MOTOCROSS
LUCAS OIL AMA PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS
ROUND 12 / AUGUST 26, 2017
CRAWFORDSVILLE, INDIANA / IRONMAN MX
P52
BY STEVE COX
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB KOY
W
e've seen this
scenario play out
dozens of times
over the years: Racers with no
championship pressure come
in and play spoiler, and racers
who have already clinched
their titles all of a sudden let
loose and dominate. There's
something to being able to
race unimpeded by worries
about the "big picture." It's
ultimately what most racers
grow up accustomed to do-
ing, but in the pro ranks, with
championships of more than a
dozen races, it can be irre-
sponsible to race as if there's
nothing on the line but that
particular checkered flag.
But let there be no confu-
sion; although Monster En-
ergy Kawasaki's Eli Tomac did
what he had to do to clinch
his first 450MX title, Red Bull
KTM GP star Jeffrey Herlings
was on another level at the
AMA finale. And he knew it.
Those without championship pressures
dominate the AMA finale, but Eli Tomac
takes his first 450MX title
NO
PRESSURE