00:00On the gate, he's got a special connection when we talk military appreciation race, hear his thoughts on it.
00:09It's been awesome to see continued support and appreciation for, or in Supercross, you know, giving the military a weekend
00:17of appreciation and support here.
00:20The team did some really cool stuff on the motorcycle. I've got an awesome helmet this weekend.
00:24I've got the jet that my brothers fly, which is, or is flying in C-17. Also, a squadron sticker
00:31on here also as well.
00:33So, yeah, he's busy. He's flying around the world right now.
00:37So, of course, it's nice to have a weekend of showing support for all the military that keeps us all
00:44free and safe at home.
00:47Yeah, so his brother Greg in the Air Force, as Eli mentioned, will have a big feature on the two
00:52of them talking about their relationship through the years with each other as they pursue two different paths.
00:57And he's a lieutenant colonel now, Greg, so he's pretty darn successful in his own right.
01:02Eli, of course, a multi-time champion, no slouch.
01:05But he's going to have to deal with Cooper Webb here in a place where he has won seven of
01:09the last nine races in Texas.
01:11Yeah, his stats here are incredible, and they'd be even better.
01:18If you think about the one that got away when he had that gnarly crash, was that maybe 2019?
01:232020.
01:242020, excuse me.
01:26And, yeah, certain stadiums and venues and tracks that these guys go to, they have special feelings, or at least
01:34I did for sure,
01:35and a little extra motivation to go out there and feel a little bit better than normal.
01:41All right.
01:41Well, Webb's going to need it right now because he's been closing in in the standings, but don't want to
01:46give Tomac any more momentum.
01:47And do not forget this guy, Chase Sexton.
01:50It has been a struggle the last couple of weeks.
01:52Only one podium this year.
01:54Still chasing it with this new team for him, Monster Energy Kawasaki.
01:58But we know if they get it right, he and they are capable of winning.
02:02Maybe it starts here for the four.
02:04Rebs are up.
02:06Gates down.
02:09Not a good start for Sexton.
02:11Joey Savace and Hunter Lawrence battling for it.
02:15Lawrence to the lead.
02:16Hunter snuck up in the inside, and he was a little off in qualifying practice today, so it's going to
02:22be interesting to see how he navigates this heat race.
02:26Tomac working Savace there.
02:28Oh, he couldn't three in to the whoops.
02:31Is Savace going to fight back?
02:32Wow.
02:33Good run for Joey through the whoops right there, contesting with Eli.
02:37But Eli being on the inside, he's able to make the move.
02:40Eli had a great final practice today.
02:43I was a little interested to see what was going on because he was way down the running order after
02:49the first practice, but comes out.
02:51Oh, remember when we talked to this inside line, look at Joey.
02:56My work.
02:56That is the preferred line right there.
02:58Oh, look at Audible by Eli.
03:00Yeah.
03:01Going up the inside, pushes Joey out.
03:04Multiple lines here.
03:05Yeah.
03:05Battle.
03:06Tomac now re-securing second.
03:08We'll send it to Will.
03:09Here comes, by the way.
03:10Go ahead, Will.
03:10Just a quick insight for you there, Ricky.
03:13You were talking about that first qualifying session for Eli Tomac.
03:16I asked those questions of the team, specifically his mechanic, Jay Dungy, and he said he just didn't link it
03:22together.
03:22He just didn't put the pieces of the track together.
03:24He asked for absolutely nothing out of the bike.
03:27He said they made me one clicker change, and that was it.
03:30So Eli was just taking accountability for that himself.
03:34Yeah, Eli just looking so comfortable.
03:37And we've been talking about it each race.
03:41It looks like he's been on this bike for five, six years.
03:45I mean, he's so at home.
03:46And I'll tell you what, man, this Red Bull KTM crew with Ian Harrison and Roger DeCoster and all the
03:53unsung heroes over there working on these machines.
03:57I mean, they got it going on for sure.
04:00Yeah, Harrison, the team manager, talking a lot about how the mood is lifted so much with these great results
04:06they've gotten this year.
04:07That makes everyone work that much harder.
04:09Battle right now between the teammates, March Banks and the 36, and Sexton.
04:14And it looks like Sexton's going to make a move.
04:16Let's see if March Banks can fight back.
04:17Great run through the whoops for Chase.
04:20And Chase looked good earlier today as well.
04:24And I'm thinking, man, I feel like he's going to have a good night.
04:27Looks comfortable on the bike here this weekend.
04:30We know what he's capable of, and it's really no surprise when he wins or when he's the fastest qualifier.
04:35And he's just that good of a rider.
04:39Closing on Plessinger here, who's in fifth.
04:43Man, Savace.
04:44Yeah.
04:45Not letting Tomek go.
04:47Yeah, but Savace, I mean, you think about the last three weeks.
04:50I mean, he has really done a fantastic job getting some great starts.
04:54And I had a conversation with him during the week, Jason, and he told me he just knows it's just
04:59so important of getting a good start.
05:02However, he has had a little bit and has gotten some support from factory Honda this week.
05:08So he thought and was hopeful that it was going to help him in the performance, maybe with some gearbox
05:15stuff.
05:16So anyhow, it looks, as of right now, from the eye test and how well he's right, looks like it's
05:21working well and better for him.
05:22That can make a difference for sure, right?
05:24A hundred percent.
05:25All right.
05:26Well, it's working because he is keeping the heat on Tomek, and they're catching now the leader, Lawrence.
05:34About to have a battle for the lead here.
05:39Triple, triple, quad.
05:46Here's why that lead shrunk for Lawrence.
05:49Let's see here.
05:50Oh.
05:51Yeah, when he's going through the corner, you watch his front end twitch just a little.
05:55And as he did that, he got off balance, jumps off track.
06:00Big moment here.
06:01The Riders one and two in the championship, and only one point between them.
06:05And Savace hanging right there.
06:07If you go back to Houston, remember the same thing happened to Hunter there when he's going around that left
06:13-hand corner.
06:14Hunter, his front end got a little twitchy, and he jumped off the track.
06:17And at the end of the day, that's really what cost him the overall win.
06:21That's right.
06:22Crash back to seventh there.
06:24One of the few big errors of the year for Lawrence.
06:27Savace just won't let them go on the non-factory.
06:32Gets some help, but not the full stuff like Hunter has on his Honda.
06:35And he's not going anywhere.
06:37I mean, these guys have done a great job at this quad-lock Honda team.
06:42And Martin Davalos, a fantastic rider in his own right.
06:47And Yariv Konski, team owner, just doing so much, doing a fantastic job.
06:52And even since the inception of the team, going back, you think about Anstey and how well he did aboard
06:57in the 250 class.
07:00And now Hunter looks to have reeled it back in, just stretching it slightly over Tomek.
07:06Great turnaround for Hunter Lawrence here compared to what he was riding like early today.
07:12And I'm going to tell you, JT, it really isn't a surprise if you consider how well he's done all
07:17season.
07:18No, it's really not.
07:19And when you think about what does Hunter do well, it's execution.
07:23And this track, especially in the main event, is going to come down to can you execute the main good
07:29line, the fast line, each and every single lap.
07:32You see how much time he put into Eli Tomek there in the whoops because Eli made a mistake and
07:37Hunter executed the whoops well.
07:39So we're only in the heat races here.
07:41The track for the main event is going to be brutally difficult to hit each and every lap.
07:44So that's what it's going to be.
07:45You hear that road racing term, hit your marks.
07:48Nothing can be more true than the main event tonight.
07:52He's hitting them right now, JT, as he's trying to hold Tomek at bay.
07:57That little mistake allows the three to get back in it.
07:59Now watch this to the whoops.
08:00That's Colt Nichols on the 45.
08:02That's how quickly the whoops can bite you.
08:05JT was talking about how difficult they're going to be.
08:07Yeah, thank goodness he didn't go into that other lane right here.
08:09Oh, Tomek didn't get the rhythm, RC.
08:11And now Savace is around him, and it's a second.
08:16Amazing riding on a 17.
08:22Could he go for the heat race win?
08:23Can he get to Lawrence?
08:25Now Webb is in the picture as well.
08:27In fourth.
08:28White flag out.
08:29What a ride by Joey.
08:31And are you watching, Joey?
08:32He doesn't even look like he's on the edge.
08:34It doesn't look like he is pushing it that hard.
08:36One thing that Joey does really well, a lot like Ken Robson, has a lot of discipline, and
08:41he's good with throttle control.
08:43And you heard what Kenny said.
08:44This track is slick.
08:46It's edgy in the whoops.
08:47And Joey has that discipline to really baby that throttle.
08:52Savace has not won a heat race in this division since Nashville 2019.
08:58That was his rookie season in the 450 class.
09:01He's got Hunter Lawrence in sight, but he's running out of time.
09:04He's running out of time.
09:06He's going to have to turn it loose through the whoops.
09:07And overall, man, this is going to be a great run.
09:12Wow.
09:13What a bounce back for the 96.
09:15Struggling qualifying heat race win for the series leader, Hunter Lawrence of the Honda HRC
09:22Progressive Machine.
09:23Webb coming across the line and fourth behind Tomax.
09:28And everybody has a different look, by the way, with military appreciation race.
09:31If you're wondering why there's not much red on those Hondas.
09:34Man, this could be huge for any one of these guys, whether it's Hunter Lawrence, Eli Tomac,
09:38any of the points guys for this championship.
09:41If you got Joey Savace in there fighting for positions, you could really use him to your
09:46advantage or disadvantage for other guys.
09:48And we've seen him in that mix before, but taking it to another level tonight, but not quite
09:53enough to get it up to get.
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