ELI TOMAC: THE BATTLE OF EVERMORE

Prior to the weekend gone, after 11 captivating rounds of the 17-stop 2023 Monster Energy Supercross Championship, Yamaha’s Eli Tomac and KTM’s Cooper Webb were locked on points atop the series’ standings and ‘sharing’ the 450SX class’s red plate. Yep, the perfect time for Monster Energy’s Communications guy, Eric Johnson, to sit down with Tomac and ask him to reflect on the 2023 season’s barn-burning battle with Webb and where it ranks in his illustrious, record-breaking career. Take it away, Eric…

On Saturday afternoon, May 22, 2010, a 17-year-old GEICO Honda racer from Cortez, Colorado, named Eli Tomac won the very first AMA Pro Racing event he lined up for when he raced to victory at the Hangtown Motocross Classic on a No. 243 Honda CRF250R. Thirteen years, four AMA Pro Motocross 450 titles, and two Monster Energy Supercross Championships later, Tomac is still fast at it, now locked up in a titanic tussle for the 2023 stadium title with fierce rival, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb.

Tied with Webb at 244 points and a winner of six 450cc main events thus far in 2022, Tomac has enjoyed the season and, well, had felt like it is his. So now with a much-needed weekend breather behind the racers and teams of the barnstorming Monster Energy Supercross Series, all will look to Arizona’s 72,200-seat State Farm Stadium and the 12^th round of the dramatic championship fight.

In Cortez, Colorado, and about to head south to Glendale to make a run at the final six races of the season and what he hopes will all add up to another stadium championship, Tomac and I talked about being smack in the middle of yet another championship dust up…

EJ: Okay, Eli, you were able to grab a weekend off and catch your breath before now having to reach for your gearbag and look to flying off to Glendale, Arizona, and State Farm Stadium. A good and quick break?

ET: It’s nice, but at the same time, you get kind of out of whack because you’re in such a routine that you kind of don’t know what to do with yourself and also you’re asking yourself what day it is. I was going down my driveway this morning and was thinking to myself, ‘What day is it? Oh yeah, it’s Tuesday’ [laughs]. Anyway, you’re in such a routine, but we’ve been going at it for quite a few weekends now. And to be honest, it is a good thing to have a weekend off.

“It’s stressful but I’m enjoying the competition right now. And it’s going to be a barnburner over those final six rounds of the series.”

I’ve been fortunate enough to be around you throughout your entire racing career. I wanted to ask you this: Are you motivated as ever?

I am and that’s why I’m even out there this year, you know? I still love what I’m doing, and the motivation is there. Absolutely. I’m still competing for wins. That’s one thing that I’ve always told myself: ‘Hey, if I’m still going to be competing for wins, I’ll keep doing it. As long as I’m having fun, I’m going to keep doing it.’ So yeah, man, I’m motivated. When I lost that red plate a couple of races back, I wasn’t happy at all. I came firing out at Seattle and was able to at least get back to in the points lead – as a tie with Cooper Webb – and it has been exciting so far.

Last summer, it was Chase Sexton. This winter, it’s Cooper Webb. You’ve been at all of this for quite a long time now and here you are caught up in another winner-take-all march to a title. That ever get old?

It doesn’t, actually. I’m enjoying the competition. Yes, it’s stressful but I’m enjoying the competition right now. Like you said, Chase Sexton and Cooper Webb have been the two really strong guys who I’ve been battling with during the season for the points lead. Perhaps even more so, I’ve been battling with Cooper as of late. I wouldn’t expect anything less and I feel each season is a little bit different. Yeah, the competition is strong. You know, when I lost that points lead again to Webb, I was pretty frustrated. When you have those bad weekends, for me, it just gives me motivation to go back home, study, figure out what I did wrong, figure out where I could be better, find out if I need to fall back on something that I’ve done in the past to improve myself. Yeah, my mindset is that I’m always trying to get better and always trying to improve; to never settle. If I get beat, I really try to figure out why I got beat and then be better the next weekend.

“When I have those bad weekends, it just gives me motivation to go back home, study, figure out what I did wrong, figure out where I could be better.”

Six wins and a couple of off-song results, especially the eighth you posted up at Indianapolis. What’s your take on your season thus far?

It’s been another great season. It’s unique in that I started off really hot, you know? I have not won Anaheim 1 on a 450, and this is first year doing it. That was a big change for me. Another big change is that I haven’t had to change my motorcycle a whole lot since the beginning of the season. That’s been different this season. And the guy I’m battling with in this championship is a different player this year, and that’s Cooper Webb. As far as this season, I love everything about it. I love everything about this season. It’s totally unique. It doesn’t really feel the same at all. They never are. Obviously, it’s going to be a barnburner, so we’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing. That’s what I live for; for racing and lining up on the starting gate. That’s how I’ve made it this far in my career and nothing can replace that feeling for me, you know? That’s why I line up.

Your mom and dad have been right there in your corner your entire career. They have to be enjoying all of this.

Well, I know they’re proud of what I’ve accomplished in the sport. That’s for sure. And what’s cool is that they have been in my corner the hole way. I guess it’s a little bit of a unique situation in that way, but you can make it happen in this sport in more than one way; to make it to the pinnacle. I’ve enjoyed the way that we have done it.

“Another big thing is that I haven’t had to change my motorcycle a whole lot since the beginning of this season. That’s been different this year.”

You’re now in your second season with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star racing outfit. You’ve won titles and plenty of races with the organisation during the period. Has it been a strong relationship between the race team and yourself?

It has been. Yamaha has been fantastic for me. This year, we have a new motorcycle again, so that was a big test for us. Even in year one with Yamaha, that was a new motorcycle, as well. For me, it has been a fun journey along the way. They’ve made it enjoyable, and we’ve had success making it work in all conditions, in supercross and motocross. Yeah, we’re a great fit right now.

You’re about to head out to Glendale and the 12^th round of the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross Series. How are you looking at that round?

I do look forward to it. I kind of treat it as a local race. There are a lot of local people from my area here who go down there, so it’s like a five to five and a half-hour drive for most people around us. I’m treating it as a local event so I’m always ready to go at that race. I’ve had some good results to back it up there. So, yeah, let’s go!

“I live for racing and lining up on the starting gate. That’s how I’ve made it this far in my career and nothing can replace that feeling for me, you know? That’s why I line up.”

Beginning with Glendale on Saturday, we now have six races left in the 2023 stadium season. Do you feel good about where you are at and with what’s left to come leading into the championship finale at Rice-Eccles Stadium over in Salt Lake City on May 13?

I do. I do. I was in a little bit of a fun there at Indianapolis. I injured my neck a little bit and then that kind of set me back, but now I’m back to being healthy so I should be ready to come out firing for these last six races.

There is absolutely no other form of motorsport that asks more from its racers than supercross. As an athlete and as a racer, you really do have to power through the injuries, the sickness and the radical ups and downs that come with such a fierce sport, huh?

Yeah, it’s tough. The hardest thing is that you don’t really have time to recover. You just don’t. We get these one or two weeks off during these 17 weeks and that’s a hard thing to manage. It’s a hard thing to manage to stay healthy throughout the whole racing season.

It’s cool and for me this is the most enjoyable part of my career that I’ve experienced so far. I’m just enjoying it all and enjoying each race. I’m trying to be a good role model to all of the kids who are watching us. Yeah, just enjoying it.

“Yamaha has been fantastic for me. It has been a fun journey along the way. They’ve made it enjoyable, and we’ve had success making it work in all conditions, in supercross and motocross. Yeah, we’re a great fit right now.”

Yeah, you’re an in-our-time legend now. I mean, you’re one of the greatest supercross and motocross racers in the entire worldwide existence of the sport. How damn cool! Any of that ever go through your mind?

Yeah, I just want to be a good role model for the kids. Period. I just remember watching Ricky, James and Chad, and I just want to have a good image for the kids who are watching us now. And hopefully, it will motivate them to be in my seat one day.

ELI TOMAC’S 450SX STATS…

• 50 wins* (equal-second all-time)
• 158 starts (10^th all-time)
• 92 podiums (fourth al-time
• 116 top-fives (fifth all-time)
• 143 top-10s (fifth all-time)
• 106 SMX wins (third all-time)
• 8 SMX title wins – x3 SX and x5 MX (fifth all-time)

* Tomac snared his 51^st 450SX Main Event win at Glendale (Round 12 of the series) shortly after doing this interview with Eric Johnson, which puts him second all-time on the 450SX win list (to Jeremy McGrath’s 72).