Tomac title push takes a hit in Nashville

Unlucky round 13 for Red Bull KTM star as late crash lands him in 12th despite standout pace

Round 13 of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship marked the series’ first trip back to Nashville since 2024, and Eli Tomac arrived at Nissan Stadium as a co-holder of the 450SX red plate. The two-time 450SX Champion wasted no time asserting himself, topping both premier-class qualifying sessions and laying down the overall benchmark at 51.407s.

Tomac carried that form into the night program. In 450SX Heat 2, he started third and patiently worked into position before making a decisive late move on teammate Jorge Prado to take the win—an important statement heading into the 20 Minutes + 1 Lap Main Event.

The Main Event, however, unraveled early for the No. 3. Quad Lock Honda’s Shane McElrath grabbed the holeshot, but the front group quickly reshuffled as Justin Hill moved to the lead ahead of Ken Roczen and Prado, with Hunter Lawrence in the mix as the race settled. Tomac, meanwhile, was mired outside the top 10 from the opening laps, forcing him into recovery mode on a dry, slick, technical track that made passing difficult and costly.

As Roczen controlled the early stages and Lawrence ramped up pressure—eventually capitalizing on a Roczen mistake to take over the lead—Tomac continued inching forward, at one point reaching as high as eighth. But just as he was trying to salvage points late, a crash in the closing stages dropped him back to 12th, matching his worst finish of the season and turning a day of front-running pace into a tough points hit.

Teammate Jorge Prado qualified fifth overall, powered to the holeshot in 450SX Heat 2 and finished third, then ran near the front early in the Main Event before a mid-race incident left him 13th.

Eli Tomac
“What a day – the whole day was good, other than the Main Event result! I was comfortable with my setup all day, so I’m just frustrated not only with the bad gate selection – I should have avoided the inside on the start – but also the crash. That bad start really put me in a tough spot from the get-go and I had my work cut out for me trying to make passes on such a slick, tight track. I lost a bunch of points today, but all I can do at this point is ride my best at the remaining rounds and let the chips fall where they may.”

Jorge Prado
“It was a frustrating Main Event in Nashville… I felt I had what it took to be on the podium tonight… one mistake cost me what could have been a great night.”