Eli Tomac Scores Record Setting Victory in Daytona Supercross

Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL — March 4, 2023

The 2023 SuperMotocross World Championship series and Monster Energy Supercross seasons continue this weekend from historic Daytona International Speedway. NBC Sports’ Supercross analyst Ricky Carmichael, a five-time Daytona Supercross race winner, designed the course at Daytona International Speedway for the 16th consecutive year.

“This year’s Daytona Supercross design is one of the best. It races great for the riders – it’s safe yet challenging, and it’s very similar to last year with the split lanes,” said Carmichael. “Daytona is the toughest, gnarliest race on the Supercross circuit, but it’s the most special to win. This track is going to produce great racing, and I think the riders are going to put on a fantastic display for all our fans.”

A new tradition will begin at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night as Justin Brayton will become the first grand marshal in Daytona Supercross history for the March 4th event, the track announced.

Daytona Supercross is the longest continuous Supercross race in America, dating back to 1971, but has never had a grand marshal to kick off the race. In what is already one of the most electric pre-race ceremonies in sports, Brayton will give the command to drop the gate following the world-class pyrotechnics and dazzling lights show.

The 2023 Daytona Supercross will be the 600th 250SX Class round in Supercross history. Daytona also hosted the 500th round of 250SX Class racing in 2017, which was won by Adam Cianciarulo on a Kawasaki.

Arlington Recap

Last week in Arlington, Texas, Cooper Webb (158 pts) won his second race of the season and narrowed Eli Tomac’s lead atop the 450SX Class standings to only two points (160 pts). Chase Sexton sits in third place with 155 points.

Eli Tomac (1-4-6) secured his 89th career podium and held onto the red plate after a small slip ruined his plans for a seventh Triple Crown overall. He ties Kevin Windham for fifth all-time in top-five finishes with 113 and is looking ahead to Daytona, where he is the all-time wins leader with six at the historic speedway.

Nate Thrasher (2-2-3) scored his fourth 250SX Class win with an exciting Triple Crown victory in Arlington. He now has five podiums, and nine top-five finishes with his 21 250SX Class starts. For the second Triple Crown in a row and the third time ever, the overall winner pulled a “reverse sweep,” in which you win an overall without winning a Race.

Hunter Lawrence (1-3-6; 3rd) holds onto the red plate heading into Daytona, where he has only raced one time before, a sixth-place finish in 2021.

Daytona 250 SX Heats

In Heat One for the 250 East riders, Tom Vialle(128) led the first lap, and Nate Thrasher(29) led the rest of them. Pulling away to a comfortable four-and-a-half second advantage at the checkered flag.

Hunter Lawrence(96) had to work a bit harder in Heat Two. Jordon Smith(58) led early and held the top spot for the first half of the race. As Lawrence closed, the pair took opposite lanes through the

Daytona 450 SX Heats

In Heat One, it was all Eli Tomac(3) as he led from start to finish. The top three held their positions through the entire six-minute moto, with Ken Roczen(94) and Justin Barcia(51) finishing second and third, respectively.

RJ Hampshire(24), in his first 450 SX start, looked like a seasoned veteran on the big bike as he led wire-to-wire in Heat Two. Cooper Webb(2) and Chase Sexton(23) had nothing for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider as he made the win look easy.

Daytona 250 SX Main Event

After the 250 SX heats, the crowd was expecting a real battle between Hunter Lawrence and Nate Thrasher. The 250 SX East leaders did not disappoint. While Tom Vialle grabbed the holeshot, Lawrence and Thrasher went after each other in second and third on lap one. Lawrence quickly took care of business, undercutting Thrasher and putting him in the dirt.

Vialle crashed out of the event, and it was all Lawrence to the checkered flag. Max Anstie put in another solid effort to take second, and much to the delight of the Daytona fans, Haiden Deegan finished in third. In just his fourth professional race, Deegan earns the first podium of his young career.

Thrasher had worked himself back into the top ten just past the mid-way point of the moto when he crashed again. He managed to return to the 10th spot but will lose a bunch of points to Lawrence in the East Standings.

Daytona 250 SX East Results

250 SX East Standings

Daytona 450 SX Main Event

Eli Tomac grabbed the holeshot into the first turn. However, as he and Cooper Webb raced through the rhythm section down the front stretch of the Daytona trioval, it was Webb who came out on top.

Chase Sexton looked to make a move past Tomac. But the Daytona specialist held off the charge. Sexton then fell into the clutches of Justin Barcia. With seven minutes down, Tomac caught Webb in the sand section and made the pass. Fighting back, Sexton collided with Tomac and recaptured the top spot.

Tomac gathered his momentum and again began to cut the interval on Webb. Just before halfway, Tomac made a successful pass and quickly put some distance between himself and Webb.

Sexton pounced on Webb’s misfortune, and he began to put some pressure on the Red Bull KTM rider. That struggle for position brought Justing Barcia into the fray. Sexton and Barcia have a history together already this year. They added to it at Daytona as the pair collided three times, with Barcia getting the worst of the exchange by going down.

At the front, Tomac pulled away briefly. Webb made another run at the defending champion but could not get close enough to put a move on the leader.

Tomac’s win, his seventh at Daytona, tied him with Richard Petty for most victories at the storied “World Center of Racing.” The victory also pushed Tomac past Ricky Carmichael into third place on the Supercross All-time Wins list with 49.

With his second-place finish, Webb stayed close in the points, just five behind Tomac. Sexton now trails the champ by ten markers. Sexton, Barcia, and Jason Anderson(21) rounded out the top five.

Daytona 450 SX Results

450 SX Standings