| Foothill Ranch, Calif. (July 8, 2018) – While the boisterous RedBud crowd was out in full force with their powerful air horns and “USA!” chants, Kawasaki riders came to Round 7 of the 2018 AMA Pro Motocross Championship to battle for maximum points. Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac overcame misfortune to finish 15th overall and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki riders Austin Forkner, Joey Savatgy and Garrett Marchbanks all endured crashes en route to finishing seventh, 11th and 15th overall respectively.
After qualifying with the second fastest lap time (2:02.4), Tomac lined up for Moto 1 in front of the patriotic Michigan fans ready for a thrilling day of racing. As the gate dropped, Tomac came off the line in third position. He wasted no time working his way out front into clean air and quickly raced his KX into the lead. The race looked to be wrapped up with more than a 10 second lead with approximately two laps to go when Tomac was forced to pull off resulting in a DNF.
Moto 2 saw Tomac buried behind several riders in the first turn after an abysmal gate pick from the first moto DNF. Determined to fight his way to the front, the Kawasaki rider began passing his competition, working his way into the top 10. However, he made a minor error and was forced to make a stop in the mechanics area for a few adjustments, resulting in a loss of six additional positions. Upon returning to the track, Tomac continued to battle for position in order to capture as many series points as possible, ultimately finishing ninth for 15th overall on the day.
The defending champion and the rest of the Monster Energy team will take a week off as Round 8 of the 2018 AMA Pro Motocross Championship will pick up on July 21st in Millville, Minnesota for the Spring Creek National. |
