Steve Cox | January 29, 2017
2017 Phoenix 450 Supercross Results – Arm-pump can be enough to derail the efforts of any supercross racer, no matter how good they are. For the first three rounds of the 2017 Monster Energy/AMA Supercross Series, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac has been uncharacteristically floundering late in the main events, losing positions in the closing laps. Known as one of the most fit racers in the series, it was understood that he was suffering from arm-pump, but the reason for it wasn’t.
2017 Phoenix 450 Supercross Results
This past week between round three in Anaheim and this weekend’s race in Phoenix, Tomac and his team did some testing and, according to Tomac, found a better balance. The result? Instead of eighth place like he finished at Anaheim II, Tomac got the holeshot in the main event and just took off. Tomac set a blistering pace in the opening few laps that saw him hold a full-rhythm-straightaway lead after only three laps.
Way behind him, Motoconcepts Honda’s Justin Brayton was fighting to hold off Honda’s Cole Seely while defending champion Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM) fought his way forward from the tail end of the top five. After Dungey and Seely both pushed Brayton back to fourth, Monster Energy/Yamalube/Chapparal Yamaha’s Chad Reed soon pushed Brayton back to fifth, then began reeling in the battle between Seely and Dungey.
While Seely and Dungey repeatedly attempted to pass one another, it gave Reed all the time and room he needed to dispatch of them both.
At the finish, Tomac took his first win of the year, cruising it in with 11 seconds to spare over Reed in second, then Dungey in third, Seely in fourth, and Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM’s Davi Millsaps in fifth. Then came Brayton, fast qualifier Blake Baggett, and Reed’s teammate Cooper Webb, who started outside the top 10 and then spent much of the main event going back and forth with Dungey’s teammate Marvin Musquin, eventually getting the better of the Frenchman at the finish.
“The only thing I can say is I’ve been in a funk lately. It’s been a bummer, and it’s been tough mentally, too,” said Tomac. “All I can say now is I feel like I’m back. I was able just to ride [tonight]. The past three weeks it wasn’t me, and it was pretty scary at one point, but we’re here [on top of the podium].”
After four rounds, and 13 rounds left to run, Dungey leads the points by 15 over his teammate Musquin, and Tomac is only five points farther back in third, tied with Seely. Millsaps is fifth in points.
2017 Phoenix 450 Supercross Results
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