Marvin Musquin leads Jason Anderson (21) and Blake Baggett
2018 Seattle Supercross Results and Coverage: Tomac Wins Mudfest
In an 11-lap Main Event in the rain and mud at CenturyLink Field, Eli Tomac rode to his sixth win of the season at the 2018 Seattle Supercross. 2018 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series leader Jason Anderson finished second, extending his lead over Marvin Musquin to 37 points with four races remaining. Musquin finished a distant third as riders struggled to complete the 12-minute Main. If you have any doubt about how bad the mud was, don’t miss the 450SX highlights video.
Yet again, Jason Anderson did what he had to do. Instead of playing it safe in the gruesome Seattle mud, Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) stuck with his fast-and-loose style. Although it looked risky, it served him well. While running in the lead at the midway point, Anderson bobbled—a huge problem on the muddy track. Tomac got by, but Anderson’s primary rival, Musquin, did not. That allowed Anderson to stretch his series lead to over nine-points-per-race with four races to go. As long as Anderson doesn’t have a major problem, the 2018 Monster Energy Supercross Championship is his and he should clinch it before the Las Vegas finale.
Considering how brutally muddy the track was, Eli Tomac’s sixth win of the season came relatively easily. Early on, it looked like Anderson was going to run away with it. However, Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki) stayed within striking distance after clearing off from Musquin. When Anderson faltered, Tomac breezed by and had a steady ride to the finish. Anderson closed up a bit when Tomac encountered lappers, but Tomac worked his way through and won by over nine seconds.
Like Anderson, Marvin Musquin kept himself in the game. Musquin (Red Bull KTM) has to realize that he won’t catch Anderson on the track with so few races remaining. Musquin just has to protect his second place in the standings so he will be ready to inherit the lead should something happen to Anderson. Musquin’s third place finish gives him a comfortable 31-point cushion over Tomac in the standings. In the Seattle mud, Musquin rode unspectacularly, even after handily winning his Heat, and the lack of aggression kept him from competing for the win.
Justin Brayton’s season hit a muddy speed bump. After four top-four finishes in a row, Brayton (Smartop/Bullfrog Spas/Honda) got off to a terrible start on a night where the start loomed even larger than usual. He started 17th, quickly dropped back to 20th, and was lapped on Lap 4. At the end, Brayton was a dismal 20th place and scored just three championship points on the night. That dropped him to fourth in the series standings.
Broc Tickle (4th), Tyler Bowers (6th), Chad Reed (7th), Cedric Soubeyras (13th), Austin Politelli (16th), and Henry Miller (18th) all had their best finishes of the year. Additionally, Collin Jurin, Josh Hill, and Nick Schmidt were in their first Main Events of 2018. Reed (CR22/Husqvarna) had a bit of heartbreak, as his clutch grenaded just a few feet from the finish line jump. Reed pushed the bike across the line, but not until after being passed by Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Factory Yamaha Racing) and Tyler Bowers (a fill-in rider on the Monster Energy Kawasaki team). Josh Hill, absent from Supercross since 2015, was filling in as a teammate for Webb and finished a strong sixth in his Heat. In the Main, Hill ran in fifth place on the first lap before going down and dropping to 17th place. From there, Hill dropped to 21st place at the finish.
Next week in Minneapolis will not be live on Fox Sports 1. The race in U.S. Bank Stadium will be cablecast at 10 p.m. EDT, a one-hour delay. As always, bookmark and consult our 2018 Monster Energy Supercross TV schedule.
