race recap
ELI TOMAC - GRIT 247 450SX
May 21, 2024 · Eli Tomac

GRIT-247 | 450 SX
May 20, 2024 9:45 am
From the moment, "Free" practice began on Saturday, Eli Tomac seemed to embody the momentum sustained in St.Louis and display it yet again for the crowd in Foxborough. With lap-times near the fifty-four second mark, he was one of the few to carve through the rutted bowl corners with true, eye-catching speed aboard his Yamaha chassis. He was in total control of where the motorcycle would travel, using every bit of suspension capacity (along with engine output) to strive for solid lap-times...and that notion was carried into the first heat race of the evening, where the Colorado native quickly leapt from the starting line. Working his way into a standing of first Instantaneously (with a brilliant reaction time), the path to the checkered flag was one that reflected desire, determination, and a will to win that couldn't be forged. Yearning to make a lasting impact on this 2024 championship season, Tomac defended the first-place position from that of Justin Cooper who attempted to rival him for a good bit of time...before the former champion (i.e. Tomac) proceeded to slowly move away. Blitzing the whoops with unbelievable speed, while also conducting an incredible triple-triple line before the finish-line double, Tomac was in complete control of this particular heat race as the checkered flag waved...exiting the raceway with a dominating performance, via first in the standings. For the final moto of the evening, the number three would battle amongst those at the top of the field to occupy (what appeared to be) a solid standing inside the top-ten at the green flag....though immediately in the corner thereafter, Tomac would slide out! Dragging the inner lever on the ground, he rebounded quickly (just outside of the top-ten), which was ironically right in front of Jett Lawrence! His willingness to plunge forward was commendable, and as he distanced his machine from the aforementioned Honda rider, he would simultaneously work his way into single digit territory. Pushing toward the halfway point, Tomac would surpass Hunter Lawrence, Shane McElrath, and Justin Hill...but the red-plate holder followed just behind him. However, with just under nine minutes on the clock, the move would be made - where Jett swept past him as they crested the wall jump, sending Tomac to sixth. Once there, he couldn't overcome the gap that was made by the competitors in front of him...steadily, they pulled. But he continued to leave it all on the racetrack, ultimately residing sixth as the final bell rang in Massachusetts.