Ryan Nitzen | March 19, 2022
The day’s top qualifiers went on to win the main events at the Indianapolis Supercross, round 11 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Yamaha) claimed his fourth consecutive and sixth win of the year in the 450SX class, while Jett Lawrence (Honda HRC) recorded his third win in a row and fourth in the championship in the 250SX East main event.
Tomac had his work cut out for him early on in what would be a 27-lap 450SX main event. The 2020 champ completed the first lap in fourth place with all three of his nearest rivals in the championship—Justin Barcia, Jason Anderson and Malcolm Stewart—just ahead of him. Tomac made quick work of Stewart, passing the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider on the second lap, and then he went to work on Anderson.
But Anderson’s attention was on Barcia and he eventually passed the TLD/Red Bull/GasGas rider, Barcia, on the 10th go-around, but a lap later, Barcia tried getting the lead back, putting a questionable block-pass on Anderson in a turn that left Anderson on the ground.
Anderson got up in seventh.
Barcia continued to lead, but Tomac quickly reeled him in.
Tomac stalked Barcia for the next nine laps before making his move, getting around Barcia cleanly and then pulling away for the win. Tomac had one scary moment in the whoops that allowed Barcia to close in, but the veteran Yamaha rider regrouped and held on to take the checkered flag 1.322 seconds ahead of Barcia.
Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin found a little extra something just past the halfway point after starting the race in fifth. Musquin caught Tomac at one point but couldn’t quite hang with Tomac’s pace and settled for third, approximately four seconds behind.
Chase Sexton (Honda) and Cooper Webb (KTM), who tangled together last week at Detroit, battled it out for fourth, with Sexton winning that duel by less than a second.
Anderson ended up sixth, followed by Dean Wilson (Husqvarna) and Stewart, who had a hard get-off late in the race while running fourth.
Vince Friese (Honda) and Yamaha rider Ryan Breece rounded out the top 10.
The 450SX-class results are still provisional while the AMA looks closer at the incident between Barcia and Anderson, but no matter what happens there, Tomac will stretch out his points lead. He came into the Indy race leading both Anderson and Stewart by 42 points.
250SX East Main
The 250SX East main event featured a duel for the win between the top two riders in the championship—Lawrence and McAdoo.
Lawrence, who had a hard crash during his heat earlier in the night (which he still won anyway) jumped out to the early lead with McAdoo right on his tail. The two quickly detached themselves from the rest of the field as they fought for the win. Lawrence couldn’t shake McAdoo, who eventually passed the Honda rider on lap five.
It appeared that McAdoo might pull away from Lawrence, but Lawrence studied McAdoo’s quicker lines and had better luck getting through lapped traffic than McAdoo and was able to get right back behind the Kawasaki rider.
Lawrence passed McAdoo on the 10th (of 21 laps) and slowly inched away from him, eventually taking the checkered flag 5.9 seconds ahead of McAdoo.
No one was even close to Lawrence and McAdoo. The next-best rider in third was RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), who was approximately 30 seconds back at the finish, which was well more than half a lap. (Lawrence lapped up to sixth place.)
Pierce Brown (GasGas), who bounced back after a nasty fall in his heat race, was fourth, while Mitch Oldenburg (Honda) was fifth.
Enzo Lopes (Yamaha) finished sixth, followed by Kyle Chisholm (Yamaha), Jordon Smith (Honda), Jace Owen (Yamaha) and Cullin Park (Honda).
Lawrence extended his points lead by three over McAdoo, 125-114. Brown is another 27 points back in third, just six points ahead of Hampshire.
2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship
(Round 11 of 17)
Indianapolis, Indiana
Lucas Oil Stadium
Results (March 19, 2022)
450SX Results (Top 10)
1. |
Eli Tomac |
(Yam) |
27 laps |
2. |
Justin Barcia |
(GG) |
01.322 |
3. |
Marvin Musquin |
(KTM) |
05.359 |
4. |
Chase Sexton |
(Hon) |
09.635 |
5. |
Cooper Webb |
(KTM) |
10.120 |
6. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
44.029 |
7. |
Dean Wilson |
(Hus) |
26 Laps |
8. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hus) |
24.737 |
9. |
Vince Friese |
(Hon) |
25 Laps |
10. |
Ryan Breece |
(Yam) |
14.818 |
250SX East (Top 10)
1. |
Jett Lawrence |
(Hon) |
21 Laps |
2. |
Cameron McAdoo |
(Kaw) |
05.945 |
3. |
RJ Hampshire |
(Hus) |
34.906 |
4. |
Pierce Brown |
(GG) |
35.304 |
5. |
Mitchell Oldenburg |
(Hon) |
38.915 |
6. |
Enzo Lopes |
(Yam) |
20 Laps |
7. |
Kyle Chisholm |
(Yam) |
08.938 |
8. |
Jordon Smith |
(Hon) |
22.937 |
9. |
Jace Owen |
(Yam) |
24.886 |
10. |
Cullin Park |
(Hon) |
26.302 |
INDIANAPOLIS QUALIFYING
Point leaders Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) and Jett Lawrence (Honda HRC) are the top qualifiers in their respective divisions at the Indianapolis Supercross, round 11 of the 2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, March 19. Tomac squeaked ahead of Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) to top the 450SX class, while Lawrence completed the afternoon qualifiers 2/10ths of a second ahead of championship rival Cameron McAdoo (Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki).
On a fan-designed and extremely technical and rutted track inside Indy’s Lucas Oil Stadium, many of the top 450SX riders battled back and forth for top honors in Q1 and Q2 with Tomac, who leads Anderson by 42 points in the championship, edging out Anderson by a 10thof a second, and right behind them finished Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Malcolm Stewart (who is also 42 points behind Tomac in the championship), Chase Sexton (Honda HRC) and Justin Barcia (TLD/Red Bull/GasGas). They were the only riders to crack the 43-second-a-lap bracket.
All but one of the 450SX stars who were involved in the much talked about incidences last week in Detroit are back in action at Indy, albeit a little worse for wear perhaps. Defending champion Cooper Webb is riding but nursing a broken finger on his left hand that he suffered in a collision with Sexton last week. He seems to have some discomfort while on the track but still qualified seventh, which is nothing unusual for him.
Anderson and Sexton are showing no signs of adversity from their Detroit crashes. Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha), however, is sitting this one out after jamming his wrist last week.
Justin Brayton was involved in an incident with Justin Bogle in Q1 and did not return, so he is out for the night.
Shane McElrath did not qualify for the evening show, as well.
In 250SX East qualifying, Lawrence is undoubtedly going into the evening’s program as the rider to beat. He’s the only 250SX rider to crack 43 seconds, but McAdoo, who is eight points behind Lawrence in the 250SX East Championship, is right there and appears to be the only rider so far seemingly able to challenge Lawrence as far as outright speed on the challenging track. Lawrence is aiming for his third consecutive win.
Pierce Brown (TLD/GasGas) is nearly a full second behind Lawrence in third, and he’s followed closely by RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) and Enzo Lopes (Yamaha), who rounds out the top five.
Stilez Robertson is a notable no-show. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Team rider injured his wrist while practicing during the week.
2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship
(Round 11 of 17)
Indianapolis, Indiana
Lucas Oil Stadium
Results (March 19, 2022)
450SX Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
1. |
Eli Tomac |
(Yam) |
43.041 |
2. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
43.124 |
3. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hus) |
43.331 |
4. |
Chase Sexton |
(Hon) |
43.459 |
5. |
Justin Barcia |
(GG) |
43.994 |
6. |
Dean Wilson |
(Hus) |
44.052 |
7. |
Cooper Webb |
(KTM) |
44.096 |
8. |
Marvin Musquin |
(KTM) |
44.300 |
9. |
Alex Martin |
(Yam) |
45.444 |
10. |
Vince Friese |
(Hon) |
45.699 |
250SX East Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
1. |
Jett Lawrence |
(Hon) |
43.826 |
2. |
Cameron McAdoo |
(Kaw) |
44.060 |
3. |
Pierce Brown |
(GG) |
44.616 |
4. |
RJ Hampshire |
(Hus) |
44.911 |
5. |
Enzo Lopes |
(Yam) |
45.065 |
6. |
Mitchell Oldenburg |
(Hon) |
45.181 |
7. |
Derek Drake |
(Suz) |
45.469 |
8. |
Jordon Smith |
(Smith) |
45.559 |
9. |
Josh Osby |
(Yam) |
45.714 |
10. |
Jace Owen |
(Yam) |
45.903 |