For the second time in the first three rounds of the 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, Eli Tomac has had to work from outside the top 20 on the opening lap of the 450SX main event.
At the Anaheim 1 Supercross opener, the #3 Yamaha YZ450F was out front and leading the opening lap, until halfway through he made a mistake, went down, and was dead last. He got ran over, got up and finally picked his bike up after the entire field went past. Eventually, he came through the finish line fifth. Definitely a better points night than what it could have been, although it felt like a win slipped away as his wheels washed out from under him.
At round two in San Diego, California, Tomac was able to charge to the front of the field in a near-perfect night. Taking the lead from his Yamaha teammate Cooper Webb and holding of a super-fast Jett Lawrence, Tomac took the race win—his 53rd career 450SX win, which is second-most all-time behind just Jeremy McGrath.
Then and there, Tomac righted the ship both in terms of remaining at the championship chase but also he proving he can still win a 20-minute main event. It had been since the 2023 Seattle SX on March 25, 2023, that the Colorado native had won a straight-up regular format main event, as his two wins since then were Triple Crown overall wins (three shorter races with lowest total score as the winner). It appeared Tomac was back to 2022 and pre-Achilles tendon injury form, and he confirmed his fitness is finally back after the race. Oh, and he left with the points lead, too!
Two completely different races for Tomac to start 2025: down on lap one with an uncharacteristic mistake at round one and a dominating win at round two. He entered round three with the points lead.
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Then, back in Anaheim 2 on Saturday, Tomac looked to be once again primed as a race favorite entering the main event. He was ripping in qualifying, dominated his heat race, and had first gate pick. Tomac used the same gate that his younger teammate Haiden Deegan did in the 250SX main event (which led to a holeshot and race win), but so much more rain had fallen since then. The field had already picked their gates and water continued to come down.
When the gates dropped, Tomac did not get a good drive going into the first turn and he exited about 20th. Once again, the #3 got to work and charged through the field but had battles with long-time competitors and never-backing-down from a challenge Justin Barcia and Webb on the way. Tomac eventually came through the checkered flag sixth. Seemed like another opportunity lost. He reiterated this in an Instagram post this afternoon.
“So bummed on that start last night, felt great in the heat race and riding all day. That gate went from the best to worst in a matter of minutes with the rain hitting the hard pack outside of the rut. In hindsight I should of chosen a different gate, but it is what it is. Looking forward to giving it another go in Glendale.”
Anaheim 2 - 450SX Main Event
January 26, 2025| Rider | Time | Interval | Best Lap | Hometown | Bike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jett Lawrence | 22 laps | 1:00.053 | Landsborough, Australia  | Honda | |
| 2 |  Ken Roczen | 2.496 | 1:00.075 | Mattstedt, Germany  | Suzuki | |
| 3 |  Jason Anderson | 1.358 | 1:00.545 | Edgewood, NM  | Kawasaki | |
| 4 |  Chase Sexton | 1.729 | 1:00.157 | La Moille, IL | KTM | |
| 5 |  Hunter Lawrence | 4.541 | 1:00.292 | Landsborough, Australia | Honda |
So, three California rounds and results of 5-1-7 to start the year. He leaves the California swing tied with Jett Lawrence for third at 57 points apiece behind Ken Roczen (62 points) and Chase Sexton (59 points). The results might not show it, but this is arguably the best Tomac has looked to start a 450SX season. Typically a slow starter, Tomac appears to be fully into the grove already. No more catching fire mid-season. He came out ready to go at the opener. And his riding shows it: Anaheim 1’s 20th to fifth ride; San Diego’s dominating win; and Anaheim 2’s 20th to sixth ride.
Check out what our own Kris Keefer posted about Tomac's line out of the gate to start the main event.
Check out Tomac’s line off the grate. 💀
— Kris Keefer (@KKeefer120) January 26, 2025
Hence the reason why he was back a bit. 😮 pic.twitter.com/Vt8vXyAFc0
Next up is the Glendale Supercross, which will be a Triple Crown format. Tomac has historically done well in Arizona (with a handful of 450SX wins) and he enters the first Triple Crown event of 2025 as the most dominant rider in the Triple Crown format since its inception prior to the 2018 season—more on that over the next few days. How will Tomac rebound in Arizona?
| Position | Rider | Hometown | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cooper Webb | Newport, NC | 365 |
| 2 | Chase Sexton | La Moille, IL | 363 |
| 3 |  Justin Cooper | Cold Spring Harbor, NY | 281 |
| 4 |  Malcolm Stewart | Haines City, FL | 277 |
| 5 | Ken Roczen | Mattstedt, Germany | 271 |
