Steve Cox | February 11, 2017
2017 Arlington 450cc Supercross Results:
A couple of guys have been playing some pretty hot hands over the last few rounds of the Monster Energy/AMA Supercross Series. First, there’s Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac, who has absolutely dominated the last two main events in the series, moving to within 17 points of points leader and defending champ Ryan Dungey.
2017 Arlington 450cc Supercross Results
The other guy holding a hot hand over the last couple of races was Monster Energy/Yamalube/Chaparral Yamaha’s Cooper Webb, who has been steadily improving on his way to his first podium finish of his career a week earlier in Oakland. Webb was fast all day, and then he grabbed the holeshot in the main event, but the race was quickly red-flagged when Motoconcepts Honda’s Justin Brayton went down in the first turn right in front of RCH Suzuki’s Justin Bogle, who promptly ran over Brayton’s head and knocked him unconscious. Brayton was okay.
On the restart, Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin got the holeshot in front of Bogle, Webb, Musquin’s teammate Trey Canard (in his first race back since injuring his shoulder in practice at round one), and Honda’s Cole Seely. Canard settle into fifth early, while Webb jumped his way by Bogle and into second. Webb was keeping the pressure on Musquin out front when he pulled off the track with a flat rear tire. (Webb’s teammate Chad Reed also pulled off with some sort of a technical problem a little later on.)
2017 Arlington 450cc Supercross Results
Joining Webb as well in the mechanic’s area was Tomac, who had just passed his way into third place and was gaining on Seely in second when he lost the front end due to a front-brake malfunction of some sort that presented itself as a bent front-brake rotor. His team cut his brake line to help him finish, but with no front brake.
2017 Arlington 450cc Supercross Results
In the end, Musquin took his first-ever 450cc main-event victory in front of Seely, and then Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Jason Anderson just holding off defending champ Dungey at the finish. Anderson’s new teammate Dean Wilson scored a career-high fifth place, in front of RCH Suzuki’s Broc Tickle, JGR Suzuki’s Jake Weimer, and then Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM’s Davi Millsaps.
But the big news is in the championship chase, where Tomac – who was within striking distance of Dungey in the points chase – ended up losing a grip of points after finishing 15th, one position behind Webb in 14th. Dungey now leads teammate Musquin by 18 points, and has 29 points on Tomac, who now sits fourth in points. (Cole Seely is third, 22 points behind Dungey.) Even with 11 races still to run, a 29-point deficit is a tall order.
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