Unpopular but true opinion... Tomac should go green if Sexton doesn't

twotwosix
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Edited Date/Time 5/9/2025 1:25pm

I know everyone is saying Tomac is going to go to KTM, maybe even Ducati or Triumph. And if Sexton does go to Kawasaki, Eli's best option is KTM, no doubt. (Outside of a ClubMX Yamaha because he really should just stay on the same Blue bike & suspension at this point in his career no matter how.)

BUT, if Chase magically decides to stay at KTM and Yamaha truly can't afford to keep Tomac, Eli should go back to Kawi. The bike is great, he knows the team, he keeps all of his personal sponsors, it just makes sense. Eli isn't the type of guy who wants to be a brand ambassador after he's done racing, he just wants a good bike to go racing on for two more years and he wants to be paid market value to do it. Eli will fare much better on a KX450 next year in SX than he will on a KTM, Duc or Triumph. He cannot afford to spend a year getting used to or developing a 450, he needs to hop on a bike and go race for wins in January.

 

Screenshot 2025-05-09 161842
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Johnny Ringo
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5/9/2025 1:23pm

I agree with this statement. Bring him home. 

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vanceprigge
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5/9/2025 1:30pm

I wonder how big of a deal breaker a hydro clutch really is for him.

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1
5/9/2025 1:36pm

I wonder how big of a deal breaker a hydro clutch really is for him.

I mean, it's not like he hasn't won multiple titles with a hydro.

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twotwosix
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5/9/2025 1:36pm Edited Date/Time 5/9/2025 1:38pm

I wonder how big of a deal breaker a hydro clutch really is for him.

I don't think there is a situation where he can stay on a cable clutch. Unless he can line up another Yamaha ride, which I 100% believe he should. He looks great on the YZ450, just stay on one and ride it off into the sunset. MC, JS7, Reed, Windham, those guys have all ridden and won 450 Supercrosses on Factory supported independent teams. You don't have to be on a Factory team to win. Eli could win on a ClubMX YZ450 if they could afford him. Hell, Eli could win on a Star Racing YZ450 pitted out of a Toy Hauler behind the semi lol. 

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The Shop

ando
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5/9/2025 1:47pm

I wonder how big of a deal breaker a hydro clutch really is for him.

twotwosix wrote:
I don't think there is a situation where he can stay on a cable clutch. Unless he can line up another Yamaha ride, which I 100%...

I don't think there is a situation where he can stay on a cable clutch. Unless he can line up another Yamaha ride, which I 100% believe he should. He looks great on the YZ450, just stay on one and ride it off into the sunset. MC, JS7, Reed, Windham, those guys have all ridden and won 450 Supercrosses on Factory supported independent teams. You don't have to be on a Factory team to win. Eli could win on a ClubMX YZ450 if they could afford him. Hell, Eli could win on a Star Racing YZ450 pitted out of a Toy Hauler behind the semi lol. 

If you watch ML’s latest silly season video he’s saying that if Yamaha factory aka Star isn’t able or willing to retain Eli then factory level Yamaha support isn’t happening anywhere else.

ML sounds certain that Yamaha is not a realistic option for Eli.  Looks like Eli is in an unexpected position - he wants a factory level contract but there’s only one team willing to do that and they are waiting on someone else.  It’s an entirely possible outcome that Eli’s only option for next year is Ducati.

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5/9/2025 1:51pm Edited Date/Time 5/9/2025 1:53pm

Would be amazing if Eli bought yamaha's...(tuned to his liking, etc) and went crazy as a "Privateer" on yamaha's bonus budget. 

Yes, I'm dreaming. I bet CLUBMX could make it happen some way....just need to find the salary portion. Can someone call Elon for a little cash infusion?

 

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5/9/2025 1:55pm Edited Date/Time 5/9/2025 2:13pm

Didn't he burn bridges on the way out?

And why would Kawi sign him when they would rather have Chase? 

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APLMAN99
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5/9/2025 1:59pm
Would be amazing if Eli bought yamaha's...(tuned to his liking, etc) and went crazy as a "Privateer" on yamaha's bonus budget. Yes, I'm dreaming. I bet CLUBMX...

Would be amazing if Eli bought yamaha's...(tuned to his liking, etc) and went crazy as a "Privateer" on yamaha's bonus budget. 

Yes, I'm dreaming. I bet CLUBMX could make it happen some way....just need to find the salary portion. Can someone call Elon for a little cash infusion?

 

He'd have to negotiate a much bigger contingency than Yamaha's 'standard' contingency for SX, MX, and SMX.  Their published contingency is only $25K per race win, which they undoubtedly pay more for their factory supported riders.  

resetjet
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5/9/2025 2:05pm

Such a tough situation.  Sexton webb and cooper all riding great and the lawrences coming back.  Hard to want to invest too much into that.  

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Brent
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5/9/2025 2:09pm

Never will happen

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Falcon
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5/9/2025 2:15pm

I agree with this statement. Bring him home. 

-MAVERICK- wrote:
1000007219

The internet would explode, can't do it. 

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-MAVERICK-
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5/9/2025 2:18pm
Falcon wrote:

The internet would explode, can't do it. 

I'd love to see it. Kenny to Ducati, Tomac to Progressive Suzuki. Boom. Internet just broke. 😄

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spimx
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5/9/2025 2:44pm

I wonder how big of a deal breaker a hydro clutch really is for him.

I mean, it's not like he hasn't won multiple titles with a hydro.

He has one championship on hydroloc clutch. 2019 motocross on a kx

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Johnny Ringo
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5/9/2025 2:50pm
Falcon wrote:

The internet would explode, can't do it. 

-MAVERICK- wrote:

I'd love to see it. Kenny to Ducati, Tomac to Progressive Suzuki. Boom. Internet just broke. 😄

Only if he goes back to TLD also!

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5/9/2025 2:52pm Edited Date/Time 5/9/2025 2:54pm

I wonder how big of a deal breaker a hydro clutch really is for him.

I mean, it's not like he hasn't won multiple titles with a hydro.

spimx wrote:

He has one championship on hydroloc clutch. 2019 motocross on a kx

2020 SX:

IMG 3234 0.jpeg?VersionId=JFo8 xLQ87HpOeYDzhvCezdAlP
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mtbkris2
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5/9/2025 3:03pm

He’s riding as good as ever. I don’t see him switching teams and having to deal with a lot of testing this point in his career. Yamaha and monster are absolutely crazy if they can’t find a way to scrape together funds for one more year 

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Honda11
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5/9/2025 3:20pm

I always assumed he was going to retire after this year.  Has he changed his mind?

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5/9/2025 3:25pm
mtbkris2 wrote:
He’s riding as good as ever. I don’t see him switching teams and having to deal with a lot of testing this point in his career...

He’s riding as good as ever. I don’t see him switching teams and having to deal with a lot of testing this point in his career. Yamaha and monster are absolutely crazy if they can’t find a way to scrape together funds for one more year 

Every insider on Earth has said he's not going to be back on Star and yet I still see these posts. Do you think its a big Aprils Fools joke on all of us?

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Stephon
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5/9/2025 3:25pm
mtbkris2 wrote:
He’s riding as good as ever. I don’t see him switching teams and having to deal with a lot of testing this point in his career...

He’s riding as good as ever. I don’t see him switching teams and having to deal with a lot of testing this point in his career. Yamaha and monster are absolutely crazy if they can’t find a way to scrape together funds for one more year 

I don't doubt that Yamaha and/or Monster have the finances to retain Tomac, but it seems that they have projected that it doesn't make business sense to allocate those funds for that purpose.  They can see the projected ceiling.  The best Eli can do is win the championship and Monster/Yamaha knows what that costs in salary/bonuses/travel/parts/personnel, etc.  They also know that he could get injured and not be able to race at all. Lately, with Eli, they have more experience with injuries and no racing.  Plus, I think all parties thought he'd be retired by now.

I hope he finds a way to have what he needs to race next season.

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5/9/2025 3:28pm

I would rather see him back on a Honda than on Kawi. 

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5/9/2025 3:30pm
mtbkris2 wrote:
He’s riding as good as ever. I don’t see him switching teams and having to deal with a lot of testing this point in his career...

He’s riding as good as ever. I don’t see him switching teams and having to deal with a lot of testing this point in his career. Yamaha and monster are absolutely crazy if they can’t find a way to scrape together funds for one more year 

Stephon wrote:
I don't doubt that Yamaha and/or Monster have the finances to retain Tomac, but it seems that they have projected that it doesn't make business sense...

I don't doubt that Yamaha and/or Monster have the finances to retain Tomac, but it seems that they have projected that it doesn't make business sense to allocate those funds for that purpose.  They can see the projected ceiling.  The best Eli can do is win the championship and Monster/Yamaha knows what that costs in salary/bonuses/travel/parts/personnel, etc.  They also know that he could get injured and not be able to race at all. Lately, with Eli, they have more experience with injuries and no racing.  Plus, I think all parties thought he'd be retired by now.

I hope he finds a way to have what he needs to race next season.

Wasnt the plan to retire after '23 mx? Then he got hurt in sx and he came back for '24, he came back for '25 amd got hurt again. Lets not act like Yamaha is doing him dirty 

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tahoefd
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5/9/2025 3:35pm
Honda11 wrote:

I always assumed he was going to retire after this year.  Has he changed his mind?

That's what Star thought too. Club would probably get a lot more factory support (for Tomac anyway) if he went that way, but I think it would be really cool if he went to Ducati and kicked some major ass on the new bike. Yeah, yeah, I know, new bike, bla, bla, bla, etc. Caroli likes it! Or is paid well to like it !?!?

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5/9/2025 4:03pm

           I believe ET has a good bit of pride, and rightly so.  Star signing Webb before Eli, and the promises made to Deegan have sent a message to Tomac, and I don’t think he is coming back to Star under any circumstances. 

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PRM31
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5/9/2025 5:56pm

Unless Gilly(sp?) is coming and Kawi promises free reign on setup he isn’t going Kawi. The KTM is dialed and capable. The Ducati is an unknown, and really unknown for Supercross. Has TLD even stated they will do SX next year? It may prove to be a great bike, but until he rides it a bit it is a complete unknown. 

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Magoofan
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5/9/2025 5:58pm Edited Date/Time 5/9/2025 5:58pm

Tomac was miserable at Kawi....    He's a totally different guy since going Star.

 

Rather see him on Honda if he's jumping ship.

 

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Lineman25
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5/9/2025 6:04pm
PRM31 wrote:
Unless Gilly(sp?) is coming and Kawi promises free reign on setup he isn’t going Kawi. The KTM is dialed and capable. The Ducati is an unknown...

Unless Gilly(sp?) is coming and Kawi promises free reign on setup he isn’t going Kawi. The KTM is dialed and capable. The Ducati is an unknown, and really unknown for Supercross. Has TLD even stated they will do SX next year? It may prove to be a great bike, but until he rides it a bit it is a complete unknown. 

Eli and gully no longer are working together

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5/9/2025 6:10pm

So who said Tomac is leaving Yamaha and going anywhere ? I am not talking about the Vital peanut gallery, who with creditability has said Tomac is leaving Yamaha. 

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ando
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5/9/2025 6:12pm
lostboy819 wrote:
So who said Tomac is leaving Yamaha and going anywhere ? I am not talking about the Vital peanut gallery, who with creditability has said Tomac...

So who said Tomac is leaving Yamaha and going anywhere ? I am not talking about the Vital peanut gallery, who with creditability has said Tomac is leaving Yamaha. 

Michael Lindsay in his latest silly season update video.

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