Eli Tomac versus Chase Sexton represented arguably the best Pro Motocross battle in 50 years. It took character and courage to get there

WORDS: JASON WEIGANDT
PHOTOS: ALIGN MEDIA

The numbers were crunched in every possible way—and they were impressive. This was the closest 450 Class championship ever going into the final round of the 2022 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. It was the best season ever for a rider ranked second in a championship. The final points margin tied for the second-closest ever, but the only closer year ran four fewer rounds.

The numbers are impressive, but this one went deeper—it was about the dig it took to get here. Many seasons begin with loaded fields of talented, determined contenders. But this season went where those didn’t, because Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac and Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton both refused to give in. They never stopped believing that this title should be theirs. That brought them to the final round nearly deadlocked in points, followed by a daylong battle in the Southern California heat. That was not a measure of the numbers. It was a testament to their character.