Eli Tomac facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eli Tomac |
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Tomac In 2020
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| Nationality |  American |
| Born | November 14, 1992 Cortez, Colorado, US |
| Motocross career | |
| Years active | 2010–present |
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| Championships |
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Eli Tomac (born November 14, 1992) is a famous American professional Motocross and Supercross racer. He competes in the top-level AMA Supercross and Motocross championships. Eli is known for his incredible skill and speed on dirt bikes.
He has won many titles, including two AMA 450cc Supercross championships and four AMA 450cc Motocross championships. He also won championships in the 250cc classes. Eli Tomac is one of the most successful riders ever, with 56 wins in 450cc AMA Supercross and 32 wins in 450cc AMA Motocross.
Contents
Eli Tomac's Racing Journey
Early Years and Amateur Success
Eli Tomac started his racing journey at a young age. He grew up on his family's ranch in Cortez, Colorado, riding dirt bikes. His father, John Tomac, was also a famous mountain bike racing champion.
As an amateur, Eli showed great talent. He won eight titles at the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Championship. His first title came in 2004. He continued to win in different age groups, showing he was a rising star. In 2009, he won the 125cc FIM Junior World Championship in New Zealand.
Starting Professional: 250cc Races
Eli began his professional career in 2010 with Team Geico Honda. He made history by winning his very first professional race at the 250cc AMA Motocross season opener. This was a huge achievement for a rookie!
In the 250cc Supercross series, Eli quickly became a top contender. He finished 2nd in the 2011 250SX West Championship. In 2012, he won the 250cc Supercross championship with five main event victories. He also placed 3rd overall in the AMA Motocross outdoor series that year.
The 2013 season was also very strong for Eli. He nearly won another 250cc Supercross title, finishing just two points behind the champion. He then went on to win the AMA Motocross 250cc title, showing his dominance in the class.
Moving Up: 450cc Races
In 2014, Eli Tomac moved up to the 450cc class, which is the premier class in Motocross and Supercross. This class features the most powerful bikes and the toughest competition.
First 450cc Wins and Challenges (2014-2015)
Eli's first full 450SX Supercross season in 2014 had some challenges due to injuries. However, he still managed to get three podium finishes. He quickly showed his speed in the outdoor Motocross series. He earned his first 450 Class overall victory at the Spring Creek National in Minnesota.
The 2015 Supercross season was a breakthrough. Eli secured his first 450SX victory in Phoenix. He won two more races that season and finished an impressive second place overall in the championship.
His 2015 Motocross season started incredibly strong, winning the first five races. Unfortunately, a crash during a race caused injuries to both his shoulders. This meant he had to stop racing for the rest of the season to recover.
Kawasaki Years: Championships and Records (2016-2021)
In 2016, Eli joined the Monster Energy Kawasaki team. He continued to show his speed, winning a Supercross main event in Daytona. He finished second in the 2016 Pro Motocross Championship.
The 2017 season was a thrilling one. Eli won six of eight Supercross races at one point, battling closely for the championship. He finished second overall by a narrow margin. However, he went on to win the 2017 AMA Motocross title, showing his strength in outdoor racing.
Eli faced an early injury in the 2018 Supercross season but fought back to win eight main events. He finished third overall. He then dominated the 2018 Motocross Championship, winning eight overall races and securing his second consecutive 450MX title.
In 2019, Eli won six Supercross main events and finished second overall in the championship. He then achieved a historic third consecutive 450MX title in the Motocross Championship, becoming only the fourth rider to do so.
The 2020 Supercross season was a big one for Eli. He showed amazing consistency and won five races before the season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When racing resumed, he continued his strong performance, securing his first 450cc AMA Supercross Championship! He finished 25 points ahead of the second-place rider.
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In 2021, his final year with Kawasaki, Eli won three Supercross races and finished third in the championship. He also secured two overall wins in the Motocross nationals, finishing second overall.
Yamaha Years: Double Champion and Injuries (2021-2025)
Eli made a big move to Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha for the 2022 season. It was a fantastic year! He won his second 450SX Supercross title with seven main event victories. He was even awarded the Best Male Action Sports Athlete ESPY Award.
He then continued his winning streak in the outdoor season. Eli battled fiercely and won his fourth 450MX title. This made him the first rider since 2015 to win both the AMA Supercross and Motocross Championships in the same year!
The 2023 season introduced the new SuperMotocross World Championship. Eli was a strong favorite. He was in a close battle for the 2023 AMA Supercross title. However, during a race in Denver, he had a hard landing after a jump. This caused an injury to his Achilles tendon, which meant he had to stop racing for the rest of the season to recover.
Eli returned to racing for the 2024 SuperMotocross Championship. He worked hard to recover from his injury and adapt to a new Yamaha bike. He showed great pace in the second half of the Supercross season, earning several podium finishes and a win in St. Louis. He also podiumed in the Motocross season after missing early rounds due to a thumb injury.
In 2025, Eli continued with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing for the SuperMotocross season. He started strong, winning in San Diego and extending his streak of seasons with at least one Supercross victory to eleven years. However, he sustained a broken left fibula during qualifying in Tampa, which unfortunately ended his 2025 Supercross campaign. He later delivered a strong performance at the 2025 Motocross of Nations, helping Team USA secure second overall.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (2026-Present)
For the 2026 season, Eli Tomac joined the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team. He has already started the 2026 Supercross season with strong results, including two wins and a podium finish.
Motocross of Nations Participation
Eli Tomac has proudly represented Team U.S.A. at the Motocross des Nations six times. This is a special team event where riders from different countries compete.
Team USA's Efforts
- 2013, Germany: Eli raced in the MX2 class. He battled hard and helped Team U.S.A. finish 2nd overall.
- 2014, Latvia: He competed in the Open Class. Despite a crash, he charged through the pack to finish 3rd in one moto, contributing to Team U.S.A.'s 3rd place overall.
- 2018, USA: As team captain in the MXGP class, Eli raced on a muddy track at Red Bud. Team U.S.A. finished 5th overall.
- 2022, USA: Eli was captain again at Red Bud. He set the tone by winning his first moto. Team U.S.A. secured the overall win for the first time in 11 years!
- 2024, Great Britain: Eli stepped in for an injured teammate. He showed great skill, finishing 2nd and 3rd in his motos. Team U.S.A. finished 2nd overall.
- 2025, USA: In his final race with Yamaha, Eli delivered an emotional performance at Ironman Raceway. He finished 4th and 2nd in his motos, helping Team USA secure 2nd overall.
AMA Supercross/Motocross Results
| Year | Rnd 1 |
Rnd 2 |
Rnd 3 |
Rnd 4 |
Rnd 5 |
Rnd 6 |
Rnd 7 |
Rnd 8 |
Rnd 9 |
Rnd 10 |
Rnd 11 |
Rnd 12 |
Rnd 13 |
Rnd 14 |
Rnd 15 |
Rnd 16 |
Rnd 17 |
Average Finish |
Podium Percent |
Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 250 MX | 1 | 6 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | 7.50 | 8% | 6th |
| 2011 250 SX-W | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3.33 | 67% | 2nd |
| 2011 250 MX | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | OUT | 13 | 17 | 3 | 19 | 2 | 9 | - | - | - | - | - | 7.45 | 36% | 4th |
| 2012 250 SX-W | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | DNF | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1.90 | 88% | 1st |
| 2012 250 MX | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | - | - | - | - | - | 2.75 | 67% | 3rd |
| 2013 250 SX-W | 1 | 1 | 1 | DNF | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2.00 | 88% | 2nd |
| 2013 250 MX | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1.58 | 100% | 1st |
| *2014 450 SX | DNS | OUT | OUT | OUT | 21 | 7 | 11 | 21 | 2 | DNS | OUT | OUT | 6 | 9 | 3 | 2 | DNS | 9.11 | 33% | 13th |
| †2014 450 MX | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 3.00 | 88% | 5th |
| 2015 450 SX | 20 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4.65 | 65% | 2nd |
| ‡2015 450 MX | 1 | 1 | 7 | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | - | - | - | - | - | 3.00 | 67% | 14th |
| 2016 450 SX | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5.00 | 29% | 4th |
| 2016 450 MX | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 2.67 | 83% | 2nd |
| 2017 450 SX | 5 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 3.35 | 71% | 2nd |
| 2017 450 MX | 1 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | 3.75 | 58% | 1st |
| 2018 450 SX | DNF | DNS | 1 | 1 | 13 | DNF | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3.21 | 86% | 3rd |
| 2018 450 MX | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | 2.58 | 83% | 1st |
| 2019 450 SX | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3.41 | 59% | 2nd |
| 2019 450 MX | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1.83 | 92% | 1st |
| 2020 450 SX | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2.52 | 71% | 1st |
| §2020 450 MX | 3 | 16 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4.67 | 56% | 3rd |
| 2021 450 SX | 13 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 4.94 | 47% | 3rd |
| 2021 450 MX | 9 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 3.58 | 67% | 2nd |
| 2022 450 SX | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 5 | Out | 2.75 | 69% | 1st |
| 2022 450 MX | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1.83 | 92% | 1st |
| ¶2023 450 SX | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | DNF | OUT | 2.73 | 73% | 2nd |
| ~2023 450 MX | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2024 450 SX | 9 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 10 | OUT | 5.25 | 38% | 4th |
| 2024 450 MX | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | 7 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.00 | 50% | 21st |
| 2025 450 SX | 5 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 17 | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | 6.80 | 20% | 16th |
| 2025 450 MX | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4.64 | 64% | 3rd |
| 2026 450 SX | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 2 |
Notes:
- 1) As of 2023, the AMA Motocross Season (MX) is 11 rounds, The AMA Supercross Season (SX) is 17 Rounds.
- * Missed Rounds 1,2,3,4,10,11,12 & 17 of 2014 450 SX Due to injuries.
- † Missed the first 4 Nationals of 2014 due to injury.
- ‡ Missed the remaining Nationals after Round 3 of the 2015 MX Series due to injury.
- § The 2020 MX season was shortened to 9 Rounds.
- ¶ The 2nd round of the 2023 SX (SMX) series (Oakland, CA) was rescheduled to take place after the 6th round due to flooding; but is still classified as the 2nd round. DNF Round 16 (Denver) due to injury, ruptured left achilles while leading the main event. Missed final round with injury.
- ~ Missed all 11 rounds of 2023 450 MX due to injury.
Eli Tomac's Personal Life
Eli Tomac grew up in Cortez, Colorado, with his parents John and Kathy. His father, John, was a champion mountain bike racer and helps manage Eli's career. Eli has one brother, Greg. He continues to live and train in Cortez.
Eli got married in 2021. He and his wife have three children: a girl and two boys.
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