Eli Tomac won his third Monster Energy Supercross race of 2023 last week in Houston after feeling the heat from second-place Chase Sexton, and the numbers heading into Tampa suggest that’s just what he needs to perform at his peak.

In Houston, Sexton dominated the preliminary events. He posted the fastest laps in both qualification sessions by almost a full second each time. He surged to an almost eight-second lead in his heat, beating Tomac. And Sexton would go on to set the fastest lap in the Main.

But Eli won. He did so by setting three of the five fastest laps in the race and that was the result of responding well to the pressure. When Sexton got on his back tire on Lap 15, Tomac picked up a half second per lap. After the race, Sexton said the sand section was the area of the track where he struggled most, and according to Clinton Fowler from Three Laps Down he was right. Tomac picked up .3 seconds there on average during the final laps.

Sexton’s second-place last week in Houston and Cooper Webb’s fifth means they are the only two riders with a perfect record of top-fives through four rounds,

Tomac, Jason Anderson, Ken Roczen, Aaron Plessinger, Adam Cianciarulo and Joey Savatgy have swept the top 10.

Meanwhile, Christian Craig has come close to getting his first 450SX top-10 by finishing 11th in each of the last three races.

In the 14th edition of a Tampa Supercross race, Tomac seems to have the edge. He is the only active 450 rider with a win there, having taken the top spot in the last two races, (in 2018 and 2020). And that means this could be the week he catches Ricky Carmichael for fourth in all time Supercross wins with 87.

Twelve of the previous 13 races in Tampa have been held at the current venue, which was named Tampa Stadium before becoming Raymond James Stadium, but with sporadic appearances of late, only two races have been held since 1999. That means no other active 450cc rider other than Tomac has won there.

In fact, no other active rider has multiple podium finishes in Tampa, which suggests Saturday’s race will be a wide-open affair.

Privateers have had a strong run so far in 2023. Justin Hill and Justin Starling have made all four previous Mains while Freddie Noren, Kevin Moranz, and Josh Cartwright have made three.

In the 250cc division, there has never been a repeat winner in Tampa and no former winners are in the field this week, so that trend will continue.

Hunter Lawrence’s win last week in Houston was his 14th podium finish, which ties him with multiple riders for 50th on the all-time list. By earning the maximum in that race, he also climbed into the top 100 in points’ earned in this division – landing 93rd on the list.

Chris Blose, filling in for Pro Kawasaki after that team lost Seth Hammaker and Jo Shimoda, advanced into the top 50 in points (48th).

Last Five Tampa Winners

450s 2020: Eli Tomac 2018: Eli Tomac 1999: Kevin Windham 1998: Larry Ward 1996: Jeremy McGrath

250s 2020: Shane McElrath 2018: Austin Forkner 1999: Ernesto Fonseca 1998: Ricky Carmichael 1996: Michael Pinchon

By the Numbers

Houston Anaheim 2 San Diego

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TAMPA, Florida – After getting off to a strong start with runner-up finishes in the first two races of 2023, Cooper Webb finished fourth overall in Anaheim 2’s Triple Crown format and ‘struggled’ last week with a fifth-place finish in the Houston Main, but with Monster Energy Supercross championships in 2019 and 2021, he’s looking to be the odd man in again this season. After all, he sits third in the standings, only 12 points out of first, and is one of just two riders who have swept the top five in the first four races of 2023.

Webb led most of the 2019 season with eight wins and an 18-point margin over Eli Tomac. Momentum was building.

But Tomac was always there, lurking in the shadows. And when Webb struggled in 2020, Tomac responded by winning the championship by 25 points – a full-race advantage.

When Webb won his first title in 2019 there was a lot of negativity surrounding his effort. Multiple injuries when he with Yamaha were fresh in the fans’ minds, but Webb was determined to tackle his new ride with Red Bull KTM with a positive mindset. He learned to shut out the noise.

In 2019, he got a poor start to the season with a fifth in the opener at Anaheim and a 10th the next week in Glendale, Arizona. But when he got his first win of the season in Anaheim 2, more quickly followed. He won four of the next seven races and finished second twice. By the end of the season, Webb was well out front and his 35-point advantage over Ken Roczen this time was the largest in the past several years.

Webb has become the odd man in.

“Yeah, as you said I’m the odd-year guy,” Webb told NBC Sports this week on media day in Raymond James Stadium as he straddled his bike and waited to make a few laps on select portions of the track. “I’m feeling good. I feel like we’re in a good spot. You know, last weekend was a little tough, but had a great week this week.

“The bottom line is it’s time to get that first one of the year and try to maximize our points and get back a little tighter in the hunt. But overall, we’re still a really good spot. It’s time to go racing.”

Even with his sweep of the top five, Webb knows there is a risk of losing sight of Tomac, who has won three of the first four races this season. Coming off last year’s incredible battle between Tomac and Chase Sexton in the Pro Motocross outdoor season, Webb is often the third rider mentioned in the chase, cementing his status as the odd man.

It bears noting that one is an odd number also.

This week, Webb feels he has a slight advantage. Originally hailing from North Carolina, Webb calls Clermont, Florida home now – a little more than 60 miles from Raymond James Stadium.

“This is Tampa,” Webb said. “They bring in the sand for the whole rhythm section every time we race here, so it’s definitely a little bit interesting. It looks like a good track so far. Also some, some weather in the air. Not sure how that’ll play a part tomorrow, but as of now the track looks really nice.

“Just driving here this morning was nice. I live in Florida full-time now, so just not having to get on a plane and sleeping in your own bed the night before is definitely a plus. Looking forward to the race. I’ve got a lot of friends and family coming, so vibes are hot – vibes are hot.”