Monday Conversation: Eli Tomac
Monday, July 16, 2012 | 9:50 AM
Alpinestars has been delivering performance of the highest level on the motocross tracks of the world for almost 50 years. Racing on Sunday and developing on Monday is a way of life at Alpinestars. Welcome to the Racer X Monday Conversation.
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It looked like Blake Baggett was going to make a break away in the 250 Class of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, but GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac showed great determination to try to stay with the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider. Baggett crashed while leading the second moto of the Bob’s Cycle Spring Creek National, and Tomac quickly snagged the lead position back and delivered his third win of the season. During the motos, he looked very aggressive trying to keep pace with Baggett, and that persistence paid off. He talked about it after the race.
Racer X: How did today go?
Eli Tomac: Today was awesome. I got the overall and finally got to lead some laps. I haven’t led any laps since Mt. Morris for that last half a lap. It was overall just way better. Way better starts. First moto, there was a crazy battle between three or four of us going at it the whole time. Then we only had a 50 minute break between the two. So you had to come back, get recovered and come out swinging for the second moto. I got a good start. I was battling with Blake [Baggett] a little bit. He ended up making a mistake. I capitalized on that and just took it home from there.
How did you feel when you came past Blake and he was down on the ground?
He was going for it. It can happen to anybody. If you’re riding the edge, some of those things happen. After that, I was like 'Man, I’ve got to stay on two wheels.'
A crash in the second moto from Blake Baggett helped Eli Tomac capture the overall.
Simon Cudby photo
First moto to second moto, big difference. Did you maybe change the bike? What was the difference?
I think that first moto it was just straight up harder riding, basically the entire moto was the four of us. I got pretty out of control in that first lap of the first moto. Going back in sand whoops, I almost endoed, then I made a little mistake before that crazy Chad Reed memorial jump. So at the beginning, I was kind of going a little wild. But then we were all going so fast, so I just kind of settled into that pace and Blake ended up pulling through. It was definitely brutal recovering between the two motos because we only had 50 minutes until we had to be back out. I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy one. I definitely needed a better start and I got it. Blake and I were going back and forth a little bit, and he made a mistake. It was actually pretty lucky I was right on him, so I saw he had crashed and I was able to avoid him. If I had been a little further back I might not have seen him because it was a blind jump. I just took it from there.
A few years ago, people were saying. “Oh, Tomac’s fast, but when we get to some of those hot races, he’s got some issues or he’s struggled before.” But recently, that’s not the case. You showed that with your win in Texas and even today. It was a very hot, humid race and it seems like you’re even stronger. What did you change that makes you stronger so you get used to it?
I really think it’s just experience and just being older. You’re coming into a pro race at 16 or 17 years old, so you’re basically still a kid then. It just takes time to be able to build up the endurance and get the tracks down and everything.
I heard you say coming up to the podium that the heat was tougher than even last weekend [RedBud].
Yeah, it’s just different. Like today, there was tons of humidity in the air, so you just didn’t get that air. At RedBud it was 105, but for some reason, that first moto [today], it was tough. I felt pretty bad after the first moto!
You were obviously riding super hard in the first moto, but it looked to me like when Baggett got you, you almost went to another level. It looked like you were trying to get him back, but then once he got past Barcia, he kind of got away and that was the end of the battle. Does that motivate you even more, when he comes through and makes the pass? It looks like both motos when he got you, you stepped it up even further.
I’m just trying to look at what he does and trying to figure out what he does. He seems like the kind of guy that knows when to go, and when to hang back. So when he passed me, I was like, 'Okay, let’s go now!' You know, he did pass Justin there and got away, so that kind of spaced us out. I was just trying to figure out what he does.
Tomac now trails Baggett by 34-points in the championship standings.
Simon Cudby photo
You’re kind of in the thick of the points. It wasn’t like that the first couple of years. How do you keep your chin up? Some weeks, you’ll get a third or fourth. But you’ve won three races. How do you try to keep level emotionally when some weeks are just good and some weeks are great?
You try to go out there and get as many points as possible. Really, it’s just important to get wins because they have that extra point. I gained a few points today. Not as much as I’d like, but we’ve still got like five rounds to go.
What do you do to recover between motos at these really hot and humid races?
I drink like crazy. You’ve got to get as many fluids in you as you can. I throw that ice vest on. Keeping that core temperature down is the most important thing. I try and get some food, too. During that time, it’s just a little bit crazy.
How much of that is just adrenaline, too? Compare how you felt in between motos to how you felt during the motos. Is it one of those things where, once the race starts, you can do things that you probably didn’t feel like you might be able to do?
For me, it seems like I feel better during the second motos. I don’t know if that’s just because I kind of just blow it out in the first moto or what. It’s just all about relaxing in the first part of the race so you don’t tense up and get tight for that second half.
Tomac celebrates his third overall of the season.
Simon Cudby photo
A couple of riders commented that after the finish line, you would come around the second jump and you would see all these orange cones and detours to get through the whoops again. Were they really that brutal?
Yeah, I mean like from where Blake crashed, all the way to the sand whoops and out, it was just square edge city. You were just pounding it the entire time.
What are your thoughts and goals going into Washougal next week?
I think it’s a good one. It has some cool terrain up and down hills. It’s definitely a different kind of track. It’s a little more hard pack and slick. I’ve just got to go out there and get as many points as I can. I’ve got to beat Barcia and Baggett. Right now, those are the two guys in front of me. So that’s my goal.
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LOL, Look at that kid trying to rip those goggles from Tomac’s neck !! Classic !!!
To bad Baggett went down Tomac looked like he was going to give it everything he had to stay with him. They left Barcia in the dust!! Baggett is in everyones head!! he cruched them in the firts moto...2:07:5...NUTS. Tomac was on it in moto 2 so wish we could have seen how that would have played out.
@ biker143
That's no kid!! Thats Dungey when he had bleached blond hair,younger days of coarse....... Even he's a big fan of MX ..........LOL
orange cones??
whoop monster??
Thank you Millville for eliminating that stupid single on the inside of turn 2 as well as the single leading into the second section of the whoops!!
@BillC - it is too bad that Blake fell, but he was really on the edge all day.
I watched Blake in slow motion in a number of corners in the 1st moto and he came sooo close to falling a number of times. His back end hit some of the berms so hard and so high I was convinced he was going to blow through a berm sooner or later. Heck, even with his pass on Barcia for the lead, he almost fell (his back end high on the berm yet again).
Granted, he is VERY good at riding the edge. He's done it all year. But when you ride that close to the edge, eventually you go too far (like moto 2 at High Point). in the 2nd moto, he lost his back end over the jump. It was actually pretty cool the way he slid down the - he was lucky he didn't get airborne and highside (and am glad he didn't).
All that said, is Blake a favorite to win the championship? Likely. As long as he continues to be just this side of the edge, then he has a big points lead to play with. The fact he can ride 2-3 sec a lap faster than the competition is just amazing. Should Barcia, Tomac, or Roczen step it up and somehow pressure Blake into more mistakes, then it all depends on how Blake manages the mistakes and his current points lead. We'll find out soon enough.
Hope the last 5 races are as exciting as the first 7.
Haha HA!! "Chad Reed Memorial Jump" !!! Chadapult is easier to say, but that's hilarious.
Seriously, Tomac is really refreshing. He always has interesting stuff to say about the races. I hope his sponsors don't start hammering him to recite the sponsor littany.
Blake = Ballerina. He's what a Buck 25 soaking wet? Gotta think that hurts if you are Tomac.
Good observation, RCMX. Eli probably weighs 30 lbs more than Blake. Big disadvantage in the 250's. I think Tomac is going to get smoked at Washugal. Too many looong straight aways and looong uphills.
Watch, now that I say that Eli will sweep both motos by 30 seconds.Hopefully, I like Tomac.
@ rcmxracing
Pro Jerkit bio has him as
5'7'' 135lbs
El Chupacabra, BB Gun
@CR500AF: Only because you said it first, am I going to say it now,"I have been thinking the exact same thing about riding on the ragged edge." The last thing I would (ever) want to do would be to jinx (any) rider.
Blake has proven time and time again this season, when he wants, he can bump up his game and find that extra gear required to get by Tomac, Barcia, and Roczen, but in order to get to that point, has often become a, (controlled) tank slapper, waiting to happen.
I know, I know this is Motocross, and that is how you win races, you say. You are playing a high risk game just racing Motocross, regardless, but Blake in those come from last to first place finishes are armrest replacing experiences as a spectator, think how it must look from inside his helmet. Or, think what Barcia must have thought coming through the long whoop section as Blake came, not only by, but by and then immediately over in front of his front wheel. Or when Blake made that other pass on Barcia in the left hander. I just knew that berm was going to explode with the force he blew into that corner with. To be honest when Blake slid out in front of Tomac on the top of that jump, it was like, "well we knew this was coming," kind of a thing.
I have seen and felt the ground a fair amount in my days, and never would I wish that experience on (yes) anyone, but I would also like to see Blake around for many more years of competing at the very top of his field, rather than I would see him injured. Enough said!
handlebardragger are you a fool or what? you actually think baggett has 8hp over everybody because hes 15-20 lbs lighter LMAO. if 10lbs equaled 1hp then none of these bikes would even move!!!
whith that said Mookie should be on the 350 bomb!!
The 1 hp for every 10lbs starts at the riders bike weight and rider weight combined......and goes up and down from there. example : Baggett 135lbs, bike say 215lbs (probably lighter, but anyway)...total of 350lbs.
Tomac...(guessing) 180lbs....bike 215lbs = 395lbs. So Tomac needs "roughly" 4.5 more hp to keep up........or Tomac is aproximately at a 14% - 15% hp disadvantage to Baggett
All assuming bikes are equal on hp?
This is what most people go by, that I've talked to.
I'd be really interested to see what spring rates, valving and how thin his fork and shock oil is.....for a guy that light...lol
tomac weighs that much?
nevermind i saw you said guessing.
I have to say Eli is the only guy that I have seen thus far that has kept Blake insight after he has been passed, GREAT JOB ELI! It just seems like Honda need to get more power because that Kawi is a heck of a lot faster than the Honda's.
I would love to see Eli in orange next year, he and Dungey would but awsome!
You fools making those excuses about weight tell me why that KX did not blow everyones doors off down that long starting straight. The fact is Blake has RC like speed and no one else does. I notice those heavy riders can go fast in the early going but when it gets rough they slow down a bit. This Baggett dude just rides faster the rougher it gets with his lines. The ones that say he rides over his head said the same thing about RC if you remember correctly.
Here is something you can bank on, those other riders cannot step it up to his level just like when RC was around. Think back to when you raced locally and never could step it up to beat the fastest guy no matter what you did.
If the others could match his speed without killing themselves they would.
how do you know the kawasakis are faster?
i agree with claxton
@Claxton - don't know if you were referring to my post or not...
If so, I did not say Baggett was riding over his head. He is riding that 250 for all it is worth. It is possible to be in control but on the edge of falling due to limits of traction, angular momentum, force a rider hits a berm, the consistency of the berm, and other aspects of physics.
I've been amazed at how Blake rides and said as much. I just noticed he was hitting the berms so hard in some sections it looked like he might blow through one eventually.
As for other riders stepping up, Eli was able to do that in moto 1 and was all over Blake until Blake passed Barcia. Why Eli didn't/couldn't get by Barcia as well - we'd have to ask him.
Blake Baggett is on a Pro Circuit Kawasaki, Factory Connection Honda and KTM are still developing there engines. FC ran PC motors up until last year, and the KTM 250 is on its first full year of racing at this level.
Trying to compare power to weight ratio is a little apple to oranges on dirt bikes. The real wheel is slipping half the time. Its about getting the power to the ground if you want to go faster. Baggetts extra speed is coming from how he goes through the corners, he maybe on the edge of blowing out the corner, but he keeps the higher exit speed means less throttle needed to get to top speed which means less wheel spin. and quicker to top speed.
For whoever mentioned rider weight and bike weight and all of that, there is so much physics involved its crazy, but all the physics go out the window if a rider doesn't commit 100% to the corner and holds the throttle WFO. So far, Baggett is the only one willing to do that over Tomac, Barcia, Roczen and Musquin.
Like Tomac said, he is trying to learn how Baggett is going so fast,