Days before the final 2024 Supercross in Salt Lake City, Cortez native and Star Racing Yamaha racer Eli Tomac announced that he would sit out the final race and the opening rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship because of an injury sustained in Denver.
According to Tomac’s team, Tomac suffered a Bennett fracture and torn ligaments in his thumb during a practice ride before the race in Denver last weekend.
Because of the injury, Tomac will undergo surgery and face a recovery of six to eight weeks. Despite the injury and subsequent surgery, Tomac will compete in the 2024 Pro Motocross and SMX rounds, though he will miss the opening races.
After rupturing his Achilles tendon last year, Tomac missed the entire the 2023 Motocross season.
Before the injury, Tomac was tied with Chase Sexton for third place in the season standings for the 450cc class of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross. Because he sat out the final race, he dropped to fourth place.
“This is not the news I wanted to break to everyone,” Tomac said in Cycle News. “But at the Denver Supercross in free practice I crashed on my thumb, and it’s resulted in a Bennett fracture and some torn ligaments that will require surgery to stabilize my thumb. This is a tough one to swallow, knowing that I’m going to miss the opening rounds of motocross, but I’m optimistic I will be able to race the later portion of the outdoor season and the SMX rounds. I want to thank all my fans and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing for being so supportive through the Supercross season. We will be back stronger in the later half of this season.”
On Monday, Cooper Webb also announced that he would receive thumb surgery after a similar injury. Webb did, however, race in Salt Lake City as he was within striking distance of points leader and 450 Supercross rookie Jett Lawrence.
In heat one of the 450 races in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Lawrence claimed the hole shot and managed to remain in first place despite Webb hitting him around the first turn. Webb put up a fight, but was passed by Justin Barcia to take third place in the heat.
In the second heat, it was a newly invigorated Sexton who placed first after taking the lead from Justin Cooper after he was first out of the gate. Sexton won with a “dominant” lead at nearly four seconds.
In the 450 main event, commentators noted that Lawrence only needed to place 17th to maintain his hold on the season title. Sexton claimed the hole shot and was quickly passed by Cooper before regaining his lead around the next turn. Sexton maintained the lead after passing Cooper for the remainder of the race.
Lawrence never caught up to the leaders, and Sexton won the main event, marking his second main event win for the 2024 season. Cooper placed second and Webb third. Though Lawrence placed seventh, he did enough to be declared the official champion of the 2024 450 Supercross season. Lawrence was also the winner of the 2023 Motocross season.
Motocross will start Saturday, May 25 at Fox Raceway in Pala Pala, California.
