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ELI TOMAC
450 MX / 3RD
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / TILLS
>> The Minnesota Vikings have long been a staple in this region of the U.S. Modern-Day gladiators, disguised in purple and yellow, stomping along the battlefields of Minneapolis, this team over the past few years has been held in the highest regards when speaking of stingy defenses. Sounds similar to a guy by the name of Eli Tomac, a man who is willing to fight for his position until the absolute bitter end; no matter if it’s you, him, or both parties involved, you simply are not taking the spot easily. He was aggressive as ever during the so-called “warm- up” section of practice, violently scrubbing his way down the steep portions of decline, letting the 450 kick into the wind, all the while shaving milliseconds of speed. If he could just carry this over into the racing portion of the event, he would be just fine. It seemed as though he rode
the wave, through all sorts of brutal seas, in which were casting treacherous waters throughout moto one. Looming in the depths of the field, the pack fought for every inch of race track in the opening laps, the yellow markers being splintered by knobbies on numerous occasions. This ninth place start wasn’t going to cut it; the traffic jam was going to halter his run for the champi- onship. He was charging, launching singles in a gear tall, only to rail every outside possible. On the brink of cresting the berms, he would line the trim of the corner with his knobby, all the while keeping the throttle pinned. Working his way past the likes of Seely, Craig, and Barcia, Tomac’s charge would end in the second place ride, only trailing Marvin Musquin at the end of the moto. Yet another mishap would place the number 3 in ninth position for a short period; and a mistake would then drop the number 3 to fourteenth for a few laps. The hole was being dug deeper and deeper, but the number 3 would propel and grapple his way out of the trenches; working his way past riders such as the Honda duo of Craig and Seely again, his luck would run worse than the first round. Only amounting to a fifth place, his overall wouldn’t be bad in the grand scheme of things; but much less than to the liking of his own standard’s.
14 GRITMOTO • JULY 23, 2017