Foothill Ranch, CA (March 12, 2017) – Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac and his KX™450F earned another commanding win in
Daytona Beach, Florida with a 17.6 second margin of victory over the
competition. Tomac qualified for the 450SX Class Main
Event in style with a holeshot and win in Heat 2
while Josh Grant qualified with a third place finish in Semi 1. As the gate
fell for the Main Event, Tomac once again was first
to Turn 1 with another holeshot. Tomac
immediately settled in to second, pressuring the leader throughout the opening
laps and at the halfway mark made the pass for the lead and never looked back.
Grant meanwhile raced hard after a mid pack start,
making passes and reaching inside the top 10. Tomac
was first to the checkered flag earning his fifth victory of the year with
another dominant performance on what has become known as the most demanding
Monster Energy Supercross race of the year. In the final laps Grant raced his
way into eighth place before taking the checkers.
“I don’t’ think it’s a secret that I like Daytona,” said Tomac. “To take win number five of 2017 here is a great
thing. I felt confident in my riding all day, I came here to win and we did
exactly that. My KX™450F and my program are where I want them to be and I’m
ready for the next round.”
“Daytona is already such a great place to race,” said Grant.
“I’ve always had a good time at this track and today was no different. My start
in the main wasn’t what I wanted but I had the pace to move forward through the
pack. Daytona was good but it’s time to get back home, back to work and
continue to improve next weekend.”
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Adam Cianciarulo took top honors with a win at Daytona
International Speedway followed by teammate Joey Savatgy
in second place, making it a Kawasaki 1-2 in the 250SX Class Main Event. For Cianciarulo the win was special, coming just a few miles
from the house he grew up in. Savatgy qualified for
the 250SX Class Main Event with a third place in Heat 1 while Cianciarulo earned his ticket to the main with a fourth
place in the second heat. As the 250SX Class Main Event launched off the
starting gate it was the No. 17 KX™250F of Savatgy
powering through the soft Daytona dirt and earning the holeshot,
with teammate Cianciarulo closely behind in second
position. Cianciarulo wasted no time racing into the lead
and setting the pace at the front. Five laps into the race Cianciarulo
enjoyed a two second lead over teammate Savatgy in
second place. Cianciarulo and Savatgy
pushed the pace throughout the remaining laps and earned a hard fought first and second place respectively
“It’s honestly surreal,” said Cianciarulo.
“I grew up here; this is literally the first supercross race I ever watched and
this is where I fell in love with the sport. Everything that’s happened between
my last win and now, for this victory to come in front of my home crowd is
unbelievable! The last three years have been filled with thinking about this
moment-I want this so bad-the emotions are absolutely incredible.”
“I’m happy with a podium,” said Savatgy.
“We started off the Night Show on the wrong foot but I stayed confident in my
training and knew I could bounce back. I came out of the gate strong alongside
my teammate, but went a little wide in the first turn. I rode close to Adam
throughout the race waiting for my time to attack, but the opportunity wasn’t
there. I’m happy with the result and I’m looking forward to next weekend.”