Anaheim 2
Eli Tomac, the young outdoor motocross sensation, is having fun and taking names in his inaugural AMA Supercross Lites effort aboard his 2011 Honda CRF 250 F.
Tomac, a Supercross Lites West rookie riding for the Geico Insurance Honda Team, finished second on Saturday night in his return to Angel Stadium to claim a third consecutive podium.
The Lites West riders give way to the Lites East pros next week in Houston, but Tomac is on such a roll he doesn’t want to take a break.
Eli Tomac (2011 Honda CRF 250 F) says: "We’ve got the week off, but I got on the podium," he said. "I don’t have to dwell on anything too bad. I’ll be ready to go for San Diego."
Tomac staged a pitched battle with race winner Josh Hansen (2011 Kawasaki KX 250 F) that electrified the sold-out crowd of Southern Californians. Each time Tomac’s Geico Honda got within range of Hansen, the noise around the stadium doubled.
"I block-passed him and he block-passed me," explains Tomac about his exchange with intense Hansen. "It was just good racing. I could hear everyone whooping and hollering. It was probably one of the best races of my life."
With each lap Tomac makes in the West Supercross Lites series, he gains more confidence.
"I’m starting to feel more comfortable with the tracks," Tomac comments. "You’ve got to be smooth, but aggressive at the same time because everyone can make the same jumps. You’ve got to make up time in the corners."
Tomac finished second at Dodger Stadium and third in Oakland for his previous two podium finishes. He’s now in third place in the series points, 22 behind Hansen and 14 in back of second-place rider Broc Tickle (2011 Kawasaki KX 250 F).
GEICO Honda’s other SX Lites West rider, Jimmy DeCotis, collected another 10th place finish. The rookie rider was in a little pain following the race after jamming his ankle during the Lites Main.
Jimmy DeCotis (2011 Honda CRF 250 F) says: "I’ve been working real hard and trying to do too much, I think. I just get a little frustrated. I’m going to take a few days off, let my ankle heal. I know I can do this, I just need to put my head down."
SPEED TV will broadcast the Supercross Lites class at 5:00 p.m. EST followed by the Supercross class at 6:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 6.