Number of the Week: 42
Eli Tomac earned his 42nd career 450SX main event win when he earned his third consecutive win in a row. Tomac now has sole possession of fifth all-time on the premier class main event wins list. Next up is Chad Reed, who had 44 career premier class wins. And while Tomac entered the night with an 18-point lead in the standings, he left the night with a 42-point gap back to second place (a tie between Jason Anderson & Malcolm Stewart at 187 apiece).
Tonight's number of the night: 42
— Mitch Kendra (@mitch_kendra) March 13, 2022
-Tomac claimed 450SX career main event win #42.
-Tomac also leaves round ten tonight in Detroit with a 42-point advantage over second place (Stewart & Anderson at 187 apiece) in the standings.#SXHistory#Supercross#SX2022#2022DetroitSX
And for those Tomac fans out there, this 42-point gap is a big deal. PulpMX’s Travis Marx posted the following on Twitter, saying the gap from P1 to P2 in the standings is the most it has been since 2003, besting Jason Anderson’s gap over Marvin Musquin in 2018 the year El Hombre went on to claim the 450SX title.
Here's some moto baseball stats, hope @3lapsdown doesn't mind if I encroach for a night. Eli has the most points after 10 rounds (229) since Dunge in '16, who had 233. Since 2003, the gap to 2nd has never been this big (42), regardless of how many points the series leader had...
— Travis Marx (@imtravismarx) March 13, 2022
Career Bests
While there were several riders several top factory riders who did not finish the main event, a dozen riders earned 450SX career bests on the night:
Eli Tomac | 1st
Malcolm Stewart | 2nd (ties career best)
Vince Friese | 6th
Shane McElrath | 7th
Brandon Hartranft | 9th
Cade Clason | 10th
Ryan Breece | 11th
Justin Starling | 12th
Alex Martin | 13th
Logan Karnow | 15th
Kevin Moranz | 16th (and first transfer directly from heat race)
Justin Rodbell | 18th (first career 450SX main event)
Injury Updates for Indianapolis Supercross: Jason Anderson is in; Dylan Ferrandis is out
Post-Race Penalty Report
There were no infractions in either class at the tenth round.
Jerry’s Kit of The Week
For the Detroit Supercross, Jerry Robin and crew chose to represent the Detroit Red Wings for the tenth round of their “sport series” gear.
GoPro Videos
GoPro: Justin Barcia - 2022 Monster Energy Supercross - Detroit - 450 Main Event Highlights
GoPro: Pierce Brown - 2022 Monster Energy Supercross - Detroit - 250 Main Event Highlights
Rider Vlogs
Alex “Troll Train” Martin
Quotes From The Paddock
450SX
Marvin Musquin | 4th in 450SX
“It was a crazy night of racing. In the main, I got a good start and ended up second with Bogle in front of me. I should have passed him but I wasn’t good in the whoops and I lost a couple spots. On the split-lane, I was taking the inside and the outside was better so people just got by me and I dropped. After that, I started getting into a better rhythm and obviously a lot of guys went down. I was trying to pass Barcia towards the end and I lost the front-end and that could have been a podium for me, but I’m just glad I finished healthy and going home.”
Justin Brayton | 5th in 450SX
“The whole day was pretty good. I was very motivated this morning. To be motivated to get a really good result gets hard the older you get, but today I woke up and was ready. To get a top-five is incredible, and yeah, it was sort of handed to me, but I’ll take it. I’ve thrown a lot of top-fives away in my day, so I’ll take it how I can get it. It was a good, tough track late in the Main Event. I have had this part of the season circled for a long time, and this next stretch will be a huge effort. I’d love to get a podium, it’d break the record for the oldest rider to podium, and I really want to win a Heat Race. I’m excited to get home and enjoy the week with my family as we celebrate my birthday.”
Vince Friese | 6th in 450SX
“Sixth in the 450 Class is something I can’t be bummed about. I didn’t get a good start, one of the few races when I haven’t, and it would have been nice, but it was all crazy. At one point, I was fighting for a top-ten finish, and three laps later, it was for a top-five because people crashed. And I’m bummed for those guys because I love watching them as a fan. But I got a career-best finish, some bonus money, and was riding great. I had to put in hard laps and pass high-level guys, so I’m very happy about the riding. The bike is working so well. I spent last year developing this CRF with the team and am getting the benefits of it now.”
Shane McElrath | 7th in 450SX
“Tonight was a good night. The track fit my style and had a good pace out there in the main. We have been putting in the work and it showed tonight. We’ll continue to push and bring this momentum into Indianapolis next week.”
Dean Wilson | 14th in 450SX
"The Main Event didn’t turn out very well for me. I was in a good position, top-five actually, but I crashed in the whoops. I got up from that and had another fall, so unfortunately, not a good night. The track caught a lot of riders tonight and unfortunately, I was one of them. But I am healthy, so we’ll be back next weekend.”
Dylan Ferrandis | 19th in 450SX
“I felt good coming into the weekend, and the day was going well. I had a moment during my heat race but was able to come back to sixth. In the main event, I didn’t get a great start but kept pushing and was fifth, then, unfortunately, went short on the quad and was unable to finish. It’s very frustrating to have another bad night, but we will go back to Florida and work to recover and come back next week.”
Said Monster Energy/Star Yamaha Racing 450 team manager Jeremy Coker:
“Dylan was riding well all day, and everything was going good, but unfortunately, he came up short on a jump and jammed his wrist. He was evaluated at the Alpinestars’ Mobile Medical Unit and everything looked okay, but we are going to take it day by day.”
Jason Anderson | 21st in 450SX
“I was feeling really good today from the start of the first practice. Probably the best I’ve felt racing in Detroit, and I think my performance throughout the night showed I had what it took to win tonight. Unfortunately, I pushed a little too hard while challenging for the lead and had a crash that ended my race early. It’s unlucky, but these things happen. I’m just glad I feel fine right now and am planning on giving it my all in Indianapolis next weekend.”
Chase Sexton | 22nd in 450SX
“Overall, the Detroit Supercross was a pretty rough race for me. I had a crash in the heat race trying to go around a lapped rider, and in the main event, Cooper and I got together, which ended my night. It was unfortunate, but thankfully I’m healthy apart from a few scrapes and bruises. I’m looking forward to Indianapolis, which I consider one of my home races, and I’m excited to get back out there and make up for it.”
Said Honda HRC team manager Lars Lindstrom:
Chase was also incredibly fast all day and was going to be a threat to win. Once he got a rhythm going he was moving forward and riding well until his unfortunate incident with Cooper. Hopefully Cooper is okay, and luckily Chase was able to come away with minimal injuries and should be able to race next weekend no problem.”
250SX
RJ Hampshire | 4th in 250SX
“Man, it was a tough day. Lost in the shambles for about 90 percent of it but we managed to get out of here healthy. We did what we could in the Main Event and will try to be better for next weekend.”
Stilez Robertson | 8th in 250SX
“Not much to say really, it wasn’t a great day for me. My starts were good but the riding was off all day. We’re going to put our head down this week and get to where we belong.”
Mitchell Oldenburg | 6th in 250SX
“I rode so good all day and then blew the start in the Main Event. It’s the same old story at this point. I just have to start better. I feel like I’m with the top guys when I start with them, but I’m just not there when it counts. I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself because there are a lot of positives. I’m riding a level that I haven’t been at in a long time, and if I keep chipping away at it, things will come. I’m putting in solid laps, the fitness feels good, the whoops are coming around, but I have to be better in that first five seconds of the race. This was round ten for me, and I’m starting to feel it a bit, so I’m planning to take it easy and recover.”
Kyle Chisholm | 12th in 250SX
“My first race on the 250 with only a couple days on it was a learning experience. The team worked all day to get me more and more comfortable on the bike with such a limited amount of time. Qualifying went well, and I was happy with fourth in the heat race. I ripped an amazing start in the main and almost had the holeshot but came out in second place. Unfortunately, a couple of laps in, I made an uncharacteristic mistake and lost a lot of time. So that was a bummer and didn’t lead to the result I know I’m capable of, but we’ll work hard this week and come back again in Indianapolis.
“The track was very slippery and rocky all night which made it a tough surface to race on, but my bike was amazing. We are just working on getting the bike dialed in for my specific liking, so I think we’ll be in a good spot with more time. Thanks to the whole team for their hard work all weekend.”
Said Monster Energy/Star Yamaha Racing 250 team manager Jensen Hendler:
“We knew going into the weekend that this first race was not going to be easy with very little time on the bike, but Kyle made progress throughout the day on a technical track. He got a great start, but unfortunately, he made a mistake and ended the race 12th. We’re going to go back to work this week and look to come back stronger in Indianapolis.”