The series is back to the traditional format for Round 5 of the SuperMotocross World Championship at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with Eli Tomac and Jorge Prado winning their heats.
Heat 2
Jorge Prado was the fastest qualifier earlier in the day and carried that speed into the feature, taking the early lead.
Vince Friese and Joey Savatgy were fresh faces in the top three.
Friese bobbled and fell to fifth on Lap 3. That elevated Savatgy to second and Jason Anderson to fourth. Ken Roczen followed them into fifth.
Friese fell to ninth, the final transfer position, on Lap 6.
Prado held on for the victory by less than two seconds over Savatgy.
This was Prado’s third heat win of the season and the fourth of his career.
Anderson took the final podium position
Fourth-place Roczen and Chase Sexton rounded out the top five.
Aaron Plessinger (sixth), Malcolm Stewart (seventh), Dylan Ferrandis (eighth), and Friese (ninth) also advanced directly into the feature.
Heat 1
Eli Tomac grabbed the holeshot with Christian Craig giving chase.
Hunter Lawrence settled into third and had difficulty getting around Craig.
Cooper Webb kept his momentum alive with a fourth-place run at the finish with two minutes on the clock.
Lawrence finally got around Craig, and that broke Craig’s rhythm. He fell to fifth in short order with Justin Cooper taking third from Webb on Lap 5.
As time ran off the clock, Tomac led Lawrence by 5.7 seconds and Cooper by 6.7.
Tomac held on for the victory as the top three remain unchanged.
Fourth-place Webb and Craig rounded out the top five.
Garrett Marchbanks (sixth), Colt Nichols (seventh), Justin Hill (eighth), and Grant Harlan (ninth) also advance directly into the feature.
Last Chance Qualifier
Roman Pape earned the holeshot, but Mitchell Harrison took the top spot soon after.
Kevin Moranz was fighting for a transfer position until he crashed on Lap 3.
Tristan Lane crashed out of the final transfer position with one lap remaining.
Shane McElrath took the lead from Harrison on the final lap.
Fourth-place Joshua Cartwright and Freddie Noren also advance to the feature.
