On Wednesday, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing announced that motocross and supercross racing legend Eli Tomac will return to racing in 2024 after a devastating injury in Denver earlier this year.
Tomac said his return to full fitness is ahead of schedule, and the Cortez native is eager to get back on track.
“Well, first off, I’d like to say the end of Eli Tomac racing a motorcycle was not the second to last round of the 2023 supercross season. So, with that, I’m excited to announce that I’ve signed for another racing season with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team,” Tomac said.
“My recovery has been going very well and is ahead of schedule in terms of the protocol. I believe I will be back on the motorcycle around the six-month mark in preparation for the 2024 racing season. The motorcycle and team were great last season. We were so close to the championship, but accidents happen, and that’s racing. I’m eager to get another shot at competing for the championship,” he said.
Before his injury, Tomac was at the cusp of winning the 2023 450 Supercross title. During the penultimate round in Denver, he ruptured his Achilles tendon and underwent surgery at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado. After his injury, the title went to then-second-place rider Chase Sexton with team Honda.
His team announced his comeback at a celebration where team Yamaha met in his home state of Colorado. There, the 2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450SX and Pro Motocross 450MX Champion officially announced he would return for a third season.
“Tomac has been enjoying a successful tenure with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team and the YX450F,” the news release said.
“We’re excited to have Eli back for 2024. It’s not only great for Yamaha and the team to have him return but for the sport as a whole. We’re also happy that his recovery is going well and to see that he is re-energized and eager to go racing. Together we’ve enjoyed a lot of success with the YZ450F and look to continue that success next year,” said Jim Roach, manager for Yamaha Racing.
The Cortez rider was heading toward another record-breaking season, by rising to No. 3 on the all-time win list for the AMA Motocross and Supercross, just three wins shy of No. 2 James Stewart.
He also made history with his seventh Daytona Supercross victory in 2022.
“The win not only topped the record he set last year as the winningest supercross rider at the Daytona International Speedway, but also tied NASCAR legend Richard Petty’s record for the most wins at the iconic venue,” the news release shared.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Eli on board for next year. It definitely was a gut punch at Denver to have the championship taken away that way. We were hoping that Eli would come back. I don’t think anyone would fault him for calling it a career with what he has accomplished, but we’re happy to see that Eli still has that fire and can’t wait to go racing. There’s definitely some unfinished business, and we look forward to next season,” Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team Manager Jeremy Coker said.
