Eli Tomac’s Glendale Performance Disrupted by Early Crash, Championship Lead Lost
In a dramatic turn of events at the fifth round of the Supercross Championship in Glendale, series points leader Eli Tomac faced a challenging night, marred by a first-turn crash during the Main Event. Despite initially appearing injured, Tomac managed to recover and ultimately finished 12th after starting in 22nd. His performance, although impressive given the circumstances, resulted in the loss of his championship lead to Hunter Lawrence of Honda HRC Progressive.
Following the race, Tomac reflected on the incident: “I put myself in a position where bad things can happen. I got a little pinched at the start and then got taken out… It took me a little while to get warmed up again… The good thing is, we’re not too far down – we’re fine – so we’ll just have to do some digging now,” he stated in a KTM press release.
Red Bull KTM Team Manager Ian Harrison offered insights into the mishap, noting, “We’re not quite sure if Christian [Craig] touched the back of Hunter Lawrence’s tire… Christian definitely hit Eli, and Eli was sandwiched in there and went down.” Harrison acknowledged that after taking a hit, it can take a moment for riders to assess their condition: “When you take a hit… It takes a moment to get your whereabouts.”
He also addressed concerns about Tomac’s bike performance following the crash, affirming, “It always is a little bit [damaged], but he adapts really well.”
Despite the setback, Harrison remains optimistic about Tomac’s outlook: “Of course he’s bummed… but he came in, and we debriefed, and he’s a true professional.” As the series progresses, Tomac will look to reclaim the championship lead in the upcoming rounds.
