250 Words: Anaheim 2
Monday, February 7, 2011 | 1:00 PM
GYTR (Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing) is Yamaha’s performance and racing accessory brand. GYTR products are developed and tested to the highest standards by Yamaha’s in-house factory engineers. Used extensively by the Yamaha Race Teams, these factory parts are readily available to every Yamaha rider.
Tweet
Advertisement | Advertise with Us
Share
Comment
Email
Print
For the only rider in the pits that can say he won the first professional race he ever competed in, patience could be hard to come by for Eli Tomac. But he’s still a rookie to supercross, still a teenager, and still waiting to add a big AMA Supercross trophy to his AMA Motocross triumph last year.
He’s getting closer. He took ninth at the Anaheim opener, followed it up with a quiet fifth in Phoenix, and then grabbed a breakthrough second-place finish in Los Angeles. At that race, he even got a look at race leader Cole Seely. Then he finally led laps last weekend in Oakland before crashing and finishing third.
Tomac is slowly moving his way up the championship ladder.
Photo: Simon Cudby
In Anaheim over the weekend, he was ready. After another good start, he made a move on fellow rookie Ken Roczen, and went after race leader Josh Hansen. Hansen, struggling with a broken hand, looked ready to be taken, and Tomac slid inside him to grab the lead.
But the veteran Hansen wasn’t phased. He simply stayed inside of Tomac and executed an aggressive pass in the next corner to get the lead back. That pass seemed to knock the wind out of Tomac’s sails. He lost time and fell back into a battle with Roczen, while Hansen pulled away. Once again Tomac came close, but was denied victory.
On this night Tomac had the speed and the start. But Hansen ultimately used his experience to make a hard pass at the right time, and ice the victory. Just another lesson learned for the young kid from Colorado—the one who’s proven to be a very patient study.
Did you like this article?
Check out TEAM HONDA AT DAWN
in our Latest issue of Racer X available now.
Forty years ago, Team Honda arrived on the American motocross circuit with a brand new motorcycle: the game-changing Elsinore CR250. Page 170.
Look for the verified symbol 
Impulse Studios
Tomac will get his frist win soon.. It would be good to see Roczen in big class, also Tomac?????
That's FAZED, Weigandt. Phases are like parts of something - phase I, phase II, etc.
Both of the two kids will be winning races soon. I think Roczon will dominate outdoors this year. It will be for Decoster if he can bring in a championship to KTM.
I don't think he has much of a chance in the 450 class for a chapionship this year, but who know who he will get for 2012
Phase 1, collect underpants - phase 3, profit?
I can't say that I ever really cared much for Hansen, but after A2, that dude is a total bad ass who deserves to be a champion.
Ken Roczen will be roosting on a Yamadog for San Manuel next year, mark my words. Knuckles up, KROQ ~ you've got fans here in the USA!
Great article. I must say the talent is so stacked in all classes of racing...Thanks to our Heros like Doug Henry, Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, Kevin Windham and soooo many others, the youth of our nation has not only stepped up to the plate, but hit a home run....Kudos to all of our talented athletes who live our dreams and carry the weight of being exccellent role models with ease...P.S. I have to specify a very special man, Travis Pastrana for inspiring me to be a better man. He sets the bar for all men to follow.
Christopher Batton
We were sitting in the second row right where Josh had to ride dirty to keep Tomac from taking the lead... real shame .. rides like his ol' man used to.... hopefully Tomac will get in the position to return the "favor"... Josh is a punk!
As i told my son If he had to ride dirty to do better he wouldn't have a bike from me.
This "riding dirty" talk is BS. Watch SX much? Names like Hannah, Johnson, Carmichael ring a bell? They all made good use of the aggressive block pass. In arenacross, you go nowhere without that tactic. Give me a freakin' break, whiners. Not putting Hanny in the same class with those guys, but he knows how to ride, and doing what he did with a broken hand was badass. Great ride by Tomac and Roczen, too. BTW, Roczen will be riding a KTM in MX2 in Europe this summer, then 250s again in America for the same brand in '12. Am I the only one who reads/remembers the news stories on here?
Hey Mark, why don't you get off Racer X and get back to your job (if you have one)? Rubbing is racing, and I highly doubt you could ride all out for 15 minutes with several broken bones in your hand.
As for Tomac, the kid is unreal, kudos to his riding and good luck in the future!
There was no way that was a dirty move. Agressive, yes. But Eli was sliding out wide and the door was opened just slightly enough for Josh to move in and make the pass. Dirt would have been if he took him over the berm, which he could have. He just stood him up. No issue there. With a track tough to make up time and pass on, it had to be done. And I am not Biased as I was rooting for Eli for his first win.
But you can't take it away from Hansen. Gutsy ride for sure. If he can take the championship, A2 was "the moment" for Josh's season.
Was hoping for a win for Eli last week w/ the Raider lid on but.....He's right where he needs to be. It's amazing to see Roczen's progression through his first AMA SX season. That guy will make things happen. I don't recall Donnie Hansen ever having a rep as a dirty rider, MARK. I like the Father / Son history aspect of the Hansen tale and I liked Donnie Hansen as a racer. While I'm not the biggest fan of Jr's career choices, I do feel he's earned his spot at the top of this 250W class. He's got 10 years on Roczen, and A LOT more experience than most compet*tors in that class but, rules are rules. Don't like it? Have YOUR team hire a ringer next season.
lets not turn it into a cinderella story just yet remember Reeds so called 3rd degree shoulder separation? Im not saying its not broke but some like to (press) exaggerate there injuries......
I dont think his pass was dirty, but Hanson has riden dirty before, and he may again. But he showed how bad he wants the West regional title Saturday thats for sure. Hope he wins the title, so he can move up to where he should be anyway.
Exactly. After the race did you see the way he easily removed his helmet strap with his broken fingers and broken hand. Didn't look to be to much of a problem for him. Interesting...........
I wonder what the next FAZE of his career will bring.
SERIOUSLY, Mark. Grow up. That was NOT a dirty pass. Flippin' moron. No clue.
That was a great pass, the type of pass that riders who want to win make. Not that different than Eli's pass right before it. Way more exciting to watch than a rider waiting for the rider in front of them to make a mistake and then try to capitalize on it.
In regard to the doubters of Hansen's injury...did you see the crash? Even if his hand was not broken that was gutty performance after a crash like that.
DUNGEY RULES!!!! (Except when Stewart and Villopoto are in the same race.)
Thank you all for not to many bad comments, racing is racing and I have made some block passes myself some on pupose some I did not mean to because the guy went where I did not expet but had to pull it out.I is not dirty racing it is just racing!!!
And if hansens move on tomac was dirty, then what was canards move on villopoto at vegas?, and yet everybody still likes canard, and no one calls him dirty. It's called racing.
Those of us who race have to realize the people that post on these sites that are not racers don't understand what they are watching sometimes. Glad they are fans even if the fundamentals of our sport are misunderstood.
Hansen holds off a hungry Tomac and Roczen? Crazy. If that doesn't show the Hansen haters that this dude is for real, I don't know what will.
I was the first to clown Hansen for his punt moves on Canada and Seely but hey ,deep into the moto, the race on the line, racing hurt ..........those are the moments that demand what we saw. Hannys problem now is everyone knows that move.
JimM
CarlsbadCa
yzfsean, props for coming bak. I figured you were holding out for different results from your guy.......... . He upped his game at A2 for sure, I was glad to see him show some fire when his bike broke. Now were gonna see what hes about.
JimM
CarlsbadCa
(Dungey ruled....last year)
their was nothing dirty about Hansens' pass on Tomac. He knew he was coming up the inside. he should have been prepared to counter it. it was a perfect block pass. if he had come in there and straight t-boned the kid, and wrecked him, ya thats dirty. not a block pass. so whoever mark is, learn a little more about racing before you start turning your kid into a *****!
Hay at Lease there is a nice Pic.. in the back Ground MONSTER ENERGY LOL JK I like his bike tho... !!!!1 :)