2017 Detroit Supercross Results and Coverage |
Dungey’s Lead Slashed
The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series visited Ford Field in Detroit for the 12th round of the 2017 season. The 46,324 fans in attendance witnessed Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac lay down blisteringly fast laps to earn his fourth consecutive Supercross Main Event win.
Tomac’s performance puts him only seven points behind Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey in the championship standings with five rounds remaining. Prior to the start of Tomac’s win-streak, he faced a 27-point deficit to Dungey.
The Main Event kicked off with Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin grabbing the SupercrossLive.com Holeshot. At the end of the first lap, it was Musquin leading with Tomac close behind and Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-WPS-KTM’s Davi Millsaps in third. Meanwhile, Dungey completed the first lap in seventh place after getting caught up in a first turn incident between Monster Energy/Yamalube/Factory Yamaha’s Chad Reed, RCH/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing’s Justin Bogle, and Honda/HRC’s Cole Seely.
Three laps into the race, Tomac made a calculated pass on Musquin and began to charge. Musquin did his best to fight back, but Tomac pulled away from the French rider as the laps clicked off.
While Tomac was extending his lead out front, Dungey was working his way through the pack and moved into fifth on Lap 3, after passing fastest qualifier Broc Tickle (RCH/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing) and a downed Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy/Husqvarna Factory Racing). Tickle eventually dropped to seventh place at the finish behind Anderson.
Tickle briefly repassed Dungey, but Dungey finally secured fifth place on Lap 5. Dungy passed Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Josh Grant for fourth on Lap 8 and set his sights on Millsaps who was three seconds ahead. After catching Millsaps, Dungey hounded him and did manage a short-lived pass. It wasn’t until Lap 21 (of 24) that Millsaps made a rhythm-section error, which Dungey turned into a podium-securing pass.
Tomac crossed the finish line a commanding 8.4 seconds ahead of Musquin, who was just two seconds ahead of his teammate Dungey who was unable to get close enough for a challenge.
“I’m putting myself in a good position in the Main Event. I didn’t do that in the heat race, but got my act together for the main and was able to capitalize,” Tomac said. “I felt very fortunate for having that ninth gate pick. I just felt good and comfortable. This is what we wanted tonight on this sketchy surface and I was able to attack it. It was another really good night of racing.”
Musquin’s lonely ride in second place broke his tie for third with Seely in the standings. Seely’s 10th place finish—Seely’s worst of the year—drops him 11 points behind Musquin in the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross Series, though still a comfortable 26 points ahead of fifth place Anderson.
“Today was a really tough day,” Musquin said. “Honestly, I don’t really like this track in Detroit. It was so hard and slick—not my favorite conditions. It was a good thing I pulled the holeshot; that really saved my Main Event. I was not the fastest today, Tomac pulled away and I was able to keep second place, but it doesn’t feel like a second place tonight. It was a long Main, but we still made it happen. Once again, Red Bull KTM has two bikes on the podium, but it’s not the center so it’s a little frustrating. But, we’ll keep pushing to make it happen.”
After being part of the first turn mayhem, Dungey admitted his frustration. “I think the hardest thing is where we’ve been during the first lap over the past few races,” he said. “I can’t do anything back there. Eli is out front, and I’m not able to do anything. But we did charge hard for third. We have to put ourselves in a better position at the start, but we’ll work through it. We need to start turning it up here over the next few races.”
Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-WPS-KTM’s Blake Baggett was also a victim of the first corner, and was in ninth after the first lap. He eventually took fourth, just two seconds behind Dungey. Baggett passed teammate Millsaps, who had run in a podium position for most of the race, on the final lap. Millsaps’ fifth tied his best finish of the year. Baggett is just three points behind Millsaps, who sits in sixth place in the Monster Energy Supercross standings.
Monster Energy/Yamalube/Factory Yamaha’s Cooper Webb returned to racing after an injury, and finished 13th. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Josh Grant ran in the top five for the first half of the race, but eventually faded to eighth, just ahead of Rockstar Energy/Husqvarna Factory Racing Dean Wilson. After his first corner crash, Reed was lapped by Tomac on Lap 5, and then crashed out over a berm on Lap 9.
Photography by Simon Cudby, et al
Monster Energy AMA Supercross Results – Round 12 – Ford Field, Detroit
- Eli Tomac – Kawasaki KX450F
- Marvin Musquin – KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition
- Ryan Dungey – KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition
- Blake Baggett – KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition
- Davi Millsaps – KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition
- Jason Anderson – Husqvarna FC 450
- Broc Tickle – Suzuki RM-Z450
- Josh Grant – Kawasaki KX450F
- Dean Wilson – Husqvarna FC 450
- Cole Seely – Honda CRF450R
- Trey Canard – KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition
- Justin Barcia – Suzuki RM-Z450
- Cooper Webb – Yamaha YZ450F
- Justin Brayton – Honda CRF450R
- Malcolm Stewart – Suzuki RM-Z450
- Vince Friese – Honda CRF450R
- Jake Weimer – Suzuki RM-Z450
- Justin Bogle – Suzuki RM-Z450
- Kyle Chisholm – Honda CRF450R
- Mike Alessi – Honda CRF450R
- Nick Schmidt – Suzuki RM-Z450
- Chad Reed – Yamaha YZ450F
2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series Standings (after 12 of 17 rounds)
- Ryan Dungey, 254 points (2 wins)
- Eli Tomac, 247 (7 wins)
- Marvin Musquin, 207 (1 win)
- Cole Seely, 196
- Jason Anderson, 152
- Davi Millsaps, 152
- Blake Baggett, 149
- Chad Reed, 131
- Broc Tickle, 130
- Dean Wilson, 127
- Josh Grant, 109
- Justin Brayton, 95
- Cooper Webb, 79
- Jake Weimer, 75
- Vince Friese, 66
- Malcolm Stewart, 61
- Mike Alessi, 59
- Justin Bogle, 55
- Ken Roczen, 51 (2 wins)
- Trey Canard, 51
- Justin Barcia, 51
