For the fifth consecutive year and seventh time overall, the Monster Energy Supercross results from Daytona featured Eli Tomac as the winner.
After the race, Tomac commented that the dirt used for this track is similar to his home state of Colorado and that has given him his advantage. Of course, Tomac also had to master two different types of sand, a deteriorating wall jump and a tunnel obstacle that has given him trouble on at least two occasions earlier this season.
The tone for the race was set in the first turn as Tomac and Cooper Webb battled for the lead. Tomac earned the holeshot by mere inches, but it was Webb that grabbed the early lead with Tomac in hot pursuit.
RESULTS: Click here for full 450 Overall Results; Click here for 250 Overall Results
At the one-third mark, Tomac took advantage of a minor mistake by Webb to grab the lead, but the pair of riders circled the track within two seconds of one another from start to finish. In the end, the box score showed Tomac was 1.8 seconds ahead of Webb as he earned his fifth consecutive Daytona Supercross win and his seventh in eight attempts.
Tomac gained three points on Webb and now leads by five. His advantage over Chase Sexton increased to 10.
Sexton had to withstand a spirited challenge from Justin Barcia for most of the race. At the halfway point, Barcia’s attempt to ride alongside Sexton ended with the No. 51 getting pushed off course. The crowd gasped, knowing the move would not be forgiven. When Barcia got to Sexton’s back tire, he would not hesitate to make his elbows wide.
Click here for 450 Heat 1 | Heat 2 | Last Chance Qualifier | Lap Chart
Barcia did not get the chance, and it was a mistake by Sexton that actually helped him hold onto the final podium spot. When Sexton bogged down in a tight turn, Barcia was too close to swerve around. The stalled momentum relegated Barcia to fourth.
Jason Anderson rounded out the top five for the third straight week and the fifth time in the last six rounds.
Click here for 450 Overall results | Rider Points | Manufacturer Points
Hunter Lawrence may have had a bit of a chip on his shoulder this week after what, for him at least, was a modest showing in Arlington, Texas. In that race, he was pinched in Turn 1 of Lap 1 in the final race and crashed heavily, which cost him the overall win. That kept him from a third straight win to start the 250 East season.
Lawrence would not be denied in Daytona. After Nate Thrasher snatched the early lead from holeshot winner Max Anstie, Lawrence stalked last week’s Texas winner and put Thrasher on the ground. Lawrence went on to lead all 13 laps of the race and join his brother Jett Lawrence as the only brothers to win this prestigious race.
Both Lawrence brothers lead their respective divisions, which is also a first in Supercross. With four rounds in the books for each division, Jett has earned two more points than Hunter.
Click here for 250 Heat 1 | Heat 2 | Last Chance Qualifier | Lap Chart
Anstie inherited second after the Lawrence vs. Thrasher incident, and while he was able to keep the leader in sight for a while, he ultimately crossed the finish line a little more than nine seconds behind. That was his third podium finish in the first four 250 East races. Notably, Anstie finished fifth last week in Arlington after getting caught up in Lawrence’s Race 3 accident. The cordial Brit has swept the top five.
The story of the night was Haiden Deegan, who scored his first podium finish in only his third start. He now has nearly as many podiums as his legendary father Brian Deegan, who scored two during his SX career. In the news conference, it was hard to tell who was more excited as Brian hummed with energy and Haiden beamed on the podium.
In fourth, Jordon Smith earned his third top-five of the season. Last week’s runner-up finish to his teammate Thrasher focused a lot of attention on the Yamaha rider and he backed it up with a strong run on a tricky track.
Click here for 250 Overall results | 250 East Rider Points | 250 Combined Rider Points
Jeremy Martin rounded out the top five. He has been among the most consistent riders in the Supercross 250 East field and his Daytona results backed that up. In four mains, he has finished either fifth or sixth. Saturday night, he was fourth in his heat.
For Thrasher, who was making his way up the points’ ladder, he recovered from the early crash and climbed to 10th on Lap 5. He jumped wide on the next lap and landed on a Tuff Blox and had to do it all over again. He ended his night 10th on the field. The damage was done; he fell to sixth in points.
2023 Results
Race 7: Cooper Webb wins second race
Race 6: Eli Tomac, Jett Lawrence win
Race 5: Webb, Hunter Lawrence win
Race 4: Tomac, H Lawrence win
Race 3: Chase Sexton, Levi Kitchen win
Race 2: Tomac, J Lawrence win
Round 1: Tomac, J Lawrence win
2023 SuperMotocross Power Rankings
Week 7: Jason Anderson narrowly trails Eli Tomac
Week 6: Perfect Oakland night keeps Tomac first
Week 5: Cooper Webb, Chase Sexton close gap
Week 4: Tomac retakes lead
Week 3: Ken Roczen takes the top spot
Week 2: Roczen moves up; Sexton falls
Week 1: Tomac tops 450s; Jett Lawrence 250s
