Motocross & Supercross
Total Wins: 33
Total Podiums: 71
Championships: 3
450 Riders:
Eli Tomac – Monster Energy Kawasaki
Justin Barcia – Monster Energy/Yamaha Factory Racing
250 Riders:
Aaron Plessinger – Monster Energy/Yamalube/Star/Yamaha
Dylan Ferrandis – Monster Energy/Yamalube/Star/Yamaha
Colt Nichols – Monster Energy/Yamalube/Star/Yamaha
Justin Cooper – Monster Energy/Yamalube/Star/Yamaha
Austin Forkner – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki
Adam Cianciarulo – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki
Joey Savatgy – Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki
It was a banner season for Monster Energy in the world of motocross, as the Monster Army collected a bounty of race wins and multiple championships. With a star-studded lineup across both the 450cc and 250cc divisions, the Monster squad racked up 33 wins across Monster Energy Supercross and the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, with the win share spread across the likes of Eli Tomac (16 wins), Justin Barcia (1 win), Aaron Plessinger (10 wins), Austin Forkner (2 wins), Dylan Ferrandis (2 wins), Adam Cianciarulo (1 win), and Joey Savatgy (1 win). On top of that, Tomac successfully defended his 450 Class title outdoors to become the first back-to-back champion since Ricky Carmichael, while Plessinger accomplished the rare season sweep by winning both the 250SX Western Regional title and the 250 Class national championship. If there was any single form of racing where Monster Energy made its biggest impact in 2018, it was without a doubt in the sport of motocross.
Tomac did his best to lay claim as the best rider on the planet, and while his European counterparts will surely try to rebuke this distinction, the Kawasaki rider’s dominance across two dynamically different disciplines in 2018, capped off by a million-dollar ride at the Monster Energy Cup, makes about as strong a case as you could ask for.
After a trying start to the Monster Energy Supercross season that all but eliminated him from title contention, there was nothing left for Tomac to do but go out and win, and that’s exactly what he did. The Monster Energy rider carried on to take eight wins in the final 15 races, accompanied by a total of 12 podium results. Despite missing out on a chance to contend for the championship, Tomac still put the racing world on notice by continuing to be the most successful rider in Monster Energy Supercross, where he’s now won exactly half of the Main Events the past two years. He capped off a frustrating-but-productive season with a third in the final standings.
The ups and downs of the supercross season provided added motivation for Tomac and the Monster Energy Kawasaki squad as they entered the summer Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship in defense of the 450 Class crown. From the get go it was clear that Tomac’s determination was going to make life hard on his fellow competitors as he quickly racked up wins and a commanding points lead. A hiccup midseason at RedBud threatened to erase all the hard work they had done, but like a true champion, Tomac bounced back with some of the most incredible come-from-behind efforts in recent memory to easily to hoist the Edison Dye Cup yet again. He finished the summer with eight wins and 10 podium finishes in 12 rounds.
The summer provided a complete 180 from what Tomac endured in the winter, and it ultimately gave him added confidence entering the annual Monster Energy Cup in Las Vegas. The All-Star showcase saw the No. 3 rise to an even greater level of performance, to where no one was remotely capable of keeping pace. While winning three consecutive 10-lap sprints is no easy feat, Tomac made it look like child’s play and he easily stormed to the “Monster Million,” becoming the first rider in Monster Cup history to win the event more than once. Fastest man on the planet seems like a pretty accurate distinction of Tomac in 2018.
As Tomac reigned supreme in the 450cc division, Plessinger went out and showed he’s a superstar in the making in what became his final year aboard a 250cc machine. The Monster Energy/Yamalube/Star/Yamaha rider was a revelation in both Monster Energy Supercross and the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, where it was obvious that he was maximizing his potential as a rider. Prior to 2018, Plessinger had never earned more than a one win in a single season in either championship, but he ultimately blew his past performances out of the water and set a new standard for himself.
Plessinger entered the Western Regional Championship in supercross as an underdog. While many knew he had the speed to contend on a weekly basis, and was likely to grab a win along the way, no one expected the second-generation racer to rise to the top as quickly as he did. He capured three wins in the first five races and successfully managed his championship lead through the remainder of the season, finishing things up with his first professional title and leading a 1-2-3 finish for Monster Energy in the final West Region standings.
When things shifted outdoors for the summer, Plessinger was once again under the radar. It took him just two races to earn his first win of the season and he quickly positioned himself in the thick of the title fight. A midseason lull put his hopes of a championship run in jeopardy, but Plessinger responded with four wins in the final six rounds, including six consecutive podium finishes to wrap up the most prestigious championship in the sport.