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PRO MOTOCROSS 450MX CHAMPION ELI TOMAC P148 INTERVIEW go test in different environments for your bike setup and to be prepared for all conditions, and that was something that I wasn't prepared for. As soon as we went and expanded our program and went and tested at a different track, just like that it was like a flip of the switch and we started click- ing off race wins from there. What did you make of Ken Roczen's amazing speed he displayed right from the drop of the gate at the opening Ana- heim round? He was obviously at the top of his game before he crashed, but now it's going to be a big hurdle for him to get back. I had to step over a big hurdle in 2015 when I hurt my shoulders. It takes a while to get back going full steam again. After you won your first race of the season at round four over in Phoenix, you immedi- ately fired off nine wins in the next 11 races. Everything just don't see that very often now—you know, for a guy to come through the pack. That was awesome at Salt Lake. If you can do that, you know you're pinning it. And the penultimate round at East Rutherford, New Jersey. That obviously didn't go as planned. What happened? Yeah, the New Jersey race, to be honest, we were struggling a little bit throughout the day. It was a softer track and had more of a spongey surface. I was struggling with comfort kind of all day. Come race time we actually got in a little bit better position and in the main event, shoot, we actually came out around top three and got into the lead for about two laps or so seemed to click for you and the team. Yeah, and the first one is the hardest one. Once you get that first one, then you believe. And once you start believing, you just keep rolling. And as long as you don't make that mistake, like I said, it gets easier and you have more confidence and you're liter- ally clicking. That was that position that we all hope to be in. Like at the Salt Lake City round. It's pretty rare these days when a rider comes flying through the pack to win like you did that night. Yeah, that was exciting. That was cool because, for one, the 450 class is so deep now. And you PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE COX Tomac came within a few agonizing points of winning the SX title as well in 2017 but still had the class to congratulate champ Ryan Dungey after a crazy final-round showdown in Las Vegas.