Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Eli Tomac has now marched all the way into the points lead of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, based on the strength of four-straight overall wins (High Point, RedBud, Southwick, Spring Creek). This latest win at Spring Creek was probably his toughest, though, because title rival Chase Sexton was giving him all he could handle. Sexton passed Tomac for the lead in moto one only to crash, and pressured Tomac all the way to the end in moto two.
Here's Eli's take on the weekend from the post race press conference.
Eli, I think it was 4-3-2, and then you’ve been 1’s across the board since the start of the season. Today a big day gaining the red plate in the national championship for the first time this season. Talk about that moment and obviously, the point to get up here, and now where do you move from there?
Eli Tomac: We’ve had, I think, four wins now. So, four great races. Today was once again a gnarly battle both motos. I felt like I was a little gifted in moto one there. Chase went by and had some better lines and had a little more pace. Moto two though, I made a couple changes, and then I felt like I was the guy that was able to move around and get to the front. Great work from the team, between moto one and moto two there. It’s just been gnarly. The pace is hot. We’re just going to go down to the wire.
It looked like in moto number one, Chase was really fast from the finish line through the sand wash section. Did you do anything to change anything on the bike or how you approached those areas? You didn’t seem to lose much time in moto number two at that point.
I guess. It was just a little bit everywhere. Then at the top of the hill, he went around the outside of me and I was like, dang. How do I get passed on the outside like that? So, it was just a little bit everywhere. Top of the hill, a little bit of the sand section. Just trying to be better in those spots in moto two.
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Eli Tomac Align Media ![Sexton and Tomac]()
Sexton and Tomac Align Media ![Tomac]()
Tomac Align Media ![Tomac earns his third consecutive 1-1 day this summer.]()
Tomac earns his third consecutive 1-1 day this summer. Align Media
When it comes to passing at the right-hander before the finish, you set yourself up very well going to the far outside on the left. It just seemed like a drive. Had you found that earlier, or was that, “I’m just going to gas him through this section to get by?” You set up quite a few passes there.
Yeah. What happened was, the first lap I tried to go around Savatgy there and we kind of were crisscrossing down the hill. Then I got shot to the outside and kind of just happened to go over there by chance, and it worked. It only worked though for probably ten minutes and then it went away. It actually got worse, and then I had to go inside. So, that was a changing turn, for sure.
A lot of times, Eli, they say when it’s going to be your weekend, you just have that feeling all weekend long. Did you have that feeling, or was this something you had to truly work hard for? Did you vibe well enough to say, I think I’m going to win it here again?
I had the good feeling in moto two. Moto one we got passed and it’s like, darn it. But, we’ve been good everywhere. We’ve been good in all conditions. Credit to the team.
Southwick is gnarly, physically. Today you guys had to go to the wall, pushing hard in the second moto. Are there days where you feel it more? Even during this week, where you need to change things this week after Southwick? Is it affecting you physically in the days after a race?
Yeah, in my opinion, Southwick is the physically hardest one. I was pretty spent from that one. That one it’s like you can feel your legs into that second moto. To me, this race is not even close to being as physical. That track versus everything else, Southwick is a beast
You were going as hard as you could in this moto today, but it's not quite the same?
To me, this situation today would be a higher heart rate, but Southwick it’s basically just draining you. Your muscles are just cooked from doing 3,000 squats on the rollers.
You have so much experience at this. How much of that is managing that physical load from May to September, and not going over the edge?
That’s the thing you’ve got to know what to do, and that just comes with experience. It’s so hard. There’s no blinking in this sport. We’ve got to perform 30 weekends a year.
Alex Martin has announced he’s retiring at the end of the season and this was his last national at the home track at Millville. Any memories of A-Mart for you through the years?
[Laughs] The memory I’m going to have of A-Mart is last week at Southwick! Jumping across the banner! He was a little Wide Clyde there. To be honest, that’s the most I’ve been around the guy in the race. I’ve mostly hung out with Jeremy Martin [Alex’s brother] more often. Alex seems like a great guy. I hope he enjoins the last few races.
Watch the full 450 Class post-race press conference below:
