Eli Tomac kicked off the 2016 Monster Energy AMA Supercross series with a fourth-place finish in the 450SX Class on Saturday at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.
Last year, the 23-year-old Cortez native won three AMA Supercross races and finished runner-up in the point’s standings, but he then missed much of the motocross season after suffering shoulder injuries in an accident at Thunder Valley Motocross Park in Englewood in late May.
Saturday’s Supercross was Tomac’s first race after recovering from the injuries, and it was also his initial contest as a member of Monster Energy Kawasaki, whom he announced in October that he had signed with for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Jason Anderson of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, won the race for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna, but Tomac’s fourth-place finish has him just seven points behind the leader in the season point’s standings, with the next race scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 16 at Petco Park in San Diego.