Eli Tomac has started out the season on fire with the KTM, winning a three-way brawl with Ken Roczen and Hunter Lawrence made it two wins in a row at the start of the season and the perfect start to the 2026 Supercross season.
Eli though, admitted he didn’t even know Hunter was close because he was more concerned with Roczen but the Lawrence’s don’t rev the bikes much so he couldn’t hear Hunter coming!
“It was quite a back and forth there, and in the beginning of the race, I tried to play the patience game, you know, Hunter and Ken were really, really dicing it out. So I kind of just tried to warm up into the race there and stay on them, but also try not to do anything too wild there. And then, of course, I’m in my way forward, a pass Hunter, and then started dicing it with Ken, you know, back and forth, and the first pass, I’m like, okay, I think I’m gonna make the stick, and I can get away, and sure enough, that didn’t happen and Ken came back, and then it was tough.
“Once I got in front of him, the second time, (I) got back into a good groove again and thought I was all good, like just watching Ken and kind of marking around the track. And then the last lap, I go over the tunnel, and I hear this rev, and I look over, and I see a red fender. And I’m just like, what in the world is that? And it was Hunter! So I’m kind of bummed on myself, like I just wasn’t paying attention.
“Plus, the Lawrence’s ride so quiet on the track, you just, don’t know they’re there! So, that’s on me for not watching the pit board, the tower, and being aware, and just honestly, just watching Ken too much. So that was, I felt like when I saw him over the tunnel, I’m like, I don’t know what I’m gonna do in this next corner, and I just pinned it into that environment and hoped for the best. So, of course, great night, you know, another win, two weekends row with this team. But it was close.”
“As far as winning two in a row. Of course, you dream of it, but making it happen is a whole different deal, so it’s a great start for us.”
On his corner speed and feeling with the bike Eli said: “The turns were awesome. I was able to move around, so I’m really, really happy with what I’m working with right now in this motorcycle. Like, I can do my feet up on the pegs if I want to. I can kind of move around, and I can just lay the bike over.
“I’ll say, like, the left-to-right on this bike, right-to-left, is really nice. Like, I can throw this thing around right now, and then I’m very efficient on the bike, too. So, it’s a good motorcycle for me right now, I feel really at one with this motorcycle, and it’s showing.”
