Eli Tomac of Cortez, pursuing his second 450 Supercross title, won the last of three 450cc races Saturday in St. Louis to finish third overall and widen his series lead over Jason Anderson.
Tomac entered the Dome at America’s Center with five consecutive wins, and seven this season. He started his race day with a commanding 54-point lead over runner-up Anderson, of Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
His third-place finish Saturday gave him a 56-point lead over Anderson in the series standings with four races to go. He has finished on the podium 10 times this season.
Marvin Musquin won the overall triple crown event in St. Louis with a second-place finish in the first race, a win in the second, and a second place in the third. Chase Sexton won the first race and placed third in the last two. Tomac was fourth in the first two races, then rallied to win the third.
Tomac got off to a fast start in the third of three Supercross races, winning the holeshot and picking up a quick 1.203-second lead over Musquin with the fastest lap of the race, 58.848 seconds, in Lap 2.
Anderson was in third place after one lap but gave way to Malcolm Stewart in Lap 4. Sexton, in fifth place after four laps, passed Justin Barcia for third place in Lap 5.
As the racers completed six laps, Tomac led Musquin by three seconds. Sexton was in third place, nearly six seconds off the pace, and Barcia and Stewart rounded out the top five.
Tomac slowed midway through the race but held off a brief charge by Musquin in the 12th of 15 laps to win by 6.845 seconds. Sexton was third, and Barcia and Anderson rounded out the top five.
Musquin passed holeshot winner Vince Friese for the lead in Lap 1 and held off an early threat from Anderson to lead all racers to the finish line. Anderson began to drop out of contention midway through the race and finished second, about 1.46 seconds ahead of Sexton. Stewart, starting in fifth place, crashed out of the race in Lap 2.
Tomac, finishing the first lap in eighth place, moved into sixth place in Lap 2 and into fifth in Lap 4. He passed Barcia for fourth place in Lap 6, about 6 seconds behind Sexton and 10 seconds off the lead. He went on to finish fourth, 20 seconds off the pace.
Sexton shot out to an early lead and won start to finish, with Musquin in tow for the 15-lap trip to the finish line. Stewart, in fourth place after one lap, overtook Friese for third place in Lap 2 and followed Musquin to the end.
Tomac, starting in sixth place after one lap, passed Barcia and Friese in the second lap to join the leaders’ run to the finish line in fourth. Barcia was fifth. Anderson started in eighth place but rallied to sixth.
Tomac was fourth-fastest during timed practice laps, finishing his best lap in 53.184 seconds. Stewart was fastest at 53.102 and was followed by Musquin and Anderson. Barcia was fifth.
The Monster Energy AMA Supercross championship series next goes to Atlanta Motor Speedway on April 16 for the 14th of 17 races in the series.
| 1. Eli Tomac | Cortez | 302 |
| 2. Jason Anderson | Rio Rancho, NM | 246 |
| 3. Justin Barcia | Greenville, Fla. | 240 |
| 4. Malcolm Stewart | Haines City, Fla. | 235 |
| 5. Marvin Musquin | Corona, Calif. | 232 |
