Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but Premium users receive great benefits. Premium benefits include:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
Not in 2015…
Wasn’t Jett like 5th and Eli outside the top 10.
Maybe he learned from that..
By watching the replay again Jett was around 7-8th after the first corner and Eli was around 13/14th. After the first lap Jett was in 5th and Tomac in 8th. That was moto 2 by the way. Moto 1 Tomac started 4th and stayed there the whole time until Hunter crashed as just as CPR said.
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Eli would have gone 3/1/1/8/1/1 without Jett in the corner. He was lapping 2.13 while Hunter, Cooper and Plessinger were 2.16 the lap before Eli crashed. He is riding really good, just not good enough... yet.
That was not a track for Eli to do Eli on. If Jett wasn't out there, then yeah it would have worked anyway but that track was way to technical to ride the way ET3 likes to ride imho.
Eli is pushing Jett and they’re both making mistakes but Eli has been the one to fumble (so far). Let the racing continue
I was coming in here to say the same thing. There's a reason once guys get into their 30's it is more difficult for them to win in this sport. This is a young man's sport. Reaction times are slower, maximum heart rate decreases with age, body doesn't recover as quickly, etc.
Eli is soooooo good. We all should relish having him out there. Jett is just consistently better right now. Watching Thunder Valley and how gnarly that track was and watching how Jett was so smooth and hitting his marks was super impressive.
Eli has the speed but he is more on edge than Jett and that's why we keep seeing the mistakes from Eli. I feel both guys are pushing but that Eli is having to push that extra little bit that is putting him more on the edge. He will figure it out and then we should have some epic battles going forward. The racing has been good so far and I have enjoyed it! Just looking for RC4 / JS7 type racing for the rest of the season!
I think first Moto Hunter rode a wide bike and Eli lost his pace. 2nd moto he was about 5 seconds back at one point behind Jett, he was crankung off 2:12's pretty consistently to Jetts 2:13s. He rushed a corner setting up for a pass in the next section and fell. You gotta love it! Where the Hell is Sexton!? We need him out there in the mix...Jett races smart for a 21 year old but I think Eli is gonna get him soon....
Based on the evidence of this season by itself that’s a logical take. However when you look at the two previous 450MX series you start realising this exactly the same scenario playing out again. A fast competitor is pushing Jett but can never quite make it happen; or at least never often and consistently enough to make a difference for the series.
Eli has been great but look at the points - it’s only three rounds in and he’s already a full moto down in points.
Currently, who is faster between ET and Jett is a toss up. They are 1-1 so far this mx season in heads up racing (when both get a similar start and both keep it on two wheels). For now, it appears like whoever starts in front of the other is very likely to win, because at that insane pace the guy in back is going to have to take big risks to catch up, make a pass, and make it stick. However, ET has oddly often seemed to prefer moving up through the field and stalking, so maybe he cleans up the mistakes and gets around Jett like he did in San Diego. ET was 20pts down on Chase after 2 or 3 rounds in 2022 and ended up winning the title dominantly. Could it happen again?
Eli’s time away from MX has to have a negative impact on speed, even if small. One more reason to think he will improve. Note; I also think Jett will get better.
Tim is great and is an all timer, but If I remember correctly Jett had to come from a ways back, he passed Gasjer, pulled a bit of a gap and then got complacent the last few laps IMO, then left the inside wide open on the last corner. It was a weird final 5 minutes in that race. Gasjer does not beat Jett in many motos if they race head to head for a full season (and I am not a Jett fan other than just being a fan of his skill). We were definitely not rooting for Jett in that moto!
That said has anyone else passed Jett outdoors in the last couple of years and made it stick besides Tim (and assuming Jett did not crash like Hangtown 2024?)
Keep an eye on hunter when these guys are behind him. He is doing a good job of blocking for his brother.
Not that jett needs it but an observation
Good Points- I do see some differences this year though. Eli for one....but Lets take him out of it for a second. AP.....AP was able to close on him and stalk him and make a pass. AP is not used to leading in the 450 class and had he been a bit smarter and put that pass on him with 2 to go he would have won. Does that change your opinion at all? Now bring back Eli, he is used to being up front and is a much smarter racer in all the ways. He has the speed. No doubt. The points will be hard if we can't get some more guys up there like AP. Damn shame Chase isn't out there with his speed, fitness and late moto pushes. I'm rooting for the old man...can't help it turning 50 this year. That Jett is impressive as Fuk and I really like his humbleness and respect to these guys-
We are enjoying something special here- Cheers
Every bit of this ^^^^^
Hunter isn't an excuse and Eli would laugh at you if you suggested that to him. Hunter is racing too, ya know?
...and yeah, I want to see tight battles, Eli wins, and a tight points race to the end. If I had to pick my personal "favorite", I'd tell you Eli all the way. He looks as fast as ever, but his beast mode isn't quite enough. Eli needs consistent top 3 starts, period. No excuses. Jett will be there 9 times out of 10 and there is no room for digging out of a hole lap 1 while Jett is dancing around the track like a gazelle, using half the energy.
Guys, without Jett, Tomac would have win 3 races already, and 2 overalls. Thunder Valley moto 2, he passed everyone but Jett and was lapping 2.13 against 2.16 for the rest before the crash. Eli is riding at a very high level, it is just not enough (yet) to be better than Jett, and we're not use to see a fast Eli being beaten.
As for race 1, he ended up 3rd not because of a lack of speed, but a lack of passing strategy (he wanted to pass Hunter at every turn and was losing a lot of ground in certain areas). Jett did in 6 or 7 turns (by passing Aaron back) what Eli was trying to do with Hunter for 30 minutes. Sometimes you have to follow your competitor to pass him at a good place.
Pit Row
Gajser did pass and beat Jett that panicked and try to get him back at MXoN.
Both Gajser and Cohnen can hang with Jett on hardpacked, and both are great starters. Probably a bit more risk on Gajser and Cohnen but still up there.
On sand I still think Herlings (form he is arriving to) has Jett covered.
31-32 is not an issue physically. Many endurance sports 28-32/33 is prime.
I'm 40+, my max HR hasn't changed in 15 years since I started measuring it. Still 200 (even if MHR actually is irrelevant).
I think experience makes up a lot for it. Setting up bikes, handling different track and trace conditions.
But one thing that many will suffer from, is that there is certainly less NFG with age. Just to aware of consequences of making a bad move. Starts for example. NFG, just hang on even if someone gets the elbow and you hook into them. With experience, you back off more often because 2/10 it will be a major cluster fuck that will hurt. But 8/10 times you will be able to salvage a decent start by just hoping for the best.
Be careful. I’ve been telling people I think Eli is physically more able than Jett but half the forum is about to tell you that 30 is death sentence.
Meanwhile i get demolished by runners in their 40’s
Genetics play a huge role. I think Eli has the genetics, living at high altitude, age and a trainer/father that has been at the top. Hard to compete with.
Jett is young, he has 5-8 years before he should peak physically if he is still at it.
Tomac riding style requires more energy, always at max. But at the same time he get used to it. I think Jett will suffer more when he has to go peak intensity when pushed that little extra because he is not used to that. But they also nee to get closer first for that to happen. AP tried but it was shortlived 😄
I agree. I think we can settle the question around Jett's practice of only staying a few seconds ahead and whether it's intentional. I think it clearly is. He gets just enough of a gap to be comfortable and where he doesn't have to push, then ramps it up if someone gets too close, or in AP's case briefly passes him. Various pundits are still speculating on whether this is on purpose, I think we have enough data now to show it is. I think people have been perplexed by it because it's never really been seen before. Most riders try to get a much larger gap before relaxing.
Can we put the Jett is 'maxed out' out front argument to bed please?
Motocross and running are not the same sports.
Probably the fastest in AMA.
The fastest guy in the world the last two years is in 8th place overall. Things are so upside down!
Sexton passed Jett and beat him in moto 2 at Southwick last year. Jett should continue to get physically stronger over the next 3-4 years. Chase seemed to outlast Jett in that race and kept slamming into stuff harder/faster than Jett could.
I am a huge Jett fan but have a ton of respect for Eli, I think he is going as fast as he can. He sure needs to clutch the heck out of the bike to get it out of turns
Goes to show I do not think there is one perfectly setup bike out there, each one has its pluses and minuses
Never said they were. What’s your point?
My point is there is tons of parity in athletic performance and age is a much smaller slice of the pie than anyone thinks - until some point but 32 isn’t it.
30 give or take a year or two is the physical prime for many male athletes - sprinters, rugby players etc.
I think the difference in moto is the need to take some risks to be at the top and with age (and other responsibilities like family, future health etc) the willingness to take those risks diminishes.
Another aspect that would be interesting to understand is how reaction times are affected by age.
Post a reply to: Eli Tomac speed