On one of the most challenging Daytona Supercross tracks in recent memory, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac earned a hard-fought runner-up finish last night in front of a record crowd for the event in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Words and Images by Star Racing Yamaha
The Colorado rider enjoys an impressive legacy at the iconic Daytona International Speedway, with seven victories and three runner-up finishes in the last decade. Cooper Webb put in a championship ride at the eighth round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450SX Championship, battling his way to a fourth-place finish and maintaining the runner-up spot in the hotly contested title chase. Rookie Justin Cooper also had a good night, making his way to sixth on the deeply rutted track for his best result so far this season.
Rain that drenched the circuit on and off during the day made what has long been one of the more demanding tracks on the calendar even more challenging. The weather also resulted in one qualifying session, where Tomac qualified third. He then got a great start in his heat race and finished second. In the main event, the Colorado rider got another great start in the runner-up spot. He was shuffled to third on Lap 5 but kept charging on the deeply rutted track and made the pass for second with two laps to go. Tomac started to close the gap on the leader but ran out of time, crossing the line second to keep a 10-year run of finishing no worse than second at the iconic Daytona International Speedway. He also moved up to fourth in the championship rankings and is 16 points behind the leader.
Webb hit the ground running and was the fastest 450SX qualifier. Unfortunately, he didn’t get a good start in the heat race but charged back from near the back of the pack to fifth. The North Carolina rider got a better start in the main event and was seventh after the first lap. Once again, he put his head down and advanced to fourth despite the challenging conditions and salvaged points to maintain his position in the runner-up spot in the championship. As the series approaches the halfway mark, Webb sits 10 points from the top spot.
With just one session, Cooper qualified seventh. He got a great start in the heat race, led the first two laps, and went on to finish third. In the main event, he didn’t get the start he was hoping for and was ninth after the first lap. Cooper kept pushing to try and take a top-five finish but ultimately crossed the line sixth for his best result so far this season. The New Yorker also continued his climb up the championship standings and moved up to ninth.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team heads to Birmingham, Alabama, next weekend as the series makes its debut at Protective Stadium on March 9 for Round 9 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the SuperMotocross World Series.
Jeremy Coker – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team Manager
“It was a good day. The track was extremely tough. It was probably one of the toughest Daytona races we’ve ever had, and all the guys rode awesome. I think we lacked a little bit of fire in the opening laps for Cooper, but he started finding his flow and started clicking off the laps, so we’ve just got to be better in the beginning. For Eli, it was one rhythm lane that I think cost him the win. Justin also had a good night and came short of a top-five. So overall, it was a great night. Eli gained some points, and Cooper’s still second. I think we’ll rebound even better next week. We’ll keep fighting.”
Eli Tomac – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #3
“Tonight was a hard-fought second place. I was close to the front the entire race. What it really came down to was one jump and one rhythm section on the track. It was a big quad jump that I didn’t do in the first half, and that was where Jett (Lawrence) was making up a lot of time on us. I ended up catching on to that line, but it was a little too late. Overall, I’m happy I was able to get second place but bummed not to get the win. We’ll keep fighting and keep pushing on from here.”
Cooper Webb – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #2
“Daytona was a brutal day, for sure. The track was super gnarly with all the rain and all the ruts. Qualifying went great, and I got a pole position, my first one of the year, so that was awesome. Then it was a tough heat race. I struggled in that one and didn’t get off to a great start. In the main event, I got off to a mediocre start and lost touch with that front-pack. I made some good passes late in the race, especially the one on Kenny (Roczen), but I just didn’t ride too great at the beginning of the race and lost a lot of time. Overall, I’m happy with collecting the most points that I could and walking out of here ready for the rest of the year.”
Justin Cooper – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #32
“It was tough. The conditions were the main thing today. We got a lot of rain, so it was soft conditions and the track was deteriorating really badly, especially in the main event. People were taking the same lines inside, and the track got really chewed up, so it was pretty much survival out there.
“I got a really good start in the heat and was able to lead some laps, which was cool. In the main event, I got a good start and then got shuffled around a bit the first couple of turns. We followed Cooper through the pack, made a run for the top five, and almost got it. That would have been nice. I tried everything and threw everything at it but came up a little short. It was a really good day though, P6. We’ll take that. It was the best result of the year so far. I want to get in the top five and eventually get on the podium; that’s the main goal.”
