You couldn’t ask for better news on the 27th of July to wake up to – confirmation that Eli Tomac will race again in 2024 with Star Racing Yamaha! The rumours have been around for a while that Eli will race SX only in 2024 and might even have an option for 2025, but now it’s official even if the details of the contract and if it is indeed SX only, aren’t clear yet.
But the bottom line is Tomac is back and he he hasn’t had the indignity of ending his career with an Achilles injury that cruelly ended his 2023 supercross title hopes when he was within touching distance of the title at his home stadium. It would have been one of the most disheartening and downright sad ways for an elite rider to ever have to leave the sport. It just didn’t feel right and Tomac agreed, “I’m eager to get another shot at competing for the championship!”
That means he will get another chance at Chase Sexton, who is now the defending champ, and will want to legitimize that title by beating Eli without injury, but even more exciting is that it will be the clash of the generations with Jett Lawrence stepping up into his first 450 supercross season as Tomac extends his career. With Lawrence killing everyone outdoors and his soft 450 skills, versus Tomac’s all power style, it could be epic. And, with Cooper Webb, Tomac’s title rival rumoured to be going to Star as well, it means Tomac could have a title rival under the same truck too, plus the ever present Ken Roczen who will have a year under his belt with Suzuki. The brain boggles at the level the racing could be.
The achilles injury almost robbed the world of Lawrence v Tomac, but now it’s going to happen. The guy who was on his way to the 2023 title, Eli Tomac, is back for more and he will want to re-claim the crown, no matter who is in the class, he has revenge on his mind. Roll on January.
Image: Feld Entertainment Inc.
Article: Jonathan McCready
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