Eli Tomac sets early pace in Houston 450 qualifying as SuperMotocross Triple Crown intensifies

Tomac opens Houston weekend with the fastest 450 lap of the first qualifying session

Eli Tomac set the early benchmark in 450 qualifying at SuperMotocross Round 4 in Houston, logging a 46.684-second lap in the first timed session at NRG Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. The time made him the only rider to break into the 46-second range in Q1 and placed him more than half a second clear of the next-fastest rider.

Chase Sexton followed with a 47.233, while Justin Cooper was third on 47.245. Ken Roczen (47.329) and Cooper Webb (47.364) completed the top five. The spread behind Tomac was tight: just over one-tenth of a second separated second through fifth, underscoring how quickly the order can shift once riders are clustered within tenths.

Why qualifying matters more on a Triple Crown Saturday

Houston is the season’s first Triple Crown weekend, a format built around three separate 450 feature races rather than a single main event. With more race starts on the schedule, qualifying takes on added weight: it determines gate selections and sets the line between riders transferring directly into the features and those forced into last-chance qualifying.

• Q1 leader: Eli Tomac — 46.684
• Q1 runner-up: Chase Sexton — 47.233
• Third: Justin Cooper — 47.245
• Fourth: Ken Roczen — 47.329
• Fifth: Cooper Webb — 47.364

Later-session pace suggests a competitive evening program

Although Tomac’s Q1 lap stood out on the stopwatch, later qualifying showed the depth of the 450 field. In the afternoon session, Sexton posted a 47.097 to top that run, with Tomac close behind at 47.102. Hunter Lawrence recorded 47.179 for third in that session, followed by Roczen (47.211) and Jorge Prado (47.292) rounding out the top five.

Across the day’s timed runs, the top positions remained stable while the gaps fluctuated, reflecting both changing track conditions and riders balancing outright speed with preparation for multiple feature races.

Event schedule context at NRG Stadium

The Houston round returned Supercross to NRG Stadium with daytime qualifying and an evening program scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. local time. With Triple Crown scoring determined by results across three features, early speed is only part of the equation; strong starts and consistency across multiple races typically shape the final outcome.