Going for the W: Eli Tomac
Thursday, January 12, 2012 | 4:30 PM
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After finishing a close second in the title fight last year, GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac was a definite championship favorite coming into the 2012 Monster Energy Supercross Lites West tour. But bad luck conspired to very nearly throw his hopes out the window at the very first race, and it took a massive effort on his part to recover. Tomac tells the story:
“I got cleaned out in my heat race by Max Anstie. He’s been kinda’ dirty his whole life, but whatever. I was laying there on the ground in front of 40,000 people, and everyone was like “Oooooh.” It was the most embarrassing moment of my entire career! But I worked my way into qualifying position, and then my bike breaks with three turns to go! So I had to go to the LCQ. And actually, they pulled the tuff block over to uncover the starting gate for that, because they only have 20 riders in the heat race, but they have 22 in the LCQ, so they had to move the haybale over so I could get a gate. But it was a fresh start pad, so I just ripped out of there! My gate pick was so bad for the LCQ that people weren’t even allowed to use it in the heat race!”
Tomac rebounded to take home third in the main event.
Photo: Simon Cudby
The LCQ race did help Tomac uncover something special, though. “I actually picked up on a triple in that LCQ, out of that corner, so that actually helped me for the main. Once the main came around, we had that crazy thing where the Monster Girl turned the board sideways ten seconds early, so we all just sat there revving. I literally almost looked up to see what was happening. The guy next to me looked up, and I almost did, but I said, “No I’m going to just sit here and look at the gate,” and sure enough the thing dropped! I was still late though. So I was coming through the pack, and using that triple helped. Then Wilbur [Hahn] dumped it over, he gave me a spot. On the last lap, I was in fourth, and I was like, “Man I didn’t work this hard tonight to not come out of here with a podium!” I came up on Deano, and I revved my bike on the outside to make him think I was going outside, then I cut inside underneath. I think I would have had him even if he didn’t crash, because I think I was edging ahead a little bit.”
With that, Tomac turned what could have been a horrible night into a routine podium finish, keeping him in the title hunt. Most importantly, overcoming some tough odds has him fired up for another shot at a win. “I felt good,” he said after Anaheim. “I felt like one of the fastest guys out there. I’m stoked for Phoenix.”
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Either Eli Tomac or Cole Seely will win this championship, Pro Circuit is getting shut out of this one!
Good kid! I'll bet he's on the box this weekend.
I like Tomac but I don't see why he has to keep calling Anstie out, I really doubt that he was trying to "clean" him out.
yah i agree. Anstie isnt a problem if he's up there where he belongs and not dicing with 10place or worse. I really like this kid too and he is fun to listen to when being interviewed. He doesnt hold back his excitement and is very candid. But dont start with the excuses, getting bad starts and ending up banging with others to make it through the pack is all racing. ....it happens.....
hes my pick for the championship for sure.Great future for this guy! I just like his whole setup.I think he has all the tools in place, his parents are down to earth and seem to not have overdone it in the amatuer ranks. He seems to be just on the fringe of busting out and really understanding how fast and great he can be. When I heard his dad said something like "I dont want my son to peak when he is 18, i want him to be peaking around 25." that really caught my ear and I've been cheering for him since.
why do so many people on this website assume whats gonna happen after the first race. cmon derrolicks this is motocross/supercross you cant decide after the first race especially after the seaon we had in 2011.
Ha ha ha !
I thought the old over rev only worked in the novice class !
JimM
Pala 374
Tomac isn't repeatedly calling out Anstie...these comments are from right after A1, just repeated over and over again all week.
Antsie and his dad have quite the reputation!! BAD
Great ride for Tomac in the main. Anstie finished 16th, banging rarely gets you up front, unless your name is Bam Bam rev limiter!!
If Anstie is dirty then he deserves to be called out. there is a BIG difference in being aggressive and being dirty. And it seems that the kid is a dirty rider. I dont see anything wrong with calling it like you see it. Tomac said this at the race last weekend, and aparently its true. Anstie better realize he wont get anywhere being like that, just get himself on the ground alot.
Settle it off mic............................................
Tomac is rad. he has a bright future me thinks.
Anstie? dont know him
in a fist fight i would have to go with Anstie. he's a wicked bad boston bastid. and if he rides dirty he probably also fights dirty
Thats funny, I thought Anstie was from England?? No way he takes Eli, Max is too small. And Eli is alot smarter..
JUst saw where Josh Grants son's bike was stolen. That is low, stealing a little kids bike. there is a special place in Hell for these people who do those things..
More sissy comments,Win I was winning everything,i was so dirty that if you crashed in front of me i would run you over on purpose and gas it,then look back to see if i ripped your jersey off...and when their mom came over to me in the pits saying you ran my son over,i would make her wash his blood off my bike...After all i am Mr. Motorcross!!!
Antsie is just a punk who gets in peoples way and he does ride dirty. Only problem is Eli is a winner and he is a loser.
I think this sport needs a healthy dose of guys who speak their mind. I don't know if Anstie cleaned him out, but Tomac thinks so and I want to hear it. Rick Johnson always spoke his mind and that was one of the things I really liked about him. Maybe some of you would rather hear him say " My Dunlops hooked up great tonite, and my Geico Honda was really runnin great, gotta give a shout out to blah blah blah...." but I'm sick of that stuff.
Yea Nikola,....My Preperation H really worked great with my doughnut seat cover,almost like i didnt have hemeroids at all during the main event,also I would like to thank Dr. schlong for my penile reduction surgery,now its like im not sitting on a football when I ride, oh did I say my dunlops hooked up great tonight.....