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Point Leader Tomac Looking For More 250SX Success This Weekend In Phoenix
Fresh off a convincing Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX West victory in Anaheim, GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac is full of confidence and ready for more of the same this Saturday at Chase Field In Phoenix.
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"I feel great," Tomac said. "I came out of Anaheim healthy and I was really pleased with how I rode there. It's really nice to start with a win because it lets you know that you're where you want to be. I think the races I did in the off-season helped keep me in the groove."
Since the 2012 season concluded, Tomac placed on the podium in the Monster Energy Cup and raced twice over in Europe. The win last week was by far Tomac's best finish in the season opener, a round that had bedeviled the defending 250SX West champ in the past two years.
Now with any opening night jitters out of the way, the Cortez, Colo.-based Tomac is rolling into Arizona with a lot of momentum.
"Phoenix is another one of the races in the Southwest, so it's very comfortable for me," he said. "I didn't get on the podium there last year (finishing fourth) so I need to step it up this time through.
"If I stick with the same game plan we should have a good chance. I'm ready to win another one for GEICO Honda."
The team's 450SX rider, Kevin Windham, placed 10th in his season-opening round last week, but he said it's a step in the right direction, considering his recent history.
"If you look at Anaheim 1 and the finish I had there, it's just sort of okay," Windham said. "But to me it was huge. The last two races before Anaheim for me were the Monster Energy Cup and Houston (in 2012) and both of them ended really badly with big get-offs.
"I've had these two crashes in my head for months and I had to get out there on track, stay clean, and get back to riding. To keep it on two wheels in Anaheim was big for me."
This week the popular veteran is looking forward to taking the next step.
"We're training hard and I'm ready for Phoenix," Windham said. "I draw a lot of inspiration from (former teammate) Trey Canard because he overcame a really devastating injury and rode like a champ at A1. He proved it can be done.
"I may be older but I think that makes me a smarter rider and if I can stay clean, then this season could really come together for me."
GEICO Honda's third West Coast rider, Zach Osborne, battled his way to a seventh-place finish in the opener following a bad start to the 250SX main event.
"Anaheim was a little bit of a bummer, coming in seventh and all, but I feel like a weight has been lifted because I made it through the first race healthy and now we're back into a regular rhythm," Osborne said. "I feel like I'll be a step ahead of where I was at A1 when we get to Phoenix. The jitters will be gone and my hunger will be up."
Osborne said he knows Saturday is an opportunity to shrug off last week's disappointment and move up through the standings.
"The attack is the same," he said. "My start in the Main is what got me so I'll work on those every chance I get. It's crazy because I've done so many starts this winter and it was something I thought would be a strength for me and then I come out and have a bad one.
"Hopefully, it was just that one and the rest will be strong. It's a very important part of the race."
Practice for Saturday's Monster Energy AMA Supercross race gets under way at 12:30 p.m. PST from Chase Field. Opening ceremonies start at 7 p.m. SPEED TV will air the event live starting at 9:30 p.m. EST.
PaddockTalk Perspective
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