Sixteen years and three months after a history-making win at the Hangtown Motocross Classic during his professional debut, Eli Tomac has made the decision to retire from professional offroad motorcycle racing.
The most dominant racer in his heyday, the Colorado legend’s retirement marks the end of an era.
Paying tribute to Tomac is less about finding great things to say about the future Hall of Famer and more about editing that greatness to fit the page.
That Tomac was going to be a superstar was never in question. In addition to his pair of moto podiums at Hangtown on debut and securing the overall victory by winning Moto 2 that weekend, he finished second in his first full-time Supercross season the following year. One year later, he backed that up with his first 250cc Divisional Championship in 2012 Supercross and followed that up with the Pro Motocross 250cc title in 2013.
Tomac won his first of six 450cc championships in 2017, adding to his total in each of the next three seasons. Tomac came close to keeping the streak alive in 2021 after finishing second in Pro Motocross. The following year, he swept the 2022 titles, winning both the Supercross and Pro Motocross championships that season.
Tomac was rewarded for his 2022 success with an ESPN ESPY Award for Best Athlete, Men’s Action Sports. That same year he was selected as the captain of Team USA for the Motocross of Nations, won the MXGP + MX2 race that year at RedBud MX, and contributed to a commanding overall victory for the host nation, putting the American squad on the top of the podium for the first time in 11 years.
Tomac sits second on the all-time 450cc Supercross wins list with 57, behind Jeremy McGrath [72]. Tomac is also fourth all-time on the 450cc Pro Motocross wins list with 32, behind Ricky Carmichael [76], and Ryan Dungey [39].
Tomac excelled in consistently strong results. He leads the SMX League® with 240 career podium finishes, bettering Ricky Carmichael’s second-best of 215.
A title contender until the very end of his career, Tomac was third in the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship standings after Nashville with four rounds remaining, 15 points behind the leader Hunter Lawrence. A heartbreaking crash in qualification the following week in Cleveland sidelined Tomac for multiple rounds with a hip injury.
But wins and podiums are only a small part of the story. What set Tomac apart from the competition was his authenticity on the track.
“For those of us who had the privilege of watching Eli Tomac’s entire career, what stands out most isn’t just the victories, championships, or records. It’s the authenticity,” said Dave Prater, Vice President of Supercross for Feld Motor Sports. “Eli never chased attention, never tried to be something he wasn’t, and let his riding speak louder than words ever could. Fans didn’t just respect him, they loved him because he was real. Through every triumph, setback, comeback, and unforgettable battle, he carried himself with humility, grit, and class. Legends are defined by more than trophies; they’re defined by the impact they leave on a sport and its people. Eli Tomac didn’t just become a champion, he became an icon whose legacy will inspire riders and fans for generations. Thank you, Eli, for an incredible ride.”
That authenticity continued when he took off his helmet as well. Through donations of customized gear and bike graphics, many of which Tomac was personally involved in their design, he was responsible for raising greater than six-figure donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Tomac always gave of his time for promotional sessions benefiting the charity and the Love Moto Stop Cancer initiative.
More than a decade ago, in 2015, Davey Coombs, editor in chief of Racer X Magazine and President of MX Sports Pro Racing coined the phrase “Beast Mode” to describe Tomac after he won the first two races of the 2015 Pro Motocross season at Hangtown and Glen Helen.
Tomac won the first moto of Round 3 at his home race from Thunder Valley soon after. However, in the second moto that weekend, he crashed heavily, injured his left and right shoulders badly enough to require surgery on both, and failed to complete the season.
“Never before in our sport have we had a competitor who was so good, for so long,” Coombs said after Tomac’s Ironman top five. “Eli Tomac won the first professional race he ever entered, the 2010 Hangtown National, and then all these years later he began his final season with a win at the 2026 Anaheim Supercross opener. Throughout all of those seasons, Tomac performed at the absolute highest level of SMX, showing a versatility and staying power that’s rare in any form of professional sport. He also carried himself in a manner that’s earned him the deep respect of his competitors and everyone in the paddock, making him a role model for all.
“Our sport was fortunate to have Eli Tomac’s presence on the starting gate over so many years; his leadership as well as all of his championships will resonate for generations to come,” Coombs continued. “Congratulations to the entire Tomac family—Eli and his wife Jessica, their four children, and of course his parents John and Cathy—on a job well done.”
No track has been more closely identified with Tomac than the hallowed grounds of Daytona International Speedway, where he holds a record that will likely never be beat.
Arguably the best known Supercross event, Tomac has a record eight victories there, winning his first in 2016. He went on to capture six of the next seven Daytona Supercross races. Tomac also finished second to Dungey in 2015, Justin Brayton in 2018, and Jett Lawrence in 2024, for an incredible resume.
Tomac failed to compete at Daytona in 2025 because of injury, but then added an eighth victory in 2026. Tomac ended his Pro Motocross career with one final top five at the 2026 finale from Ironman Raceway this past weekend, with moto results of seventh and fifth.
Fans have only three more opportunities to watch Tomac race in person during the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship as the postseason playoffs begin September 12 from Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, continue September 19 from Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles, and conclude with the SMX World Championship Final on September 26 from Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri.
Eli Tomac’s SMX League Championships
2012: 250cc Divisional Supercross Championship
2013: 250cc Pro Motocross Championship
2017: 450cc Pro Motocross Championship
2018: 450cc Pro Motocross Championship
2019: 450cc Pro Motocross Championship
2020: 450cc Supercross Championship
2022: 450cc Supercross Championship
2022: 450cc Pro Motocross Championship
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