Tomac and McAdoo Go 2nd/2nd at Daytona SX 2024

The hallowed grounds of Florida’s Daytona International Speedway -the birthplace of East Coast Monster Energy AMA Supercross in 1971 – played host to Round 8 of the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross series on Saturday, with Monster Energy racers nabbing half of the available podium real estate in Daytona Beach.

450 class racing would see Monster Energy’s Eli Tomac earn the lone podium position in the premier class for the Star Racing/Yamaha team as Tomac expertly piloted his YZ450F to a runner-up 2nd place finish in the night’s main event. Tomac, who had won an all-time best eight main events at Daytona coming into Saturday’s race, mastered the difficult conditions (rain earlier in the day softened the track, causing a series of deep ruts for the racers to navigate). Early on in qualifying Tomac ran to the 3rd (1:27.423) position, then finished 2nd in his heat race (Heat 2) to transfer to the main. Tomac continued to fly in the main event as he, along with race winner Jett Lawrence (Honda), were the only racers in the main to clock a sub-1:30 lap (1:27.755). Tomac then passed Lawrence’s Honda teammate, Chase Sexton, with a few laps remaining to secure 2nd place.

“The ruts were crazy deep and I’m kind of a clutch abuser guy,” said Tomac when asked if he knew his bike appeared to be (inordinately) smoking during the race. “Obviously my bike was (running) hot and that’s what happens.”

In 250 ESX class action Monster Energy scored two on the box as Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammates Cameron McAdoo and Seth Hammaker picked up the 2nd and 3rd spots at Daytona.

Said McAdoo (regarding forgoing the sight lap and focusing on his start): “I’m gonna send it first lap. That’s what we’re gonna have to do if we want to be up front. So the start was extremely important and it paid off for me.”

McAdoo was true to that quote as he wrestled the lead away from holeshot getter, Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Haiden Deegan, and led the first four laps before handing the lead over to KTM’s Tom Vialle with an unforced error in the rhythm section.

Added Hammaker (on his early race battle with Deegan): “There at the beginning we were battling and he (Deegan) actually got around me at one point, and then I ended up getting him back in the sand section. Then I knew it was him, obviously. Heard his bike. Knew it was Deegan. Was then just kind of riding smart, then I think he made a mistake behind me. Heard the crowd to kinda wild. Then I was able to get a bit of a gap.”

With he runner-up Daytona ESX finish, McAdoo vaulted from 6th to 2nd place in the overall division standings.

450 Highlights

• In 450 class racing Cooper Webb (Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha got the best of timed qualifying for Monster Energy, bringing in the No. 1 time of 1:26.850, ahead of Tomac’s 3rd best time of 1:27.423.
• Off the start of the 450 main it’d be Tomac out in 2nd place, in pursuit of Sexton. Monster Energy’s Dylan Ferrandis (Phoenix Honda) would race out to a 6th place start, Webb in 7th, and Justin Cooper (Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha), who’s been getting some great starts, back in 9th place.
• Coming out of the start, in a rough position (16th), was Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson. But by Lap 3 Anderson was into the top ten (10th), and just like that was then back out of the top ten on the next lap – going from a 1:32 lap time to a 1:46.
• Starting out of an even tougher position (21st) was Anderson’s teammate, Adam Cianciarulo, who returned to 450 class action after a four-week hiatus (due to injury). AC would battle back to an amicable 12th by race’s end.
• Once the racers settled in it’d be Tomac providing the final highlight in the 450 class for Monster Energy when he passed defending SX champ Sexton, straight up, on Lap 13 (of 14) to secure the runner-up spot.

250 ESX Highlights

• Out of the 250 main event start it was Deegan and McAdoo in a race to the holeshot line, with Deegan just barely taking the holeshot, then McAdoo snatching the race lead right back from Deegan with a slick pass exiting the tunnel.
• Right behind the two Monster Energy athletes was another, Hammaker, who gave Monster Energy the 1-2-3 start in the Daytona 250s.
• Deegan would have the race lead momentarily early, then made several mistakes – stuck in a rut, coming up short on a triple – and, though he showed his usual great speed, ultimately had to settle on 4th.
• McAdoo, while leading, would blink as well, on Lap 5 when, after clearing a massive quad jump, came up a bit short on a smaller jump and had to check up – leaving the track momentarily and letting Tom Vialle (KTM) get by.
• The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki bikes of McAdoo and Hammaker would hold tight onto 2nd and 3rd places, respectively, while Deegan continued to battle all the way through the checkers to preserve 4th place – giving Monster Energy three of the top four spots at the checkers in the Daytona 250 ESX main.

Notes & Quotes

• Before everything got started with the Daytona 450 and 250 ESX main events, Monster Energy/Team Green/Kawasaki’s Drew Adams took top honors in the SX Futures race. Said Adams: “This was definitely good redemption from A2 (Anaheim 2 SX Futures). You know I had a bad race at A2 and I think I definitely pulled it around for Daytona.”
• Added Adams: “I stalled the bike twice and went off the track once. I’m new to this and it’s definitely rough.”
• Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Cianciarulo, who grew up 10 minutes from Daytona, curiously had never raced the Daytona SX on a 450. That changed on Saturday when AC brought his KX450F home in a respectable 12th place after being sidelined with an injury for the last four races.
• “First race back. Glad to make it back for Daytona,” said Cianciarulo. “Bit of a gnarly one to come back to for sure. At the same time I actually really enjoy those conditions. It was quite fun.”
• “That was a great pass by McAdoo (on Deegan) to take the lead, going through that tunnel,” said NBC announcer Ricky Carmichael on the start of the 250 main. “Seems like they fade to the outside (going through the tunnel). So if you’re able to sneak up on the inside and make the move… that was a good start (for McAdoo).”
• “You can’t teach that kind of ability,” added Carmichael to when Deegan pulled off an incredible 360 degree spinning save on a corner, to which RC’s NBC co-announcer, James Stewart, said: “Maybe in that house they do (referring to Haiden’s father, Brian Deegan’s, freestyle MX acumen).”
• The Daytona SX marked 26 years since Monster Energy’s Jeremy “Showtime” McGrath won his 50th race when he out-dueled Doug Henry aboard the then revolutionary Yamaha YZ400F to take the win on his Chaparral Motorsports Yamaha YZ250. Only two other racers in the history of supercross have 50 wins besides MC – Stewart and Tomac.

Up next: Monster Energy AMA Supercross remains in the southern U.S. with Round 9 of the series running at Birmingham’s (Ala.) Protective Stadium, Saturday, March 9th.