Eli Tomac closed out the 250 championship with another overall victory. Photography by Kit Palmer
GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac put the finishing touches on the 2013 Lucas Oil AMA Pro 250 Motocross Championship with another overall victory. Tomac, who clinched the 250 title last week in Utah, went 2-2 on the day but was awarded the second-moto win after Blake Baggett, who took the checkered flag in first place, was docked a position for jumping on a red-cross flag. As a result, Tomac officially went 2-1 on the day, but his 2-2 would have still given him the overall win, as well.
A bad start prevented Tomac from catching Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen in the first moto. By the time Tomac reached second place, Roczen was long gone. But Tomac did chew into Roczen’s lead a little bit but had no real chance of catching the former MX2 World Champion and settled for second.
Tomac again found himself coming from behind in the second moto, this time he had the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider, Baggett, ahead of him. Like Roczen in the first moto, Baggett quickly built up a sizeable lead and was able to hold Tomac off with room to spare, but he was later penalized the position. Baggett said that he just didn’t see the flag because of a fallen rider and jumped when he was to supposed to have kept both wheels on the ground.
Baggett was awarded second in the moto, but a first-moto crash that took him out of the race put him ninth overall.
Roczen, who tangled with Zach Osborne on the first lap of the second moto, finished seventh, but it was still good enough to give him second overall.
MyPlash/Metal Mulisha/Star Yamaha’s Cooper Webb finished out the year on the podium with third overall. The rookie made good use of good starts and rode strong and consistent all day, finishing with a 4-3.
Webb’s teammate, Jeremy Martin, also had an impressive day with a 3-5, giving him fourth overall.
Osborne rounded out the top five with a 5-4, nipping his teammate Wil Hahn, who went 6-6 for sixth.
Marvin Musquin struggled with crashes and went 9-10 for seventh overall, finishing ahead of Justin Bogle, Blake Baggett and Martin Davalos.
After crashing and taking 14th in the first moto, Adam Cianciarulo did not start the second moto with an injured elbow.
Tomac finished out the season with 552 points, followed by Roczen with 493. Musquin ended up third in the championship, followed by Baggett, Osborne, Martin, Justin Bogle, Jason Anderson, Webb and Kyle Cunningham.
RESULTS 250
Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park
Lake Elsinore, California
August 24, 2013 (Round 12 of 12)
1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda (2-1)
2. Ken Roczen, Apolda, Germany, KTM (1-7)
3. Cooper Webb, Morehead City, N.C., Yamaha (4-3)
4. Jeremy Martin, Millville, Minn., Yamaha (3-5)
5. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Honda (5-4)
6. Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda (6-6)
7. Marvin Musquin, La Reole, France, KTM (9-10)
8. Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., Honda (8-11)
9. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., Kawasaki (33-2)
10. Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Kawasaki (11-9)
11. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Kawasaki (13-8)
12. Cole Seely, Newbury Park, Calif., Honda (10-12)
13. Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda (12-14)
14. Darryn Durham, Butler, Pa., Kawasaki (15-13)
15. Kyle Cunningham, Aledo, Texas, Yamaha (7-35)
16. Matt Bisceglia, Tualatin, Ore., Honda (16-15)
17. Shane McElrath, Canton, N.C., Honda (18-17)
18. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki (14-40)
19. Ryan Zimmer, Raleigh, N.C., Honda (20-16)
20. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki (17-32)
