Eli Tomac is in a strange spot. He’s not out of the title chase but hasn’t really shown enough speed yet to prove he is really in it.
That is, barring that throwback ride in the final moto of the triple header that proved Eli still might have the goods to beat them all, but can he replicate that performance consistently?
That fleeting moment put a knowing smile on Tomac’s face, confirmation to himself that he still had the pace, but Eli surprisingly later admitted even he wondered if he had lost the winning touch after his injury. Doubts creeping in?
And then, just when it looked like prime Tomac was back, one of the most puzzling rides (and there have been a few just not on a Yamaha) of his career followed. Third to tenth with no crashes amidst rumours of rear suspension issues, that Tomac ultimately said was just arm pump, killed his momentum and led to more questions than answers.
Tomac rebounded somewhat for fourth in Glendale but, crucially, the points leader, rookie of the class, and new big man on campus, Jett Lawrence, caught and passed him. More points lost and the new generation showing their spritely heels to a man that recently tore his achilles. Not ideal for the points or confidence, especially when Jett publicly said how good it felt to catch and pass a legend, like it was the passing of the torch.
So, was that flash of speed in the triple crown just a reminder of the past or an indication of the future? Tomac has no time to waste, no more margin for error. He needs to find his A game quickly to get this title.
A week off may have helped him fine tune the Yamaha to get him comfortable, in fact, it better have, because time is running out in every sense for Eli in his last season of AMA supercross with the races ticking down (11 to go) and the points gap going up (17).
It wasn’t supposed to end like this. Something needs to change quickly. Arlington awaits.
Article: Jonathan McCready
Image: Yamaha
