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Tomac Sidelined for Supercross Finale and Pro Motocross Opening Rounds

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac to focus on returning to full fitness for the later half of the 2024 Pro Motocross season

MARIETTA, Ga. – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac will sit out this weekend’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross season finale in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the opening rounds of the 2024 Pro Motocross season to focus on returning to full fitness. The multi-time champion injured his thumb in a crash during free practice at last weekend’s penultimate round in Denver, Colorado, and will undergo surgery to repair a Bennett Fracture and torn ligaments, with an estimated timeline of six to eight weeks for his return.

Jeremy Coker – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team Manager

“It’s unfortunate to have Eli sit out this weekend and the opening rounds of the outdoor season, but our main focus is to have him back healthy. It’s just part of racing. We look forward to having him back to 100% and battling up front.”

Eli Tomac – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #3

"This is not the news I wanted to break to everyone, 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."

Who's Going Where...Silly season!

The 2025 250 class transfer market, or Silly Season, has been a topic of discussion within our staff as we've awaited news and rumors. Over half of the factory-level riders in this class didn't have contracts that extended beyond 2024, meaning there was the possibility of some interesting or even aggressive moves by riders and teams alike. The past few weeks have been quiet but suddenly a handful of deals were handled and locked in over the past two-to-three weeks, with another chunk being close to done or in-process as we speak. With this, it's finally time to dive in and talk about what is confirmed, who's going where, what could happen, and what we think will happen. There's a lot of movement here and many of your favorite riders could be on a different brand and color machine come 2025. Particularly in the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing, and Triumph Factory Racing paddocks...as these three teams are being quite aggressive as they lock in and go after new riders for the upcoming season. Dive in, listen, learn, then give us your feedback. Shock? Surprise? Makes sense? Let us know, this is the best time of the year!

Top 5 Dirt Bike Sand Trail and Track Tips

Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

MXGP of Portugal 2024

CHAOS IN PORTUGAL

Absolutely muddy conditions all weekend long at the MXGP of Portugal brought a chaotic weekend for teams and riders. After a sloppy qualifying day on Saturday, Liam Everts backed up his qualifying race win with two moto wins on Sunday to claim his second consecutive overall MX2 win. Rick Elzinga claimed second overall with 4-2 moto finishes over Thibault Benistant’s 5-4 moto finishes. Kay de Wolf finished 3-9 for fourth overall, limiting the damage. Behind the Husqvarna rider was 2023 MX2 Champion Andrea Adamo with 6-7 moto finishes.

Simon Längenfelder finished second in the first race but suffered a crash in race two and scored 23rd after not finishing the race. He is suspected to have a collarbone injury, which will impact his run at the championship. De Wolf entered the weekend with a 26-point lead over Längenfelder but now leaves with a 30-point advantage over Längenfelder and a 58-point advantage over Everts in third place.

In the MXGP Class, Tim Gajser picked up where he left off on Saturday, as the qualifying race winner found himself in the early lead moto one. Gajser was challenged by Jeffrey Herlings out front as championship leader Jorge Prado crashed while running fourth. He stopped for new goggles and gloves and then had to make yet another pit stop on the final lap, eventually coming through the checkered flag 15th. Gajser would repass Herlings for the race lead, then suddenly the #84 machine was at a standstill on the track as his KTM expired! Gajser cruised to the moto win.

So, Gajser entered the second moto with not only the first gate pick, but also the championship lead! But in the first turn of race two, the #243 slid out! Romain Febvre, Pauls Jonass, Herlings, and Prado were out front, but then Prado crashed himself going down the first hill! Herlings would go on to take the win, lapping Prado as he took the checkered flag. Herlings finished 23-1 officially for ninth overall. Gajser finished tenth, going 1-10 for third overall as Prado finished 13th overall, going 15-12.

Finishing a steady 2-2 was Pauls Jonass to claim his and the Standing Construct Honda team’s first ever MXGP overall win ahead of Febvre’s 3-4 and Gajser.

In terms of the championship, Gajser scored 46 on the weekend compared to Prado’s 19 total points, meaning a 27-point swing in the championship as the #243 machine leaves round five with a 14-point gap on Prado.

What killed the two stroke in motocross?

The beginning of the end for the relationship between two-strokes and AMA Pro Motocross and Supercross came in the form of the Yamaha YZ400F. Introduced for the 1997 Supercross series, the four-stroke Yammie was a one-off build Yamaha executives had talked AMA into accepting on the premise of environmental safety. AMA agreed that if the company mass-produced the motorcycle, it could indeed enter its bike into the pro circuit.

The YZ400F debuted on May 17, 1997, at the final race of the season in Las Vegas. Those who had heard about the bike doubted its efficacy, as two-strokes were simply the answer in motocross at the time. But Rider Doug Henry opened a two-second gap in the first lap and struck the first nail into the coffin of the two-stroke in motocross. The heavier engine stabilized the bike, delivered superior torque, and exposed the weaknesses of the zippy two-strokes. Motocross never looked back.

AMA ultimately allowed two-strokes and four-strokes to compete against each other, with one major caveat: Two-strokes needed to have half of the displacement. In other words, two-stroke 125cc bikes would have to race 250cc four-strokes, and 250cc two-strokes against 500 cc four-strokes. The die was cast. After a few years of mixed-class racing, it was no more — the day of the two-stroke was over. If you tune into an AMA Motocross series today, you'll see nothing but 250cc four-strokes and 450cc four-strokes. The day of the two-stroke was over.

The future of the two stroke in motocross

The good news is that two strokes are alive and well despite their absence from the pro-circuit. Cheaper and relatively easy to maintain, amateurs and weekend warriors are still zipping their way around dirt tracks all across the country. Two-strokes command a cult following, and their distinctive buzzy exhaust note is looked upon fondly by old-timers who remember the days of yore and young riders who maintain their own bikes. Wealthy factory teams also don't need to worry much about the higher maintenance cost. In fact, there is still a call for the return of the two-stroke.

Vintage Motocross World Cup 2024

The FIM Vintage Motocross World Cup 2024 will be staged at the iconic Foxhill circuit in Great Britain over the weekend of 13-14 July, when a new World Cup Winner in FIM Vintage Motocross will be crowned.

A one-off event for 2024, it is open to riders aged thirty-five to sixty-five who will compete in a single Evo Open class for two-stroke motorcycles manufactured from 1989 to 2004 with an engine capacity of between 125cc and 550cc, giving riders the opportunity to chase the dream and run away with the title of FIM World Cup Winner over just one weekend. 

Run alongside a round of the British Motocross Championship, the simple format will give competitors from all over the world two practice sessions – one free and one timed - followed by an opening fifteen-minute plus one lap race on Saturday plus another two thrilling similar races on Sunday. The winner will be decided by the the overall score after the three races, all this for an attractive entry fee set by the Organisers: Langrish Motorcycle Club & RHL Activities.

Foxhill was the setting for a string of epic British Motocross Grands Prix in the 1990s with riders of the calibre of Stefan Everts, Alessio Chiodi, Sebastien Tortelli and Yves Demaria all winning there. Set in a steep-sided valley, the track is rated by Everts – the most successful Motocross racer of all time – as one of his favourites as he led Belgium to victory there in the 1998 FIM Motocross of Nations.

Definition of a Holeshot

Lawrence Brothers Take Denver!

Jett Lawrence and Hunter Lawrence went 1-2 in Denver as Jett took a massive stride towards winning the 450 supercross title in his rookie season.

Hunter holeshot and lead for ten minutes with Jett making the move when he saw Jason Anderson closing in, Jett controlling the race from there with Hunter just a couple of seconds back.

Cooper Webb took fifth but it was revealed he has been riding with a wrist injury and the Star Yamaha rider crossed the line barely able to even gold on.

Teammate Tomac had the crowd cheering as he got into third with Jett in his sights in the opening couple of laps until he slid out and Chase Sexton crashed in the first turn and then again after passing Webb for fifth. A tough night for the last two supercross champs.

Jett said: “I was screaming in my helmet the first lap when it was he and I up front. He was riding awesome. It is an awesome accomplishment for out family.”

Webb said: “It’s not great, I have a thumb injury and tore my ucl, and we tore it worse last weekend. It’s frustrating when you can’t perform, it’s a bummer. It’s 17 rounds and you have to stay healthy and I didn’t do that. It’s a dagger, try to keep my head up, it sucks.”