Page 10 - GRIT-82

ELI TOMAC
450 MX / 2ND
IMAGE / LANG WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> This area of the country is world-renowned for it’s insertion into continental affairs. Thinking about teams like the New England Patriots, the early pioneers of this country in uenced all walks of life, as settlers and generations of families embarked on this portion of land. Filled with streams of pride and honor, the fans of Southwick looked to hold every rider in attendance to the highest regard, and cheer on the racers to the top of their well-being. Eli Tomac was feeding off the crowd, from the moment he set foot onto the track for qualifying. Air horns, chain saws, you name it, and the crowd would obtain it. Nearly reaching out and touching the crowd through the outer portions of layout, he would drag the front brake of his machine and look over at spectators at the same time. It was an all out vibe between both bike and rider, and the team couldn’t be happier once he placed his bike upon the stand for the small intermis- sion. He would then walk to the gate for moto number one, and after bouts of careful consideration, would settle on the straightest path to the rst turn. They would all duck in under the Motorsport holeshot banner, as they knew a start to avoid this sand would be imminent. He would come around in about sixth place, knowing that he if could sustain consistent laptimes, the storm could be weathered. The ruts were beginning to carve through each jump on the track, and riders were already searching for the brim of racing surface, nearly clipping the yellow markers at all times. His suspension would resemble that of a jackhammer, in a constant thump of both pushing and shoving. All the while, he could feel pressure from Justin Barcia. But Barcia would be an afterthought, as Tomac’s tenacious style hunted down the number twenty- ve. He would stalk the KTM, seemingly putting a heat-censored laser on the back of his jersey. Coming to lap fourteen, he couldn’t take it anymore, and had to make a spectacular move. Musquin would break, and Tomac would blitz by as he shifted the bike into an all out sprint-mode. The moto win would be his. Moto number two rolled around relatively fast, and he was back on the line before he knew it. The gate would crash into the ground, and as he stormed over the pad, he believed his start would play a positive role in the outcome of the moto. The rst lap had him registering second, and it appeared to be the Eli Tomac show out front. He was rocketing around the track, blitzing by the mechanics area as an outright blur. Skying over the y single, he would launch into the pits of the valley, absolutely ripping the left-hander after, as Musquin waited in the shadows behind. But then, a lapse of focus would cause
a pretty serious crash down one of the hills, causing Tomac’s fourteen-second lead to drop to a neck and neck battle. However, he would prevail and get back on the right track. All seemed to be well, until another mistake caused Musquin to actually pass him, as he tipped over in a tight left-hander. This crash was something he couldn’t overcome. The gas tank was nearly hollow, and the chain had been begging for a bit of lube; however, he would hold onto second, both man and machine as rugged as could be. Piecing together a second place nish, he would be satis ed with managing a second overall.
10 GRITMOTO • JULY 1, 2018