Eli Tomac of Cortez, closing in on the 2022 AMA Supercross title, started fast Saturday in Foxborough, Massachusetts, but faded to a seventh-place finish after losing an early battle with Jason Anderson.
Tomac entered Gillette Stadium with seven consecutive podium finishes, and left with his lowest finish since a sixth-place performance in Minneapolis on Feb. 19.
Fellow Southwesterner Jason Anderson of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, won the race. Chase Sexton was second, and Marvin Musquin was third.
After 15 of 17 races in the championship series, Tomac remains atop the standings with a 43-point lead over Anderson, 341 to 298. He could clinch the championship next week in his home state of Colorado.
After Tomac and Anderson, the race for the season podium gets tight. Barcia trails Anderson by 23 points but has a three-point lead over Stewart, 275 to 272. Musquin is a close fifth, with 266 points.
Defending champion Cooper Webb won the hole shot in the 450cc main event, with Tomac on his heels and Anderson, Sexton and Musquin in tow.
Tomac challenged Webb for the lead in Lap 3, attempting to take an inside line past the leader as Anderson threatened from third. As Anderson tried to squeeze by, Tomac bumped Webb’s rear tire and stalled his engine, allowing Anderson, Sexton and Musquin to pass. Tomac dropped to fifth place.
Anderson passed Webb for the lead in Lap 5. After seven laps, Webb had faded to fifth place, leaving Tomac in fourth.
Tomac yielded fourth place to Malcolm Stewart in Lap 10, and after losing a back-and-forth duel with Barcia, dropped to sixth place in Lap 21. He then gave way to Webb in Lap 23 and finished seventh.
Earlier Saturday, Tomac posted the fifth-fastest lap during timed qualifying rounds, at 50.844 seconds. Sexton led the top five, at 49.956 and was followed by Anderson, at 50.316. Stewart and Musquin were third and fourth, respectively.
Tomac finished second in his qualifying race, Heat 2, after a fast start and trailing Sexton for all eight laps to the finish line. Stewart was third, and Barcia and Vince Friese rounded out the top five.
Musquin won Heat 1 after overtaking Webb for the lead in Lap 1 and crossing the finish line with a 5.420-second margin over Anderson. Anderson overtook Webb in Lap 4 for second place, and Webb held off Justin Brayton for third. Brandon Hartranft was fifth.
On April 30, the Monster Energy AMA Supercross goes to Tomac’s home track at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. The season concludes May 7 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
