Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac advanced his position in the 450SMX title fight with a runner-up overall finish at the opening round   MARIETTA, Ga. – September 8, 2024 – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac kicked off the three-round SuperMotocross World Championship Finals with a 1-2 score, finishing second overall at the SMX Playoff 1 in Concord, North Carolina. Rookie Justin Cooper bounced back from a tough first moto to finish sixth overall with a 7-4 score. Cooper Webb also overcame adversity to score 10th overall (14-8) in the challenging conditions at the zMAX Dragway.    Tomac showed strength at his first SuperMotocross World Championship round. After qualifying fourth, he put on a masterclass performance in the first 450SMX moto, grabbing the holeshot and leading from start to finish. In the second moto, he got another great start in third and quickly moved into the runner-up spot. Tomac then passed his teammate Cooper on Lap 3 to claim the lead and tried to build another gap up front, but the competition stayed within reach. With three laps remaining, the Colorado rider was shuffled to the runner-up spot, where he would finish to end the day second overall. Tomac’s efforts made championship gains, advancing him to fourth in the 450SMX points standings and within 12 points of the leader despite being sidelined for 10 rounds with a thumb injury.    Cooper hit the ground running in his 450SMX debut, topping the timesheets in qualifying. Unfortunately, he did not get off the gate as he had hoped in the first moto and found himself ninth after the first lap. The New Yorker put his head down and made his way to seventh on a track that was difficult to pass on. In the second moto, Cooper got a flying start to grab the holeshot and led the first two laps. Although he was shuffled to fourth, he rode a strong pace to maintain the position and secure sixth overall. Tied in points with his teammate Tomac, Cooper holds fifth in the championship standings and trails the leader by 12 points.    In his first race back since reinjuring his thumb at the Unadilla National, Webb had a solid qualifying effort in eighth. Although he didn’t get the start he was hoping for in the first moto and found himself 12th after the opening lap, he put his head down and made his way to eighth. Unfortunately, the North Carolina rider was docked six positions for cutting the track and would score 14th. He then had another difficult start to Moto 2 and came together with another rider in the first turn. Undeterred, he made his way to eighth, salvaging points on a tough day with a top-10 overall result. Webb maintains a top-10 position in the 450SMX Championship and is 21 points from the leader despite being sidelined for 10 rounds of the 31-round series.   Next up for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team is the SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff 2 at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on September 14.   Jeremy Coker – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team Manager “Today went really well. Eli is back. That’s all I can say. I think that’s the hardest Jett (Lawrence) has had to push in a long time. Justin and Coop had some rough starts in the first one. Justin improved in the second one and rode phenomenally. Coop had a get together with another rider in the first turn and had a decent ride. We’ll go back to work this week and try for better in Texas.”    Eli Tomac – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #3 “It was a good day overall, but it stings getting second. I won Moto 1 and was leading Moto 2, but I missed the rhythm section too many times, which cost me. Otherwise, Jett (Lawrence) and I were super close. It’s frustrating because I felt so good all day. Man, it was right there, but overall, this was a good step forward. We are improving each weekend since I’ve been back this summer. I’m excited for the next two.”     Justin Cooper – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #32 “It was a good day overall, and some positives to take away. The first moto, I got off the gate pretty badly, which made for a tough moto there, but I regrouped and Moto 2 was really good. I was able to fight with those guys a little bit. I felt like they had a little bit more than me, which is tough to deal with, but it was an all-around good day and a good start to the series."   Cooper Webb – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #2 “It was a tough day, but it was good to be back at the races, especially in front of my home state fans. I had an unfortunate off-track excursion in the first race that led to a six-position penalty. Then I charged forward as best as I could in the second race after starting outside the top 20. I’ve had a lot of success in Texas, and I am looking forward to getting some redemption next weekend.”   2024 SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff 1 450SMX Results 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship Standings