Last August, veteran Monster Energy Yamaha Star racer Eli Tomac spoke about deciding to stay on and hang around for another year in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship.
โIโm really happy on how long Iโve made it,โ said Tomac of what will be his 15th racing season come the drop of the gate at California’s Angel Stadium this Saturday evening. โTo be honest, I didnโt see myself doing it past 30 years old. Youโve got to do what you love doing. Iโve always told myself that if Iโm competitive, then I was going to keep going. Itโs a little bit scary how fast 15 years goes by, but overall it has been a fantastic journey.โ
Now at age 31 and putting the finishing touches on his preparations for the 2025 season, Tomac says that walking into Angel Stadium still feels special.
โAnaheim, it creeps up on you,โ he said. โThatโs just the way it is, but itโs awesome. There is nothing better than going racing, so Iโm looking forward to it all. I canโt wait for it. I did some of those off-season races and had a great time doing that and then now all of a sudden, we are here at Anaheim 1. Man, itโs crazy how fast it comes around. Itโs like, โMan, where did the time go?โ Itโs been a great time doing it. I donโt knowโฆ Iโve just been healthy lately and Iโve just been having a blast doing it, so I want to keep my head on straight and continue strong.โ
Having won the very first AMA Pro Racing event he competed in โ the 2010 Hangtown National โ Tomac is still focused on what lies ahead.
โItโs just the love of racing. Basically, Iโm not over it yet,” he said. “I still enjoy it. I still have the passion for it and the burn for trying to better myself and just competing against all of the guys out there. Really, thatโs all it comes down to is believing in yourself, that you can still be competitive to try and win a race.
“Last year, of course I wanted more than one win. And it was just okay. Itโs hard to really say what I should have done. Coming off of a injury like that was probably tougher than I expected, or what I even thought it was going to be. And it as one of those things where you think youโre 100 percent, or almost fully healed, but in all reality youโre not until you actually get basically a year down the road. Thatโs what I realized. Once I was a full year down the road from that injury, it was like, โOh wow, that last couple of percent really matters.โ And those things matter when you get to this level.
“I guess weโre going to find out if thatโs the truth, but thatโs what Iโm telling myself right now. Maybe my preparation time was short and that affected some of my results and maybe kept me from getting more wins. That was part of it, in my opinion. You need to stay focused. And if youโre off a tick with your health it just shows. Itโs amazing when you do injure something, you donโt realize how much that little piece affects you, but it does. There is so much going on in trying to manhandle that motorcycle and basically just taming the beast. It is so critical to be healthy in this sport.
Can he make a run at a third supercross title?
โI think I can,โ he said. โIโm definitely going to be in the mix. Of course the number one guy is Jett Lawrence, you know? Heโs the defending champion, so thatโs the guy we have to beat. We need to just better ourselves. Of course heโs the man to beat, and then we have all the other riders that are always there. Yeah, Jett is the man right now and we need to try to do our best to defeat him.”
Tomac feels fortified with the might of Star Yamaha behind him leading into what will be his fourth season with the organization.
โIt has been a great run with these guys,” he said. “Weโre already going on year number four. Unfortunately, Iโve gotten hurt the past two seasons for motocross. However, 2022 was lights-out amazing. We should have, would have could have won supercross in 2023. Weโve had so many great races and seasons and weโve just had a good run. Looking forward to 2025 with Monster Energy Star Yamaha.โ
2025 will mark Tomacโs final season as a professional supercross competitor. That being the case, will the veteran be taking it all in as the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship barnstorms the country?
โYep. I will be doing that,โ he said. โItโs crazy to say, but yeah, this is the last one. Man, crazy. Iโm going to leave it all on the track, thatโs for sure. Iโm going to leave it all out there on the track and enjoy every moment along the way.โ
