Image: Octopi Media.

450SX champion Eli Tomac has won his first ESPY Award and thanked fans for voting for him to secure the achievement in the Best Athlete, Men’s Action Sports category this year.

Tomac was nominated for the esteemed award following an outstanding 2022 Monster Energy Supercross season where he won seven races and scored 11 podiums en route to the title.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing was announced as the victor in the category at the 2022 ESPY Awards Show Wednesday night, and is the first supercross athlete to achieve the feat since Ryan Dungey in 2016.

“I just want to say thank you for voting for me in the ESPY Best Athlete, Men’s Action Sports category…we won it,” said Tomac.  “Thank you to all the Supercross fans around the world.

“We had an incredible 2022 season. None of this would be possible without the support of my family, my team, the crew, and everyone involved.

“As you know in motorsports, it’s hard enough just to make it to the starting line, so to clinch the championship this year was so special for everyone involved. I feel like this year was a great comeback year for myself as a rider, and as an athlete, and I’m enjoying it more than ever.”