In Supercross, old guys rule. Just ask Eli Tomac, who will race at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday.

by Bill Center

For most of its first five decades, Supercross was a young riders’ sport.

Be young, be fast, crash or win.

The length of careers wasn’t measured so much by success as by the seriousness of injuries suffered when riders pushed too hard or encountered problems not of their making.

Recently, however, veteran riders have been taking over podiums at Supercross events.

And the trend reached a milestone last weekend. Both winners of the 2026 season opener — Eli Tomac in the featured 450cc class and England’s Max Anstie in the 250cc support class — were in their 30s.

“We still have some serious young talent,” said Tomac, who will be defending his 2025 San Diego race title Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium in the 43rd San Diego Supercross — which features a new starting time of 4 p.m. “But this current group of 30-year-olds can still win races.”

Why?

“A lot goes into that,” continued Tomac, a 33-year-old father of three.

“Training is now more refined than it’s ever been. Experience has a lot to do with that. I probably don’t take as many chances as I once did. And the 450 bikes pay a premium to riders who ride with skill and precision. You don’t have to lead in the first turn to win a race.

“Veteran riders learn how to manage races and seasons. There’s more to it than being fast. It’s learning courses and picking your spots. Strategy and tactics. And my generation of riders is very talented.”

Tomac is one of six contending riders currently on tour who are older than 30. Justin Barcia and Malcolm Stewart are also 33. Former series champion Jason Barcia is 32. Ken Roczen, who finished second to Tomac in Anaheim and has 23 career wins, is 31. And three-time and defending series champion Cooper Webb is 30.

Tomac considered retirement several years ago, and that was before suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon. And he’s still not immune to injuries. Weeks after winning San Diego last year, Tomac’s 2025 season ended with a broken foot.

“I’m not putting a time on when my career might end,” Tomac said earlier this week. “Physically, I’m feeling as great as I ever have. And I love being on a motorcycle. I’m having fun.”

Last year’s San Diego winner, Eli Tomac, will take part in Saturday’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship at Snapdragon Stadium. (Feld Motor Sports, Inc.)And success.

The Anaheim win was the 54th Supercross victory of Tomac’s career. Only the legendary Jeremy McGrath has more with 72. And Tomac ranks third with 86 combined Supercross/motocross wins, trailing only McGrath (87) and Ricky Carmichael (124).

Tomac will be looking for his fourth 450cc main event win in San Diego, But his top local memory Came in 2021 when he scored his first Supercross win in the support class at Qualcomm Stadium.

“There are certain places you go and have a good vibe and San Diego has that special feel for me,” said Tomac.

There are several other things that set Tomac apart.

Almost all American Supercross/motocross riders take up residence in Temecula or Murrieta, or in Florida, near factory training tracks.

Not Tomac: He was raised and continues to live in Cortez, Colo., near Mesa Verde National Park. He still trains at high altitude on the alfalfa farm owned by his father, John, a legendary mountain biker.

And when Tomac signed with KTM for the 2026 season, he joined Chad Reed as the only two Supercrossers who drove for all four factory teams — Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and KTM — during their careers. Tomac won both the Supercross and Nationals Motocross season titles for Yamaha.

San Diego will be without several top riders. Jett Lawrence is out for the season with a broken ankle. Barcia and Stewart were involved in a major accident at Anaheim.

This year’s event will start earlier than in past years. The time for West Coast events has been advanced three hours so it can be televised in prime time on the East Coast.