MOTOCROSS
LUCAS OIL/AMA PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS
ROUND 12 / AUGUST 25, 2018
IRONMAN RACEWAY / CRAWFORDSVILLE, INDIANA
P48
BY STEVE COX
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB KOY
B
elieve it or not, it's been since 2006 that some-
one has successfully defended an AMA 450MX
National Motocross Championship. That some-
one was Ricky Carmichael, and that was his final year
racing full-time.
Since 2006, the championship has gone to: Grant
Langston, James Stewart, Chad Reed, Ryan Dungey,
Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Dungey, Ryan Villopoto, Ken Roc-
zen, Ryan Dungey, Ken Roczen, Eli Tomac, and—now—
Eli Tomac. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider is the
first racer to repeat in 12 years. So, history has shown
that this is no small feat.
Tomac got it done with his outright speed and late-
race heroics that must have demoralized his competition.
But at the Ironman MX National, for the second year in
a row, he played it safe, finishing a strong second-place
in the first and muddiest moto of the day. In the second
moto, Tomac just needed to score a single point to se-
cure the title, even if Marvin Musquin won the moto. So,
after a bad start (caused by Musquin predictably cutting
over on him off the start and in the mud), when Tomac
It was a dirty way to finish out the
season, but Eli Tomac repeats as 450MX
National Motocross Champion
Strong
Defense
Eli Tomac celebrates
a hard-fought 450MX
Championship.
