Eli Tomac got off to a slow start Saturday in the 450cc Supercross in Detroit, but charged into second place midway through the race and overtook Jason Anderson for the lead and eventual victory.
Anderson, Cooper Webb and Chase Sexton, all contenders in the leading pack, crashed out of the race in the 18th of 27 laps.
Tomac was eighth after the first lap but moved into fourth place in Lap 5 after posting the fastest lap of the race, at 44.537 seconds. Anderson, who started in fourth, gained the lead in Lap 6 after passing Justin Barcia.
Tomac passed defending champion Cooper Webb for third place in Lap 7 and Barcia for second place in Lap 8.
The race was shaping up to be another duel between the series’ top two riders as standings leader Tomac raced on the heels of No. 2 Anderson through Lap 12. Malcolm Stewart, Webb and Sexton lined up behind the series leaders more than six seconds off Tomac’s pace.
But in Lap 18, Sexton, Webb and Anderson went down after Sexton and Webb collided. All three were up and walking after the crash but did not return to the race.
Stewart filled the gap behind Tomac. Barcia moved up to third, and Marvin Musquin and Justin Brayton ended up fourth and fifth.
Tomac won comfortably by 3.556 seconds. With the win, he extended his lead over Anderson and Stewart to 42 points, 229 to 187.
Tomac won qualifying Heat 1 after passing Sexton for the lead in the ninth of 10 laps. Sexton was second, and Musquin was third.
Stewart won Heat 2 wire to wire. Anderson passed Webb for second place in Lap 4, and Webb held off Barcia for third place.
On March 19, the Monster Energy AMA Supercross series goes to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the 11th of the season’s 17 races.
