We witnessed Eli Tomac make his first appearances with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing across two World Supercross Championship (WSX) rounds last month, delivering a victory at the Canadian GP before struggling to fourth overall in Australia. Two rounds, two contrasting circuits – which leaves the question: what did Tomac take from that early hurdle on the Gold Coast?

It’s still strange to see the 33-year-old onboard an orange 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, purely because he has spent almost his entire premier class career battling the KTM brand’s team riders. That was Ryan Dungey and Marvin Musquin initially, then Cooper Webb, before Chase Sexton most recently.

In that time, Tomac has been a marque rider for the Japanese brands – which included Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha – before making a high-profile switch to the Austrian manufacturer for the upcoming 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship.

All bikes have their unique characteristics, with Tomac’s initial impressions of the KTM largely positive. Still, there were hurdles of sorts in Australia, with the ultra hard-packed circuit – as well as wider spaced whoops – throwing a curveball his way.

“What we took from both the WSX races was that it was two different conditions, [and] two different kinds of scenarios,” explained Tomac during this week’s SMX Media Days in Anaheim. “Canada was, I would say, kind of loose dirt with some rocks, and then Australia was super hard-pack – one of the hardest pack tracks that I’ve ridden before.

“So, of course, that one didn’t go as well as Canada, but for the first race on the motorcycle, the first couple of races, it’s been good. I think as for [the results in Australia], they were a combination of things, because they [had] a wider spaced set of whoops there.

Image: Supplied.

“I think a standard whoop is 12 or 13 feet, and to me, they seemed like they were 14 feet or something. I honestly felt like my fork was softened, and it was causing some spinning. So just a little bit different conditions that I haven’t really thrown myself into, and it’s something we learn right away. It’s like, ‘Well, we need to be better in these bigger, heavier, low-frequency whoops.’ So it was… It’s a good time to figure it out and try to improve that spot.”

He raced to a 2-7-4 scorecard on the Gold Coast, whereas his Vancouver performance yielded a 1-2-1 tally, with conditions across each race varying substantially. BC Place had a softer base that produced ruts, whereas the Cbus Super Stadium dirt was baked, with the results suggesting the Tomac/KTM combination currently works better under a certain set of conditions.

Regardless, it’s given the group a direction to head in alongside invaluable data, as they target some specifics in order to make the package better come Anaheim on January 10: “We’re working on it, trying to do our best. Actually, the track I’m riding at in Arizona is more towards that style, and we’ve been able to do some testing on it. I’m going to Florida next week, so we’ll also get some East Coast testing this coming week, too.”

As mentioned, Tomac and the team have been each other’s arch-nemesis for some time, with Eli happy to get a look behind the curtain that is Red Bull KTM – as well as working with both Ian Harrison and Roger De Coster – which is something he is impressed with so far.

“I mean, the team that you’re surrounding yourself with is obviously a huge deal,” he added. “So with the short time frame we’ve had with these guys, like…they’re pros. The way the team is structured, I really enjoy it, and who they have in certain places, and what everyone is doing.

“So it’s, yeah, kind of… I’m like, ‘Man, I had to race against these guys for this long.’ And it’s nice to be on the same side now. And the platform and a base, it’s been really easy to set up and just feel comfortable on. For like my body size, being a little bit of a bigger dude, I feel like it fits me really well.”

Image: Foremost Media.

When asked what areas of his game need improving, Tomac identified the starts of Jett Lawrence (Honda HRC Progressive) as something that keeps the young rider consistent and helps him avoid being buried in the pack from the outset.

That wasn’t where the analysis stopped, though, with the continued evolution of the sport forcing riders to focus and concentrate on all aspects of their game, with no one area taking precedence.

“I mean, when I look at Jett, it seems like he’s always in the top three off the start,” suggested the 33-year-old Tomac. “Like, that’s one thing. Of course, I feel like my starts have been improving, but being there every single weekend, that’s so important now because guys can get away.

“So, of course, I’m working on that. And then, yeah, man, basically, you just can’t settle. Like, you’ve got to just try to keep being better, just straight up, whether that be down rhythm lanes, whatever.”

The question on most people’s minds as to the length of his new contract was also answered, with the pair having committed to a one-year deal, as the legendary Colorado native explained that if he does win Supercross, there is an auto-renewal in place if he wants to continue.

“It’s just a one-year deal,” he confirmed. “There’s a clause in there, if I win Supercross, I can race again. But for the main, it’s a one-year deal. I don’t know how exactly that got into play, but I was just happy to have the opportunity to go race.

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“And they were satisfied with the one-year deal as well. We were able to make it work on a year-by-year basis. And then it’s an auto-renewal if I win – if I want to race again.”

This year’s Monster Energy Supercross Championship is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing yet, with Tomac’s move joining the headlines alongside former 450SX champion Chase Sexton’s transfer from KTM to Monster Energy Kawasaki.

There’ll no doubt be plenty of storylines throughout the year, but at least for now – one month out from Anaheim 1 – both Tomac and the team have an understanding of where they need to improve ahead of the new season.