9/13/2016
Tomac Sweeps MXGP US Rounds
- Eli Tomac won both motos by over 15 seconds
- Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Arnaud Tonus made his debut on the KX™450F
Foothill Ranch, CA (September 12, 2016) – Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac arrived at Glen Helen Raceway ready to pick up right where he left off and sweep both United States rounds of the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championships. Tomac didn’t disappoint as he went 1-1 for his second straight MXGP overall win.
At the gate drop of Moto 1 on Sunday afternoon, Tomac rounded the first turn in 12th. Before they had reached the green flag on Lap 1, he was in eighth place. Tomac was creating new lines around the track, whipping the bike in spectacular fashion and passing riders like they were standing still. By the end of Lap 5, he was in second place and applying pressure for the lead. With 12-minutes remaining in the moto Tomac launched his way into the lead on his Monster Energy Kawasaki and disappeared into the distance, winning Moto 1 by over 15 seconds. At the start of the final race of the year for the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship, Tomac came across the line in 13th at the end of Lap 1. The green No. 3 machine quickly began making his way through the competition. Incredibly, by the end of Lap 5, he had positioned himself in third and after diminishing a nine second gap, Tomac moved passed the World Champion for second place. Shortly after, Tomac took over the lead and never looked back, winning the second moto by a margin of 16 seconds. Going 1-1 for first overall.
“I had a lot of fun these past two weeks racing the GP’s,” said Tomac. “I didn’t quite make it easy for myself today with my poor starts, but luckily we were on a wide track like Glen Helen, where even if you do get a bad start you can still find lines to pass. Overall, both my motorcycle and I felt comfortable all weekend and I was able to ride to my full potential for a full 30 minutes. I really enjoyed racing these last two GP events and I look forward to racing more in the future.”
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki entered Glen Helen with a fresh set of riders, including Chris Alldredge, third place finisher from the Charlotte Motor Speedway MXGP round Austin Forkner and Swiss rider, Arnaud Tonus making his debut on the KX™450F. As the gate dropped on MX2 Moto 1, Forkner sat third before being pushed to fourth before the end on Lap 1. The top four separated themselves from the rest of the competition quickly, setting a pace only a few MXGP class riders were racing at. By the halfway point, Forkner made the pass for third where he’d stay for the remainder of the race, while Alldredge finished an impressive eighth place.
Forkner started the second moto inside the Top-5 again before crashing on the opening lap. After remounting his KX™250F, Forkner was 30 seconds down from the leader in 17th. The rookie began riding up through the field, passing rider after rider and before long was in 10th. Unfortunately, with under five-minutes remaining in the moto Forkner would crash again forcing him to retire from the race. Alldredge finished 11th after an early moto crash.
Making his 450 class debut, teammate Tonus rode impressive all day in the sweltering heat to finish 13-7 for ninth overall.
“Today went well for me,” said Tonus. “I wasn’t quite sure how I’d do on the KX450, but after the qualifying race on Saturday, I felt very confident in my speed. I got two really good starts today and I felt I rode really well for the entire moto. I gave it everything I had today and I am happy with ninth overall. It was a lot of fun lining up alongside all of my old friends and competitors from Europe. Hopefully we can carry this momentum into 2017.”
“Not quite the way I wanted to end my season,” said Forkner. “I rode really well in my qualifier and managed to get another good start in Moto 1 where I finished on the box. I pushed it too hard in the last moto and ended up on the ground twice. I wish I could have ended my first year on a better note, but overall this season has been amazing and I’ve had a blast racing these last two MXGP’s against the World Champion.”
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