Image: Octopi Media.

An untimely crash on the opening lap of the main event while leading at Anaheim 1 came after Eli Tomac ‘didn’t respect’ the traditional slick Anaheim conditions during the night program, he admitted post-race at Angel Stadium.

Tomac – who recently clinched the World Supercross Championship (WSX) in the pre-season – stunned by qualifying quickest, setting the tone for his inspired opening round.

The legendary 32-year-old has already conceded that 2025 will be his last as a professional in the sport, but continues to line up at a competitive caliber with the intention to contest for a third 450SX crown this year. Fighting back to fifth was a signal that he will be a threat over the course of the next 16 rounds.

“Talk about a high and a low,” Tomac recalled. “I mean, oh my gosh, I just couldn’t believe it. Obviously, made the pass for the lead over the triple there, and I’m like ‘Okay, here we go! Let’s put this great 20 minutes in’.

“Just like that, it ended. I tucked my front-end there in that 90-degree corner. Good old Anaheim, gets slick in the evening, and I didn’t respect it, so all these year’s I’ve done it… Just barely made that mistake.

“Had a good comeback, getting to that fifth, and happy with the way I rode the rest of the main there. I mean, I was feeling just like I should and what I know I can do the whole day there – a great qualifying, good quarter of a lap, but we’re going to come back [laughs].”

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider Tomac has committed to the entire SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) for 2025, inclusive of the current Monster Energy Supercross series, following by Pro Motocross and the SMX Finals post-season.