Eli Tomac Announces Retirement: One of Motocross’ Greatest Careers Is Coming to an End

There are some retirement announcements that feel inevitable. Then there are the ones that still come as a shock, even when you know a rider cannot race forever.

Eli Tomac has confirmed that his professional racing career will end after the final three rounds of the 2026 SMX Playoffs, with the SMX World Championship Final at Ridgedale, Missouri, on September 26 marking the end of an extraordinary 17-season career.

At 33 years old, Tomac is walking away with a résumé that places him firmly among the greatest riders the sport has produced. Two AMA Supercross 450SX championships, four AMA Pro Motocross 450MX titles, 57 450SX Main Event victories and an incredible eight Daytona Supercross wins only tell part of the story.

But for me, what makes Tomac's retirement particularly significant is not simply the number of trophies he has collected. It is the era of racing he has helped define.

Eli Tomac's retirement brings an era to a close

Tomac's professional career began in 2010, when he made his Pro Motocross debut at Hangtown. Seventeen seasons later, he is preparing to leave the sport as the second-winningest rider in 450SX history.

That longevity is remarkable in a sport as physically demanding as motocross and Supercross. Riders are routinely dealing with injuries, intense championship schedules and the constant pressure to perform at the highest level. Staying competitive for this long is an achievement in itself.

Tomac initially established himself as a major force in the 250 classes, winning the 2012 250SX West Championship and the 2013 250MX Championship. He then moved into the premier 450 class full-time in 2014 and gradually became one of the defining riders of the generation.

His breakthrough outdoor championship came in 2017, and he followed it with consecutive 450MX titles in 2018 and 2019. He later added another in 2022, while also capturing his second 450SX championship that same season.

His 2020 Supercross championship was another major milestone, and his ability to win both indoors and outdoors is one of the reasons his career statistics stand out so strongly.

The numbers behind a remarkable career

Tomac leaves professional racing with statistics that will be extremely difficult for the next generation to match.

• 2 AMA Supercross 450SX Championships – 2020 and 2022
• 57 450SX Main Event victories – second all-time
• 4 AMA Pro Motocross 450MX Championships – 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022
• 32 450MX overall victories – fourth all-time
• 1 AMA Pro Motocross 250MX Championship – 2013
• 1 AMA Supercross 250SX West Championship – 2012
• 1 FIM World Supercross SX1 Championship – 2024
• 8 Daytona Supercross victories – an all-time record
• 6 FIM Motocross of Nations appearances for Team USA

Tomac was also part of the United States team that won the Motocross of Nations at RedBud in 2022, while his achievements away from domestic racing include becoming the 2024 FIM World Supercross SX1 Champion.

His eight Daytona victories may ultimately become one of the records most closely associated with his name. Daytona is one of the most prestigious events on the Supercross calendar, and Tomac has managed to win there across a remarkably long period of his career.

Tomac is still winning as he prepares to walk away

Perhaps the most interesting part of this retirement is the timing.

Tomac is not leaving after years of struggling to qualify for races or fight at the front. He is retiring while he remains capable of winning at the highest level.

In 2026, riding for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Tomac has already claimed four 450SX Main Event victories. That makes the announcement feel less like the end of a rider who can no longer compete and more like the decision of an experienced athlete who knows when the time is right to close the chapter.

That distinction matters.

Motocross has a long history of riders attempting to extend their careers because they simply cannot walk away from racing. Tomac's decision appears to be different. He has achieved almost everything a rider could realistically dream of achieving, and he can now choose the moment when he wants his professional career to finish.

Why Tomac's decision could be good for the sport

It is easy to look at retirement news purely from the perspective of what the sport is losing. In Tomac's case, we are losing one of the biggest names on the starting gate, and that will undoubtedly be felt.

But I also think his retirement creates an important opportunity for the next generation.

For years, young riders entering the 450 class have had to measure themselves against names such as Tomac, and beating him has meant something. His departure removes one of the sport's established benchmarks and leaves a huge amount of space for new rivalries to develop.

That could be particularly important as Supercross and motocross enter another changing period.

There is now an opportunity for riders who have spent years racing alongside Tomac to become the veterans of the championship, while younger stars can begin establishing their own identities without one of the sport's biggest historical figures occupying the spotlight.

And that is usually how great sporting eras work. One generation eventually moves on, creating the conditions for the next generation to become the names that future fans talk about.

Tomac's influence goes beyond championships

For me, Tomac's legacy is also about the way he approached racing.

He has always been regarded as an intensely competitive rider, but his career has also been defined by professionalism, preparation and an ability to remain relevant through several generations of competitors.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team manager Ian Harrison summed up that longevity particularly well, pointing out that Tomac arrived on the scene more than a decade and a half ago and quickly became the rider other teams wanted on their side rather than lining up against.

That is an important measure of greatness.

Winning championships proves that a rider was successful. Remaining a threat to win races year after year, through different bikes, teams and generations of competition, tells us something more.

Tomac has done that.

The Motocross of Nations chapter could be particularly important

Tomac's relationship with Team USA has also become an important part of his career.

He has represented the United States at the Motocross of Nations six times and captained the American team to victory at RedBud in 2022.

That RedBud victory was particularly fitting because it combined Tomac's experience, speed and leadership in front of a home crowd at one of the biggest events in American motocross.

As his professional career approaches its final finish line, those moments will arguably become just as important to his legacy as individual championships.

What happens to the 2026 SMX Playoffs?

The immediate focus now turns to the 2026 SMX Playoffs.

Tomac still has three rounds remaining before his professional career officially ends, meaning fans have one final opportunity to watch one of the sport's greatest riders compete for an SMX World Championship.

That changes the way I will be watching these final rounds.

Every qualifying session, every Main Event and every battle at the front now carries an additional layer of significance. Tomac is no longer simply another championship contender. These are the final races of a career that has already secured its place in the history books.

There is also something appealing about the fact that Tomac has chosen to finish the season rather than simply announce his retirement and disappear from the starting gate.

He gets to race his way out.

Tomac's retirement leaves a massive legacy

When the 2026 season finally comes to an end, there will inevitably be debates about where Eli Tomac ranks among the greatest Supercross and motocross riders of all time.

Statistics will form a major part of that discussion. Fifty-seven 450SX wins, four outdoor premier-class championships and two Supercross titles put him in extremely rare company.

But statistics alone do not explain Tomac's importance.

He has been one of the constants of American motocross for almost two decades. Fans who watched him make his professional debut have now watched him win championships, dominate Daytona, represent the United States internationally and compete against multiple generations of riders.

That is what makes this retirement feel bigger than the departure of another successful racer.

Eli Tomac is one of the riders who helped define modern American motocross and Supercross, and when he leaves the starting gate for the final time in September, the sport will be entering a new chapter.

My view: Tomac is leaving at the right time

There will always be a part of every fan that wants a great rider to continue for another season.

But I think Tomac has made the right decision.

He has nothing left to prove. He has won championships indoors and outdoors, accumulated an enormous number of race victories, broken one of the sport's most recognisable records at Daytona and won a world championship in FIM World Supercross.

More importantly, he is leaving while his name still carries enormous weight.

That gives Tomac something very few riders get: the chance to decide how his legacy ends rather than having the sport decide for him.

For the fans, the only thing left to do is appreciate the final three SMX rounds.

Because once September 26 arrives in Ridgedale, Missouri, we will no longer be watching Eli Tomac's career unfold.

We will be watching the final chapter of it.