Daytona International Speedway is known for great racing. Each year when Monster Energy
Supercross takes over the infield, we know we’re in for a treat. I grew up going to Daytona and
got to witness some incredible moments. RC crashing into the fence in the whoops, TP199
backflipping the finish line, the mudder in ’08, are just a few of my core childhood memories.
This year was no different. Eli Tomac battled through his championship rivals to take his eighth
win at Daytona. In the 250 class, Seth Hammaker recovered from a hard crash in practice to
take the win on the night.
What more can be said about Eli Tomac at Daytona? After starting behind the top three title
contenders, he made quick work of the field to get to the front. I was interested to see how he
would feel on the KTM in a less traditional Supercross race, but that was no issue. Tomac was in
total control all night. While he is still one point back of the championship lead, he looks fresh
and ready to take this thing down the stretch. At Daytona, it almost feels like only the trophy
can stop him.
I was impressed by how close Hunter Lawrence was able to stay to Tomac. While Tomac
maintained a small gap, he never truly ran away. We continue to see Lawrence get caught up
early and struggle to move forward quickly. Although his starts have been better than Tomac’s,
that slight hesitation allows Tomac to work through the pack and close in. If Lawrence could get
out front early and control the pace, he might be able to build a gap that even Tomac couldn’t
chip away at. Still, a second-place finish behind Tomac at Daytona is nothing to hang your head
about. Lawrence leaves with the points lead and is setting himself up for a head-to-head battle
in the second half of the series.
As for the rest of the contenders, we’re starting to see real separation between Lawrence and
Tomac, and it may be time for others to hit the panic button. Cooper Webb has lost points to
the top two for two weeks in a row, and being 20 points down may be too big of a hole to climb
out of. We’re heading to venues that suit Webb’s style, but I don’t see Tomac or Lawrence
falling off the box. As for Roczen, he looks like the fourth-best guy right now. He was solid at
Daytona but just couldn’t latch onto the pace of the top two.
In the 250 class, Seth Hammaker’s win was one of the more impressive rides of the night. After
a hard crash in practice, it would’ve been easy to line up and just salvage points, but he did the
opposite. Hammaker rode smart and capitalized when it mattered without forcing the issue.
Cole Davies also stood out. I didn’t think Daytona would suit his style, but he adapted quickly,
and with a better start he may have been untouchable. Drew Adams was another bright spot
before a crash in the whoops ended his charge, hopefully he will heal up soon.
Daytona always feels like a turning point in the championship. Tomac left with another trophy
at a place that might as well have his name etched into the dirt. Lawrence left with the red
plate. The separation is starting to show, the title fight is tightening, and if this race was any
indication, the second half of this series is going to feel a lot like a heavyweight bout.
