Star Racing rider on the podium at Pro Motocross finals.
Image: Octopi Media.
Eli Tomac has conceded that Aaron Plessinger is still currently more deserving of Team USA selection for the 2024 Motocross of Nations (MXoN), despite managing a podium in only his second outdoor appearance of the year at Ironman’s finals.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider returned to competition at Budds Creek’s penultimate round of Pro Motocross after overcoming a thumb injury, his long-awaited return the suggested reason behind the AMA’s delay in announcing its MXoN roster.
Four-time 450MX champion Tomac, who recently signed on with Star Racing for 2025, earned a podium result through 4-3 moto scores at Ironman’s season finale on Saturday, marking a vast improvement from seventh overall in his racing return a week earlier.
“If I would have been the number two guy I would’ve said ‘sign me up’, but AP was the number two guy,” Tomac declared at the post-race press conference. “Just getting back into motocross knowing I’m going to race in ’25 – I signed up to race it this year, so it’s good just to get racing.
“Overall, I’m just happy with having two solid motos and getting back in the game. It’s definitely nice just to get gate drops, period. I noticed being away for the summer, no matter what you do at home and however hard you train, you don’t simulate that first lap and those first few corners.
“We did make a fork change – I had different fork this weekend – and that was nice. I had the speed of the front group and at least I was able to see them this weekend and be right there, so that was good.”
While it appears Plessinger’s run of 450MX podiums, including a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1-2 at Ironman behind new champion Chase Sexton, and finishing third in the final standings will see him on Team USA, Sexton has also opted in for Matterley Basin. It remains unclear who will be the MX2 entry.
Tomac will line-up for the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) while also be named to contest the full World Supercross Championship (WSX) later this year in a partnership with the Australian-based CDR Yamaha team.
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