Second win of Supercross season for Tomac in Oakland
Victory of champion Ferrandis earns 250SX West red plate.
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac stood atop the podium for the second time in this 2020 Monster Energy Supercross season with a convincing performance at Oakland.
It was Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC) who led early, before Tomac made his move into the lead at halfway on the deteriorating circuit.
However, a mistake from Tomac soon afterwards enabled Roczen to retake the advantage. There was no stopping Tomac though, responding with two minutes left on the clock and going on to win by 3.557s.
The major talking point came on the final lap as a fast-finishing Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM) first passed Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki) for third, before striking on Roczen on the final lap at the final corner.
Contact made between the pair – Webb finishing second and Roczen third – appeared to cause Roczen pain in his right leg following the checkered flag. The latter still retains the red plate following five rounds.
Fourth came Cianciarulo despite riding with a bruised tailbone from his crash at Glendale, while Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) rounded out the top five. Sixth was an inspired ride from Justin Barcia, who went through via the LCQ due to an engine failure on his Monster Energy Yamaha in his heat.
It was a strong result for Dean Wilson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) in seventh, with heat two winner Justin Hill (Smartop Bullfrog Spas Motoconcepts Honda), Blake Baggett (Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM WPS) and Malcolm Stewart (Smartop Bullfrog Spas Motoconcepts Honda) in places eight to 10.
In the championship it’s still Roczen who holds the red plate, three points ahead of Tomac as Monster Energy Supercross travels to San Diego next Saturday, 8 February. Chad Reed sat out tonight’s round with an ongoing rib injury.
Defending 250SX West champion Dylan Ferrandis has taken over the points-lead with his second win of the year in Oakland.
The Monster Energy Star Yamaha rider stalked Austin Forkner (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) until making an aggressive move with five minutes remaining.
From there he extended a 2.336s advantage, while the podium was completed by Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Star Yamaha), who made a late move by early leader Alex Martin (JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki) for position.
Penrite Honda Racing teammates Luke Clout and Mitchell Oldenburg were fifth and sixth respectively, benefiting from a late mishap of Brendan Hartranft (TLD Red Bull KTM), who was fifth but dropped to eighth towards the end.
In seventh was Hartranft’s teammate Derek Drake, while another Australian in Aaron Tanti (Yamaha) took a season-best of ninth place. Martin Castelo (JMC Motorsports Racing Fly Husqvarna) finished 10th.
Disaster struck in-form Rockstar Energy Husqvarna contender Michael Mosiman, who crashed out at the halfway point and was ruled out with bike damage sustained in the multi-rider pile-up. Next of the Australians in the field was Jay Wilson (Yamaha) as he rode to P16.
The final 250SX West round prior to their mid-season break will be San Diego next Saturday night, with Ferrandis now two points ahead of Cooper and Forkner a further eight markers back.