Eli Tomac bounces back to place second at Arlington 2 Supercross

Thursday, Mar 18, 2021 5:04 PM

Kawasaki ace starts fast, chases Webb to finish line

Eli Tomac of Cortez finishes second Tuesday in the 450 Supercross in Arlington.

Kawasaki Racing

Eli Tomac of Cortez on Tuesday got off to a quick start in the Arlington 2 Supercross and chased series-leading Cooper Webb for 23 laps to the finish line.

Ken Roczen was third.

It was Tomac’s fifth podium finish of the season, and it came after a frustrating eighth-place finish in the first of three races March 13 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“I would definitely say tonight was a bounce-back kind of night,” Tomac said after the race. “This past Saturday was frustrating, to say the least, but I like these Tuesday races because it only gives you a couple days off and another chance to redeem yourself, and we did just that tonight.”

Tomac was sharp all day.

He posted the fastest lap during timed practice runs, at 50.903 seconds, ahead of Justin Barcia’s time of 51.186. Webb was third at 51.201.

And he was second in his qualifying heat, passing Malcolm Stewart in the third lap to finish 3 seconds behind Webb.

In the 450SX main event, he was third at the start, but he raced into second place behind Webb after one lap. During the next 23 laps, he challenged Webb for the lead, riding on the leader’s rear wheel for most of the race. He attempted a pass in the final few laps but settled for second.

“Tonight was much better for the tighter track situation, and that’s where I feel like I’ve been struggling, you know, is when I’m buried in the pack,” Tomac said, referring to his 16-place start on Saturday.

With the finish, he sits in third place in the series standings, trailing runner-up Ken Roczen by 24 points and frontrunner Webb by 36 points. Barcia remains in fourth place, 18 points behind Tomac.

Six races remain in the 17-race championship series.

The Monster Energy AMA Supercross series remains in Arlington for the third of three races on Saturday, then heads to Atlanta for races April 10, 13 and 17.