Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac and his KX™450F earned another commanding win in Daytona Beach, Florida with a 17.6 second margin of victory over the competition. Tomac qualified for the 450SX Class Main Event in with a holeshot and win in Heat 2 while Josh Grant qualified with a third place finish in Semi 1. As the gate fell for the Main Event, Tomac once again was first to Turn 1 with another holeshot. Tomac immediately settled in to second, pressuring the leader throughout the opening laps and at the halfway mark made the pass for the lead and never looked back. Grant meanwhile raced hard after a mid pack start, making passes and reaching inside the top 10. Tomac was first to the checkered flag earning his fifth victory of the year with another dominant performance on what has become known as the most demanding Monster Energy Supercross race of the year. In the final laps Grant raced his way into eighth place before taking the checkers.

“I don’t’ think it’s a secret that I like Daytona,” said Tomac. “To take win number five of 2017 here is a great thing. I felt confident in my riding all day, I came here to win and we did exactly that. My KX™450F and my program are where I want them to be and I’m ready for the next round.”

“Daytona is already such a great place to race,” said Grant. “I’ve always had a good time at this track and today was no different. My start in the main wasn’t what I wanted but I had the pace to move forward through the pack. Daytona was good but it’s time to get back home, back to work and continue to improve next weekend.”

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Adam Cianciarulo took top honors with a win at Daytona International Speedway followed by teammate Joey Savatgy in second place, making it a Kawasaki 1-2 in the 250SX Class Main Event. For Cianciarulo the win was special, coming just a few miles from the house he grew up in. Savatgy qualified for the 250SX Class Main Event with a third place in Heat 1 while Cianciarulo earned his ticket to the main with a fourth place in the second heat. As the 250SX Class Main Event launched off the starting gate it was the No. 17 KX™250F of Savatgy powering through the soft Daytona dirt and earning the holeshot, with teammate Cianciarulo closely behind in second position. Cianciarulo wasted no time racing into the lead and setting the pace at the front. Five laps into the race Cianciarulo enjoyed a two second lead over teammate Savatgy in second place. Cianciarulo and Savatgy pushed the pace throughout the remaining laps and earned a hard fought first and second place respectively.

“It’s honestly surreal,” said Cianciarulo. “I grew up here; this is literally the first supercross race I ever watched and this is where I fell in love with the sport. Everything that’s happened between my last win and now, for this victory to come in front of my home crowd is unbelievable! The last three years have been filled with thinking about this moment-I want this so bad-the emotions are absolutely incredible.”

“I’m happy with a podium,” said Savatgy. “We started off the Night Show on the wrong foot but I stayed confident in my training and knew I could bounce back. I came out of the gate strong alongside my teammate, but went a little wide in the first turn. I rode close to Adam throughout the race waiting for my time to attack, but the opportunity wasn’t there. I’m happy with the result and I’m looking forward to next weekend.”

Author

Dan Lamb is a 12+ year journalist and the owner of MotoXAddicts.