Eli Tomac Strengthens Title Defense in Nashville
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac returned to the podium with a runner- / Apr 30, 2023 /
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Eli Tomac rode a smart race in challenging conditions at the Nissan Stadium to take a runner-up finish at Round 15 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship in Nashville, Tennessee. The reigning 450SX Champion's 11th podium of the season bolstered his title defense, giving him an 18-point lead with two rounds remaining.
Rain in advance of the event made for challenging track conditions, but Tomac showed strength straight away and topped the first two sessions. He ultimately qualified fourth on the combined timesheets and then got off to a flying start, grabbing the holeshot and the first 450 heat race win. In the main event, the reigning champ grabbed another holeshot and set a blistering pace up front to have over a three-second lead on the first lap. He continued to throw down some fast times and built a comfortable gap up front. As the race wore on, the competition closed the gap and ultimately passed him a couple of laps after the halfway mark. Tomac continued to ride his own race in the challenging conditions, crossing the line comfortably in second to head to the penultimate round in his home state of Colorado with an 18-point lead in the championship.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team heads back West to the Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, for the penultimate round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, part of the SuperMotocross World Championship series, on May 6.
Jeremy Coker - Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team Manager
“Nashville was a good race for us. The whole day went very smooth. It's scary to see competitors go out the way we saw with (Cooper) Webb. During the main, Eli pulled the holeshot and was riding great. He got into lapped traffic, and that allowed Chase (Sexton) to catch us. At that point, Eli calculated his risk versus reward and was smart enough to finish right where we needed.”
Eli Tomac - Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
“We had a very solid day. I had great starts for the heat race and the main event, and I got out to the lead early. I was setting a good pace, and then I made one or two mistakes in the whoops. I backed down my pace a little bit, and then Chase was able to slide right by me. Overall, I was really happy with my riding, and the motorcycle on the starts has been awesome.
“It was a very tough track, too, because it went from a soft surface and then it turned into a dry surface, so that's what made it hard. The transitions were soft, but at the same time, you had to manage traction. It was tough. It ended up biting quite a few guys, and I'm just happy to get out of here safe.”
