With the whole HRC crew involved, Tomac’s win was a big one for Honda. Photo by: Hoppenworld
When looking at the 450SX field for the 2015 Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship series, it’s apparent that the changing of the guard is the theme of the ’15 season. The four-time defending Supercross Champion, Monster/Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, announced his retirement from Monster Energy Supercross at Anaheim 1, and with the two-time 450SX Champion Yoshimura/Suzuki’s James Stewart sitting out for a sixteen-month suspension, that leaves just two former 450SX Champions in the field—Discount Tire/Two-Two Motorsports/Kawasaki’s Chad Reed and Red Bull/KTM’s Ryan Dungey—to fend off a slew of young up-and-comers. With young assassins like RCH/Suzuki’s Ken Roczen, JGRMX/Yamaha’s Justin Barcia, Factory Honda’s Trey Canard and GEICO/Honda’s Eli Tomac on the line, it’s going to be a tall task to try and stop the guard from changing hands.
After two rounds of the series, two of those young riders have separated themselves as the prime candidates for who’s next in line: Roczen and Tomac. At the first round in Anaheim, it was the Roczen getting the start and running away from the field for the first win of the year. Yes, the German won round one in 2014 as well, but what he did at the 2015 Anaheim 1 SX was a completely different animal. Last year, there were a myriad of circumstances that helped the #94 on his way to the checkered flag. This year, though, it was pure speed.
If round one didn’t convince you that we were starting a new chapter in Monster Energy Supercross, round two had to leave you with no doubt. Unlike week one where mistakes left Tomac with a 20th place main event finish, in Phoenix the sophomore class of Tomac and Roczen dominated every aspect of the event. Tomac and Roczen were first and second fastest in day qualifying and first and second in the main event with the two fastest times on the night. It was Eli Tomac’s first-ever win and more than likely the first of what is the beginning of a hall of fame career for the former 250SX Regional Champion and 250MX National Champion. While the 2010 450SX Champ—Ryan Dungey—finished third, at no point were Tomac and Roczen ever challenged.
After Eli’s first ever win, we caught up with him in the pits to ask him a couple questions. You can hear what the Colorado kid had to say in his “Race Rewind” interview.
2015 Phoenix Supercross, your first win, got the big monkey off your back?
Yeah, that’s exactly what it was. I mean, it was just a blast really. It wasn’t like I rode around in first the whole time. I had an awesome battle with Roczen and probably the most fun I’ve ever had riding my dirt bike. I took the lead around lap ten or so, made a little push, got out front around lap ten and kind of set it on cruise control. You know, after that battle, I was a little bit gassed, but I had enough in the tank to pull it off.
The crowd was going crazy during the battle. Did you hear them and feed off that at all?
I’m sure, they were going wild. It was just fun, because we can race each other clean and not trying to saw each other’s front wheels off. It was a blast!
As soon as you got up to Roczen and went on the offensive, you were using that section before the finish line every lap to get alongside of him. Was that line something you had in your back pocket for a good place to pass?
Yeah, that was one spot where I was good in practice. I found it in the last practice and I was able to triple in, wheelie the dragon’s back and carry that momentum over the finish line jump.
You got 19th or 20th last week…
Yeah, it was 20th or basically last at one point. It was terrible. (laughs)
(laughs) So now, after your first-ever win, you have to be feeling way better heading round three in Anaheim.
I’ve been feeling great the whole time. It was just the way that Anaheim went with those crashes. It was just a bummer.
You’ve got a lot of points to make up, but you look far from thinking you’re out of this Championship.
No, anything is possible. Obviously what happened to me can happen to anyone. There’s some pressure on my shoulders for sure.
Alright, congratulations again on the win, and thanks for talking with us.
Thank you.
