Let’s borrow a tag line from the ad campaign from Alpinestars, the protection brand that backs Eli Tomac. Eli had one goal, one vision: He wanted to prove that he could once again be the guy in supercross. Eli admitted that he might be crazy, but he truly believed he could be the best in 2025, even into his thirties, even against competition like 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Champion Jett Lawrence.

Eli is not crazy. His entire comeback effort (from a ruptured Achilles in 2023) was justified on a magical night in San Diego, where he outdueled the much younger Lawrence for the win. That was everything he was trying to prove and everything he believed. It was unforgettable.

Unfortunately, that moment looms even larger now. Because Lawrence and Tomac might not race each other in a supercross ever again. Following San Diego, both were out with injuries within two weeks, though somehow neither of them crashed when they were injured. That’s the story of 2025: So much promise, so much heartbreak.