Eli Tomac came back to Supercross slightly unexpectedly for the last two rounds and the legend was back on the podium and looking very fast once again on his KTM at his home round in Denver.
Interestingly, Tomac was testing a new prototype tyre, not as aggressive as the scoop but similar in ways in a bid to try and find the feel and balance he was looking for on track.
Eli said of testing the new tyre: “So far, it’s, it’s so good with it. I did play around with both directions on the tire today. So I tried forward and honestly reverse from what the direction says, it’s basically like a scoop. But played with both, both directions. And for me, I would say it was a success, especially in this, in this harder pack condition. It it gives me the right height that I’m looking for. And it even feels lighter than maybe some of the other options out there. So far, I really like it.
Tomac admitted he was frustrated with his stall in the sand when he was in the top five and right there with the contender:“I was angry and I basically double stalled it. So like I started the bike up and then like it, I let the clutch out and it spun again and it whatever killed the motor again. And then I had to start it again. So, yeah, I was frustrated. It was, it was frustrating. And then I was like, wow, I really just lost touch of the front of the race. So that was tough. But overall, man, yeah, it’s the seasons talk about a roller coaster. It’s been a serious one. So but to get back to the podium for me was a pretty big deal.”
Tomac also talked about his difficulty in passing his teammate, Jorge Prado: “I mean, he was basically taking the same exact lines I was. So it was getting pretty frustrating because I wasn’t able to move. I should have actually moved around earlier. And then in the I would say the smaller set of whoops. That’s where I should have opened up the turn earlier because I really kept following him there. And then the one time I opened it up and like got up next to him there. And then after that, I just had to like really show my fender like, dude, I I’m trying to, you know, of course, he’s doing what he can. But I was I was definitely stuck behind him. And that I think allowed Kenny to just sneak away.”
On coming back for the final two Supercross rounds and not just waiting for outdoors, Tomac said: “For me, I’ve been racing so long and I have such a big base built that I’m not afraid to, to still, you know, do a day of Supercross, day of motocross, like, I mean, not going to lose much fitness. And the best thing I can do right now is, is, is to go race. So at least that’s my mindset with it. And I just like to go racing.”
