Posts
692
Joined
1/29/2023
Location
Grants Pass, OR
US
Has anyone heard if he's committed or not. I don't know if he lurks on these boards or not, but if Eli does, Please! race the 450 Nationals this year and give us all one more gift of watching one of the Greats! put the boots to all his competition. Whatever happens, it doesn't matter, you had unfinished business in 2023 and you'll be going into the Nats healthy and ready to roll. Maybe ML512 has some insider pull and can give him a message to let him know his fans are hoping for a great Summer of watching him race one more AMA Nationals series before he rides off into the Sunset.
Poll
He doesn’t owe any of us anything. I will be beyond thrilled if he lines up.
I don't know, his last outdoor series took a Herculean effort to beat Chase. Now he's a year older, not at 100% fitness yet (but maybe he gets there), and will have to battle with Jett, a faster AP7, DF14, maybe a fired up KR94, and CS1 on his new ride which may work better outdoors for him. That's a pretty stacked deck...
I was thinking he was going to race outdoors, but in a recent interview he had nothing to say about it and seemed mad that the question was asked. Unfortunately I do not think he will do it, but he may take outdoors off to focus on SX, so we can at least possibly see him next year.
He'll get wins before supercross is done. It'll just be the "too little, too late" thing.
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Free shipping: VITALMX
As of now, nothing. He was asked by Lewis on press day and he stated there's been no talks about it yet. He was very serious when he answered this.
I voted “yes” because I’m hopeful…but it sure wouldn’t shock me or make me think less of him if he doesn’t. And, really…I’m betting he won’t.
The guy Tomac did split wins with in 2022 nationals (and won the championship with just 7 points) Sexton that is, in 2023 got NO wins and did not even lead ONE single lap (on the familliar Honda he rode in 22)… so… no, Eli wont do the nats in 2024.
No humiliation coming. Game over.
I don't think he'll race unless he believes he's going to win the title. At this point, I have a hard time believing that will be the case.
Sadly, The Eli we know and love ‘went out’ the moment he snapped his Achilles.
This is the farewell tour, enjoy it for what it is. I’m thankful I got to see him in Cardiff 2022.
So with that logic should Jason Anderson quit too? Roczen should quit for sure (Jett spanked him last year)...and Webb should forget about racing outdoors again since he can't beat Jett either. Who else should stop racing because they can't beat Jett?
Chase too? Jett didn't let him lead a single lap last year. Pretty humiliating.
Tomac missed Southwick last year. He needs to ride it this year.
Because the transitive property always works so well in sports....
I think it is based on if he still has the fire needed to win. He is the only one who knows that, and may not know it himself yet.
I would love nothing more for him to return for outdoors and him battle and/or beat Jett and Chase. I am not optimistic though.
This logic only regards Eli.
BUT, only Kenny gave Jett some challenge in the -23 nats, and as now in SX. Of course we need a bunch of ”also ran” riders but on a elite level, most other riders are not just beat but humiliated. Maybe racing is still fun for them, what do i know…
I get what you are saying but why/how would that logic only apply to Tomac? Tomac is probably the best outdoor rider since RC4. Eli shows he still has the speed in SX (some fast lap times) but SX is impossible when you get a bad start.
The Nationals are better suited for him to have a chance to run with Jett IMO. But yes, Eli has to 'want it' and we don't know.
No, we are talking about Eli, who had 1 foot out the door last year before his injury. Totally different set of circumstances to the others you mentioned.
I honestly think we will have a better MX series this year even if Jetson runs away with it.
Cooper has looked amazing this year on that YZ, AP and JA battle each other to the death (or one goes down). KR has 1 or 2 rounds of amazing sprint speed, and DF seems happier on his new CR. CS put 30 seconds on the field at Daytona so we know he has some good speed. I think we might be in for some amazing racing if everyone goes in healthy.
Don't think Eli would have thought he could come back from so much time off and just beat Jett. Of all the racers, he should have realized it would take a LONG time to get to that level. Jett has been racing nonstop while Eli was not.
Frustrating but he is smart enough to know the reality of it. It's not like Eli broke his collarbone and started riding again four weeks later. As far as it being 'humiliating', Jett is doing that to all of the former champs so don't see how it is different at all.
I’ve made myself look pretty foolish on this site with some of my Tomac takes (I was the dumbass who said he only went to Yamaha for money) but I just can’t see why he would want to race outdoors unless it’s for some sort of farewell tour. I think he could sneak in a few moto wins if he truly commits himself but competing with Jett for a title just doesn’t seem realistic right now.
Pit Row
Eli won't race Outdoors, I think he retires after SX. In interviews lately, he has said he wasn't willing to do the jump rhythms like the other guys were doing.
Webb will race a couple Outdoor races, get smoked and find some reason to sit the rest of the season out.
Chase will try to catch Jett, but once he gets close Jett will pull away like last year.
I don't like it, but it is the Jett show from now on.
Didn’t seem into it in his Indy press day interview, unfortunately.
He seems frustrated lately like things are not clicking right. I am a big fan of him because I (perceive that) operate similarly. His attitude at arlington seemed almost like relieved when he said "I'm back" and I have seen in the weeks since that he has felt frustrated. He seems like a guy who knows he is so much better than he is but there is something holding him back - maybe even himself!
He's stuck between knowing he's better and executing it. So, in my opinion, the only question remaining is 'What will he do about this dilemma?'
Sort of off topic, but Jett has broken chase outdoors and in SX so far, and I think that Chase will dial the KTM in some more for outdoors, get beat by jett, and that will break him for the last time and he will never have the mindset to win again. Hurts to say because I am a chase superfan (after tomac) as well and simply don't care for anything lawrence but that's what I see.
My guess would be if he doesn’t get a win this year he comes back in 25. No outdoors. If he wins a race this year, possibly CO, I think he calls it a career
All good things eventually come to an end. Eli had a great career and can leave without having anything else to prove. It happens to all of them eventually.
Why?
Sitting out outdoors and coming back for SX25 proves exactly what? Jett will only be faster and have his craft more dialed on the 450. Eli can't fight father time, it is what it is.
Can’t go out like this? Like what? Four 450 MX championships. Two 450 Supercross championships second on the all-time Supercross win list, plus much more. No matter when he goes out, he’ll be going out like that.
He's 36 points behind Jett and 5th place in the standings, maybe this Beast mode Eli Tomac is truly gone, but I think AMA National Motocross might be an opportunity for him to retire knowing he gave JL a battle to the finish. We've never seen the two of them race each other at the AMA Nationals aboard 450's. I think after the Supercross series and by the first National, he'd have rode himself back into shape and be ready for a fight.
hypothetical.. But what happens if Tomac lines up and Jett goes starts off winning the first 5 rounds?
Anything can happen, imagine at the 3rd National Jett Lawrence has a DNF or gets injured for a couple rounds, I think Eli would have some regrets for at least not starting the series, but I could be wrong. Just because Jett had a perfect season in 2023, doesn't mean he's unbeatable and the competition has to be scared of lining up at the same gate as him.
So you are saying Tomac making the first wins for Triumph in 25 and 26 ? Dang, I didn't see it coming !
Post a reply to: Tomac can't go out like this