Cooper Webb and Ken Roczen won the first 450 heat races at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. Alabama, as tragedy struck Eli Tomac and sent him to the Last Chance Qualifier for the first time in seven years.
Tomac crashed with Justin Cooper in the second heat race and Cooper’s leg got trapped in Tomac’s back wheel, sending them both to the back of the field. Cooper recovered, but Tomac could not/
Heat 1
Cooper Webb nipped Hunter Lawrence for the holeshot.
Malcolm Stewart got a strong start as well and secured the third position early.
Fourth-place Christian Craig and Garrett Marchbanks rounded out the top five.
Webb held his advantage until the checkers to win by 0.699 seconds over Lawrence.
“It was a good race; it really was,” Webb told Peacock’s Will Christien. “It was good to get a great start, lead every lap. We have a little to clean up.”
Stewart, Craig, and Marchbanks also held their top-five positions.
Jordon Smith (sixth), Grant Harlan (seventh), Justin Hill (eighth), and Kevin Moranz (ninth) also advanced directly into the Main.
Heat 2
Justin Cooper earned the holeshot and led the first lap, but Ken Roczen continued to impress and took the lead on Lap 2.
Eli Tomac had a modest start in third, but moved up to second on Lap 3.
Tomac crashed with Justin Cooper on Lap 4 and fell well outside the transfer position. Cooper’s leg got hung up in Tomac’s back wheel.
That moved Jorge Prado into fourth with Aaron Plessinger on his back wheel.
Tomac continued to fall. He will have to go through the Last Chance Qualifier. The last time Tomac had to go through the LCQ was in 2019.
Fourth-place Colt Nichols and Shane McElrath rounded out the top five.
Justin Bogle (sixth), Cooper (seventh), Vince Friese (eighth), and Cole Thompson (ninth) also advanced directly into the Main.
