Troy Dog
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In honor of everyone freaking out over Eli Tomac’s errr.. un-Eli start to the season, I thought it’d be fun to dig up this gem for Vintage Vibes!
This video was filmed in late April or early May of 2010 by our California connection Ryan Walters. Yes, Walt got his start with Vurb, now look at him! In March of that year we had just seen Eli wax the A classes at Lake Whitney and Oak Hill. He threw down some vanilla ice cream, drenched that cream in some chocolate syrup, dropped some chopped peanuts on top like the Salt Bae, and slammed a cherry on top to end his amateur career. He had worked out the kinks from his first outing at Mini O’s in the winter of 2009 and he had become head and shoulders above the competition.
I didn’t remember that Eli even raced a WORCS race to train and prepare for his debut. Maybe you amateur racers of today could learn something from this repost? In just a few short weeks Tomac would go 3-1 at Hangtown to win his first professional race. The only rider to do so in the history of the sport.
We all need to be reminded of how long Tomac has been in the game, it’s been a minute. This is his eleventh year as a professional dirtbike racer. Add to that fact that he’s been an elite rider since the start of his career means he’s been burning the candle at both ends for more than a decade. No wonder he doesn’t have that extra spark we have all come to expect out of one of the sports all-time greats. He’s been at this game long enough to know how it works and you need to have a little more faith in him.
Also, before any of you freak out a little more, just remember we still have 20 motos to go. The East Coast tracks are heading our way and those just hit different. I’m predicting that Tomac will be just fine… and if he isn’t, well his bank account is and he has a family at home and that is the most important aspect of life anyway.
PS. This video correctly uses a Passion Pit song and I’m here for it.
