Competing in his first motocross event of the season on July 28, Eli Tomac finished third overall in both 450cc class in the Tennessee National.
For Cortez native Tomac, the solid finishes were especially sweet in light of the fact that the Geico Honda rider had been sidelined for two months after breaking his collarbone on May 1.
“I was off the bike for six weeks and I had a couple of weeks to get ready,” said Tomac. “I felt comfortable on my bike, and it felt great to get on the podium.”
Key to Tomac’s podium finish was his first-place performance during qualifying, which allowed him to move to the front early in both main events.
After leading the first main event for roughly 15 minutes, Tomac was passed by race winner Ryan Dungey and second-place finisher Ken Roczen before settling for third.
In the second main event, Tomac raced into the fifth at the start before working his way up to finish third. Roczen won the second main event and Dungey finished second.
“I couldn’t ask for more in my first race back,” said Tomac after the race.
With seven rounds still remaining in the Lucas Oil Pro Motorcross season, Tomac is confident in his ability to duplicate his success in Tennessee and improve moving forward.
“Obviously, you want to keep bettering yourself,” said Tomac. “I’m hoping to get a win and get on some podiums during the rest of the season.”
Next up for Tomac will be Round 6 of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, which will take place in Buchanan, Mich., on July 5.
Those interested in watching Tomac in action are encouraged to tune into NBC at 4 p.m. ET for the event’s second main event.