ELI TOMAC, A YEAR IN REVIEW: 2016
By Kyoshi Becker
ELI TOMAC 2016 STATS
Total AMA Points earned: 788
Overall Win Percentage: 7.3% (three of 41 races)
Overall Podium Percentage: 58.5% (24 of 41 races)
Total Supercross Points: 290 (Fourth overall)
Overall Wins: 1
Overall Podiums: 5
Overall Win Percentage: 5.8%
Overall Podium Percentage: 29.4%
Total AMA National Points: 498 (Second overall)
Overall Wins: 2
Overall Podiums: 10
Moto Wins: 3
Moto Podiums: 19
Overall Win Percentage: 16.6%
Overall Podium Percentage: 83.3%
2016 SUPERCROSS SEASON IN PHOTOS
Eli Tomac entered Anaheim 1 healthy, but under-prepared. He had a new bike and freshly healed shoulders. He had a bad start in the main event, but a red flag gifted him with a second chance. Tomac crossed the first lap in third and ended the night in fourth.
The first week is often not reflective of the season, but in San Diego it was apparent that Tomac’s troubles weren’t over. An eighth gate pick led to a tenth place start. Tomac was able to pick through the pack, but once again placed fourth overall.
After starting near the back, Eli Tomac was able to make his way up to seventh in Oakland.
Eli Tomac first made it on the podium at the Glendale Supercross. While it wasn’t ideal, it was an improvement.
Eli Tomac started San Diego 2 in fifth place and was bumped to sixth by Jason Anderson before the event was over.
As the series started to move East, Tomac was still out of the top three in points. He left Arlington with 119 points, breaking the tie with Chad Reed for fifth overall.
The breaking point came at Atlanta. Eli Tomac started seventh and by the checkered flag he was in 11th position. 11th was a season worst. He was once again behind Chad Reed in the points. A frustrated Eli Tomac went back to Cortez, Colorado intent on getting out of his slump.
In Daytona, Tomac exploded. He rocketed out of the gate and in a few corners stole the lead from Ryan Dungey. From there he left the other 21 riders in the dust. Ryan Dungey’s efforts to catch the Kawasaki rider were futile and many thought this might be a preview for the 2016 AMA National season. Daytona had a looser track layout and was more akin to the Nationals than most of the Supercross races.
Eli Tomac started out strong in Toronto, leading the race early on. He would succumb to Ken Roczen and eventually Ryan Dungey, Marvin Musquin and Cole Seely.
While the win at Daytona put him fourth in points, Tomac once again fell back into finishing fifth.
The hard-packed soil of the West coast offered some hope. Unfortunately, Tomac was on a downward spiral. Finishing seventh in Santa Clara made a turnaround look bleak.
While it wasn’t as bleak as Atlanta, Indianapolis marked the second low for Eli Tomac in 2016. Adding insult to injury, Tomac was nine points shy of being locked out of the championship by Ryan Dungey.
Seventh place at St. Louis may have not been welcome, but it was an improvement over ninth. Any improvement is a good thing. Being locked out of the championship, however, isn’t.
After a few tough weeks, Tomac was able to earn second in the Foxborough Supercross. If he could salvage a championship third, he would have some momentum entering the AMA Nationals.
Just because you are late to the party doesn’t mean all the good beer is gone. Eli Tomac got another second place finish at East Rutherford and was within 13 points of finishing third in the 2016 Supercross championship.
While Tomac rode to a third place finish in the mud at Las Vegas, Jason Anderson rode better and would take third overall in the championship.
2016 NATIONALS SEASON IN PHOTOS
Hangtown offered new hope. Eli Tomac finished Supercross strong. He was the clear favorite entering the AMA Nationals. His dominating performance in 2015 was legendary and the Daytona Supercross seemed to affirm that. However, mediocre starts led to a 4-4 finish at Hangtown and Tomac left third overall. Ken Roczen was not the favorite going in, but at Hangtown Roczen who rode like the Eli Tomac of 2015.
Eli Tomac came into Glen Helen eager to put Hangtown behind him. Ken Roczen reminded Tomac that he no longer owned the season. In a weird twist of fate Roczen lost the overall to Ryan Dungey. This week Tomac would go 3-3 for third.
Eli Tomac lost his season to injury and a championship last year at Thunder Valley. Tomac was no longer hiding his frustration. The 2016 season didn’t start how he wanted and he still wasn’t comfortable on the bike. Teammate Josh Grant was among the riders to beat him in first moto. That was enough to wake up Eli. In moto two Tomac rode at an almost possessed pace, coming from a poor start to second. Ryan Dungey made the pass on Trey Canard and took second overall. Tomac was forced to settle with third overall for the third week in a row.
With High Point came fresh dirt and no Ryan Dungey. Nobody anticipated that Marvin Musquin would fill the hole that Dungey left. For the second week in a row Tomac finished 5-2. This time it put him in fourth overall.
Eli Tomac finally started to make some headway at Muddy Creek. He finished 2-2 and it gave him his first second overall of the season. He was still 47 points down from Ken Roczen, but there were seven races left to make it up.
Eli Tomac finally was on the path to success at Red Bud. While he finished 2-2, Ken Roczen ended the day 1-1. It would be a long uphill battle for the Kawasaki rider. Still, Tomac remained the fan favorite at the annual Independence Day race.
Eli Tomac seems to perform best in uncommon conditions. Southwick is one giant sandpit minus the golf balls. Tomac didn’t just win, he dominated Southwick. Finishing 1-1 may not have closed up the gap much, but it was a start.
Beating Ken Roczen is playing with fire and Tomac was playing with a flamethrower. Eli Tomac started strong at Millville, but within a few laps was overtaken by Ken Roczen. He ended the day third overall.
Tomac still had the will of iron and he didn’t let up at Washougal. He would earn his second National win with 2-1 moto scores. He was still way behind in the points chase.
Eli Tomac just couldn’t match the pace of Ken Roczen at Unadilla. He would finish 2-3. The points deficit grew to 63.
Eli Tomac would lose the championship at Budds Creek.
While he was locked into second overall, Tomac raced hard at Ironman and finished third overall.
Season Snippets
Alpinestars made some customizations to Tomac’s gear for Vegas.
Eli Tomac signs some posters for the fans.
The Kawasaki steed at the Southwick National.
Eli Tomac awaits practice in the tunnel of San Diego’s Petco Park.
Eli waving to the fans from the podium.
Eli Tomac ahead of Ken Roczen.
Eli Tomac works on body position at Indianapolis.
Second place in East Rutherford is a success.
Eli Tomac’s butt patch states that he’s from another world…at least that’s what the Europeans stars think.
Eli Tomac on the podium with Ryan Dungey and Ken Roczen at Foxborugh.
An all American bike and helmet for Red Bud.
Eli Tomac left Hangtown with a belt and a lot of questions.
Muddy Creek was a hot race.
Thunder Valley was the only AMA sanctioned race in Eli Tomac’s home state this year.
Tomac typically got accustomed to the tint of his lens by wearing race goggles before the gate dropped.
Eli Tomac also frequently wears shades on Supercross track walks.
Eli Tomac flies up Shoei hill at Glen Helen.
Eli Tomac at High Point.
Eli Tomac caps the four rider line at Washougal.
The best was to clean your Kawasaki is with a pressurew asher. Mechanic Brian Kranz demonstrates.
Tomac loves to give out high fives.
Tomac in his last race of the 2016 AMA National season.
Eli Tomac would win the MXGP in Charlotte.
Eli Tomac would blitz to a 1-1 finish at Glen Helen to end the season.
A strong end to the 2016 season is a glimmer of hope. Eli Tomac weathered 2016 and should be stronger in 2017.
Photos by Brian Converse, Daryl Ecklund, John Basher, Kyoshi Becker, Scott Mallonee and Travis Fant
WE LOOK AT ELI TOMAC’S 2016 STEED