 5 7 17
 7 49 Nate Thrasher Livingston, TN Yamaha YZ250F 8 7 5 16
 8 910 Carson Brown Ravensdale, WA KTM 250 SX-F 9 9 8 15
 9 29 Michael Mosiman Minneaola, FL GASGAS MC 250F 10 2 15 14
 10 69 Robbie Wageman Newhall, CA Yamaha YZ250F 15 8 10 13
 11 74 Derek Kelley Riverside, CA KTM 250 SX-F 7 19 9 12
 12 101 Dylan Walsh Southam, GB Kawasaki KX250 13 11 11 11
 13 64 Mitchell Harrison Leesburg, FL GASGAS MC 250F 12 13 12 10
 14 66 Chris Blose Phoenix, AZ GASGAS MC 250F 14 15 14 9
 15 97 Jerry Robin Hamel, MN GASGAS MC 250F 17 14 13 8
 16 98 Dominique Thury Schneeberg, GER Yamaha YZ250F 16 12 20 7
 17 67 Logan Karnow Amherst, OH Kawasaki KX250 18 16 16 6
 18 161 Cole Thompson Brigden, ON Yamaha YZ250F 11 20 21 5
 19 914 Geran Stapleton Clyde North, VIC GASGAS MC 250F 19 17 17 4
 20 181 Wyatt Lyonsmith Boise, ID Kawasaki KX250 21 18 19 3
 21 503 Mcclellan Hile Atascadero, CA Honda CRF250R 20 21 18 2
 22 43 Carson Mumford Simi Valley, CA Suzuki RM-Z250 22 22 22 1

250 SX West Points Standings

Pos. # Rider Points
 1 28 Christian Craig 122
 2 96 Hunter Lawrence 114
 3 29 Michael Mosiman 99
 4 30 Jo Shimoda 87
 5 49 Nate Thrasher 79
 6 62 Vince Friese 76
 7 69 Robbie Wageman 64
 8 910 Carson Brown 55
 9 43 Carson Mumford 55
 10 35 Garrett Marchbanks 54
 11 31 Jalek Swoll 51
 12 161 Cole Thompson 50
 13 66 Chris Blose 46
 14 47 Seth Hammaker 44
 15 101 Dylan Walsh 41
 16 74 Derek Kelley 38
 17 98 Dominique Thury 32
 18 64 Mitchell Harrison 30
 19 40 Dilan Schwartz 26
 20 67 Logan Karnow 26
 21 58 Ryan Surratt 22
 22 216 Devin Harriman 16
 23 79 Hunter Schlosser 16
 24 97 Jerry Robin 9
 25 260 Dylan Woodcock 9
 26 432 Kaeden Amerine 9

 

450 SX Main Event 1

Dylan Ferrandis(14) posted the fastest qualifying time in the 450SX Class, followed by Eli Tomac(3), and Jason Anderson(21). But it was Tomac, Anderson, and Ken Roczen(94) as the first three riders across the holeshot line.

In the first half of the race, Tomac dominated and steadily pulled away. Roczen moved to second, as Anderson and Malcolm Stewart(27) battled for third and fourth.

Anderson, riding hard, had put Roczen down on the track while making passes the last two weeks. This time he managed to get around without a collision and with a clear track out front closed the interval on Tomac. However, the interval was too large and Tomac took the checkered flag followed by Anderson and Stewart. Roczen held on for fourth, ahead of Marvin Musquin(25) in fifth.

Position Number Rider
1 3 Eli Tomac
 2 21 Jason Anderson
 3 27 Malcolm Stewart
 4 94 Ken Roczen
 5 25 Marvin Musquin
 6 51 Justin Barcia
 7 14 Dylan Ferrandis
 8 1 Cooper Webb
 9 15 Dean Wilson
 10 12 Shane McElrath

Two notable riders finished outside the Top 10, Chase Sexton in 11th and Aaron Plessinger(7), coming back from a nasty crash last week, in 12th.

450 SX Main Event 2

Current points leader Eli Tomac, looking to build his advantage in the championship standings blew the field away again in moto 2. Jason Anderson, trying to stay in touch with Tomac, was second with last year’s champion Cooper Webb(1) running third at the start.

Eli Tomac at Glendale / Photo Credit: Feld Entertainment Inc

Anderson made a huge mistake at the five-minute mark of the race. Exiting a corner too wide, Jason got off track and hit a tuff block. His bike came down on top of another of the lane markers and he had a difficult time getting his Kawasaki KX450SR free. It was a costly error as Anderson could only manage a 12th place finish.

Malcolm Stewart finished second and Chase Sexton(23) took the third position.

Position Number Rider
 1 3 Eli Tomac
 2 27 Malcolm Stewart
 3 23 Chase Sexton
 4 25 Marvin Musquin
 5 14 Dylan Ferrandis
 6 94 Ken Roczen
 7 51 Justin Barcia
 8 1 Cooper Webb
 9 15 Dean Wilson
 10 7 Aaron Plessinger

 

450 SX Main Event 3

Eli Tomac can win the combined title with a fourth-place finish in Moto #3 regardless of what any other rider does. That is exactly the position Tomac found himself in after the gate drop. Quickly moving into third, behind Chase Sexton and Malcolm Stewart, Tomac could bide his time, not take any unnecessary chances, and pad his lead in the points standings.

Tomac passed Stewart, who was his closest competitor in the overall combined. However, it was Jason Anderson making the big moves passing both riders to secure the second position.

Anderson could not catch Sexton who recorded the Moto win. Tomac locked up the overall triple crown win with his third-place finish, giving Eli his second consecutive victory and growing his margin in the points.

Position Number Rider
1 23 Chase Sexton
 2 21 Jason Anderson
 3 3 Eli Tomac
 4 27 Malcolm Stewart
 5 1 Cooper Webb
 6 51 Justin Barcia
 7 94 Ken Roczen
 8 12 Shane McElrath
 9 15 Dean Wilson
 10 7 Aaron Plessinger

450 SX Triple Cross Combined Results

Pos. # Rider Hometown Bike M1 M2 M3 Pts
1 3 Eli Tomac Cortez, CO Yamaha YZ450F 1 1 3 26
 2 27 Malcolm Stewart Murrieta, CA Husqvarna FC 450 RE 3 2 4 23
 3 23 Chase Sexton Clermont, FL Honda CRF450R WE 11 3 1 21
 4 21 Jason Anderson Rio Rancho, NM Kawasaki KX450SR 2 12 2 19
 5 94 Ken Roczen Clermont, FL Honda CRF450R WE 4 6 7 18
 6 51 Justin Barcia Greenville, FL GASGAS MC 450F 6 7 6 17
 7 25 Marvin Musquin Corona, CA KTM 450 SX-F FE 5 4 11 16
 8 1 Cooper Webb Newport, NC KTM 450 SX-F FE 8 8 5 15
 9 15 Dean Wilson Murrieta, CA Husqvarna FC 450 RE 9 9 9 14
 10 12 Shane McElrath Oakland, FL KTM 450 SX-F FE 10 11 8 13
 11 7 Aaron Plessinger Hamilton, OH KTM 450 SX-F FE 12 10 10 12
 12 14 Dylan Ferrandis Tallahassee, FL Yamaha YZ450F 7 5 22 11
 13 54 Mitchell Oldenburg Aledo, TX Honda CRF450R 13 14 15 10
 14 10 Justin Brayton Charlotte, NC Honda CRF450R 18 13 12 9
 15 41 Brandon Hartranft Brick, NJ Suzuki RM-Z450 17 17 13 8
 16 19 Justin Bogle Wesley Chapel, FL Suzuki RM-Z450 19 16 14 7
 17 11 Kyle Chisholm Valrico, FL Yamaha YZ450F 15 15 20 6
 18 26 Alex Martin Clermont, FL Yamaha YZ450F 14 19 18 5
 19 34 Max Anstie Wesley Chapel, FL KTM 450 SX-F 20 18 16 4
 20 200 Ryan Breece Athol, ID Yamaha YZ450F 16 21 17 3
 21 78 Cade Clason Chesterfield, SC Honda CRF450R 21 22 19 2
 22 61 Fredrik Noren Indian Trail, NC KTM 450 SX-F 22 20 21 1

450 SX Points Standings

Pos. # Rider Points
1 3 Eli Tomac 111
 2 23 Chase Sexton 100
 3 21 Jason Anderson 96
 4 27 Malcolm Stewart 93
 5 51 Justin Barcia 89
 6 1 Cooper Webb 88
 7 94 Ken Roczen 80
 8 25 Marvin Musquin 80
 9 14 Dylan Ferrandis 75
 10 7 Aaron Plessinger 67
 11 15 Dean Wilson 61
 12 12 Shane McElrath 50
 13 34 Max Anstie 44
 14 41 Brandon Hartranft 40
 15 10 Justin Brayton 33
 16 54 Mitchell Oldenburg 33
 17 17 Joey Savatgy 27
 18 11 Kyle Chisholm 24
 19 9 Adam Cianciarulo 23
 20 26 Alex Martin 20
 21 19 Justin Bogle 17
 22 751 Josh Hill 13
 23 200 Ryan Breece 12
 24 61 Fredrik Noren 9
 25 95 Justin Starling 6
 26 78 Cade Clason 6
 27 848 Joan Cros 2

 

Next week the West Coast opening rounds conclude with a third visit to Anaheim.