Thirteen years, four AMA Pro Motocross 450 titles and two Monster Energy Supercross Championships on from winning on his AMA Pro Racing debut at the Hangtown Motocross Classic in 2010, Tomac is still hard at it, now locked up in a titanic tussle for the 2023 stadium title with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing pilot Cooper Webb.

He’s tied with Webb at 244 points as the series prepares to head to Arizona’s State Farm Stadium for the 12th round of the championship fight. RACER checked in with him to get the lowdown as the battle for the title heads towards its climax.

Q: Last summer it was Chase Sexton. This winter it’s Cooper Webb. You’ve been at this for quite a long time now and here you are caught up in another winner-take-all march to a title. That ever get old?

ELI TOMAC: It doesn’t, actually. I’m enjoying the competition. Yes, it’s stressful, but I’m enjoying the competition right now. Like you said, Chase Sexton and Cooper Webb have been the two really strong guys that I’ve been battling with during the season for the points lead. Perhaps even more so I’ve been battling with Cooper as of late. I wouldn’t expect anything less, and each season is a little bit different. Yeah, the competition is strong. You know, when I lost that points lead again to Webb, I was pretty frustrated. When you have those bad weekends, for me, it just gives me motivation to go back home, study, figure out what I did wrong, figure out where I could be better, find out if I need to fall back on something that I’ve done in the past to improve myself. My mindset is that I’m always trying to get better and always trying to improve and to never settle. If I get beat, I really try to figure out why I got beat and then be better the next weekend.”

Q: Six wins and a couple of off-song results, especially the eighth you posted up at Indianapolis. What’s your take on your season thus far?

ET: It’s been another great season. It’s unique in that I started off really hot, you know? I have not won Anaheim 1 on a 450 snd this is first year doing it. That was a big change for me. Another big change is that I haven’t had to change my motorcycle a whole lot since the beginning of the season. That’s been different this season. And the guy I’m battling with in this championship is a different player this year and that’s Cooper Webb.

As far as this season, I love everything about it. It’s totally unique. It doesn’t really feel the same at all. They never are. Obviously, it’s going to be a barnburner, so we’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing. That’s what I live for, is racing and lining up on the starting gate. That’s how I’ve made it this far in my career and nothing can relpace that feeling for me, you know? That’s why I line up.

Q: You’re now in your second season with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star racing outfit. You’ve won titles and plenty of races with the organization during the period. Has it been a strong relationship between the race team and yourself?

ET: It has been. Yamaha has been fantastic for me. This year we have a new motorcycle again, so that was a big test for us. Even in year one with Yamaha, that was my first year with them and that was a new motorcycle, as well. For me it has been a fun journey along the way, and they’ve made it enjoyable and we’ve had success making it work in all of the conditions in supercross and motocross. We’re a great fit right now.

Q: You’re about to head out to Glendale and the 12th round of the 2023 Monster Energy Supercross Series. How are you looking at that round?

ET: I do look forward to it. I kind of treat it as a local race. There are a lot of local people from my area here that go down there; it’s like a five to five-and-a-half hour drive for most people around us. I’m treating it as a local event so I’m always ready to go at that race. I’ve had some good results to back it up there, so yeah, let’s go.

Q: Beginning with Glendale on Saturday we now have six races left in the 2023 stadium season. Do you feel good about where you are at and with what’s left to come here leading into the championship finale at Rice-Eccles Stadium over in Salt Lake City on May 13?

ET: I do. I do. I was in a little bit of a fun there at Indianapolis. I injured my neck a little bit and then that kind of set me back, but now I’m back to being healthy so I should be ready to come out firing for these last six races.

Q: You’re now an elder statesman of the sport. You’ve won everything there is to win, you’re the reigning Monster Energy Supercross champion and you’re deep in the throes of trying to defend here again in 2023. I feel like I can ask you this: How does it feel to be The Man?

ET: It’s cool, and for me this is the most enjoyable part of my career that I’ve experienced so far and I’m just enjoying it all and enjoying each race. I’m trying to be a good role model to all of the kids that are watching us. Yeah, just enjoying it.