It may have come as a surprise to many to see Cornelius Tøndel lining up at his first-ever Supercross event in Nashville, but for those close to the Norwegian, it was something he had been eager to tick off. Despite limited preparation — just three days on a Supercross track — Tøndel embraced the challenge, marking another significant step in his comeback after a tough off-season plagued by injuries.
Having spent most of his time in America riding Motocross preparing for the outdoors, expectations were understandably low heading into the event. However, Tøndel quickly showed promise, getting strong starts and holding his own in the opening laps against far more experienced Supercross competitors.
Reflecting on the experience, Tøndel told GateDrop.com:
“My first ever SX race is done and dusted, wow what an experience. It’s been a long recovery after dislocating my hip, having to do three surgeries and breaking my lower back this off season. Now in my second month back on the bike and only three days doing SX prep – I did my first ever Supercross race.
“I improved so much during the day and I rode my best laps in the LCQ after getting the holeshot. A few mistakes too many meant I didn’t get into the main event, but I’m not disappointed. It was a positive weekend, and I learnt so much”.
Despite missing out on the main event, the overall feeling was one of satisfaction and progress. With no pressure on results, the focus remained firmly on learning and gaining experience — something Tøndel feels he achieved.
“We came into this weekend with zero expectations, and just wanting to learn as much as possible and that’s exactly what we did I’m proud of myself, and grateful for the opportunity”.
The intensity of Supercross quickly became apparent, particularly as the races progressed. While his starts and early laps were strong, maintaining that intensity proved to be a new challenge.
“My starts and my first 4-5 laps was great, then I got stiff and started dropping back. That supercross intensity is something else for sure, but now that I’ve done it and I know how it is I will be way better prepared for the next one”.
One of the standout moments of his debut came in a brief but memorable on-track exchange with Ken Roczen — a rider Tøndel has grown up watching.
“When Kenny (Roczen) had a tip over in the sand I went up the inside and just got passed him. He obviously passed me back a couple corners later and disappeared but in the moment you don’t think about it. Riding out of the tunnel after you are finished is when you start thinking about what you’ve just done and it’s unreal. I’ve watched those guys on TV since I was on a 65cc and now I’m in a packed stadium racing against them. It is just unreal”, Tøndel concluded.
All things considered, it was a hugely positive debut for Tøndel. With valuable experience now under his belt and a clearer understanding of the demands of Supercross, the Norwegian will no doubt be better prepared the next time he lines up.
