Eli Tomac reclaims points lead after fifth-place finish in Detroit

Though Eli Tomac placed outside the podium in Detroit, his fifth place finish was enough to allow him to reclaim the overall points lead by four points. (Photo Courtesy of Red Bull KTM)

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Though Eli Tomac placed outside the podium in Detroit, his fifth place finish was enough to allow him to reclaim the overall points lead by four points. (Photo Courtesy of Red Bull KTM)

On a rocky day of racing at Ford Field in Detroit, Cortez native Eli Tomac’s fifth-place finish in the 450SX main event was enough to put him back in the overall points lead. He now leads by four points over second-place rider Hunter Lawrence.

Heading into the weekend, Lawrence led Tomac by nine points. The “exceptionally challenging racetrack” with the “most treacherous and demanding whoop section of the season,” as described by Racer X, ended up changing the tide of the points standings.

In the main event, Tomac’s teammate Jorge Prado claimed the holeshot, followed by Ken Roczen and Chase Sexton. Lawrence did not get a good start but moved quickly through the pack to pass Prado, who had been overtaken by Roczen and Sexton, for third.

Tomac finished the first lap in eighth place, later saying he felt like he was fighting a “midseason slump.”

Not long later, Prado and Cooper Webb crashed while riding side by side through a corner, and Lawrence crashed in the whoops while chasing Sexton. Lawrence and Christian Craig also crashed before the race’s end.

Roczen won with an “unreal ride,” followed by Sexton in second and Malcolm Stewart in third. The win marked Roczen’s 25th victory in the 450 class. Tomac placed fifth, and Lawrence finished 18th.

With the dramatic change in points, four racers – Tomac, Lawrence, Roczen and Webb – find themselves in contention for the championship title.

“I knew I was going to take advantage of (Lawrence’s crash) once I saw that he was a lap down, but overall it was a bit of a frustrating day here,” Tomac told KTM after the race.

“I have actually struggled here with my last couple of rides, so I don’t know what it is – I just haven't had the best success at Detroit lately and maybe I’ve been in a bit of a mid-season slump,” Tomac said. “So, we’ll do what we can to get better and improve, and try to get back to winning some races and getting closer to the front.”

In Heat 1, Craig took the holeshot but finished outside the top three. Sexton won, followed by Roczen and Tomac. The second heat saw a holeshot from Lawrence, who also won the race. Webb and Justin Cooper finished second and third, respectively.

Round 12 will take place Saturday, April 4, in St. Louis.