MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The current Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship 450 Class point leader Eli Tomac added another highly esteemed accolade to his career after earning the ESPY Award for Best Athlete, Men’s Action Sports at ESPN’s annual celebration of sports.
It was the first ESPY nomination for the Colorado native, who now joins Ryan Dungey as the only two motocross athletes to win the fan-voted award.
Due to the support of the motocross and greater powersports community, Tomac tallied the most votes in the category, which also featured freestyle skier Alex Hall (USA), Olympic Gold winning snowboarder Ayumu Hirano (JPN) and Olympic Gold winning skateboarder Yuto Horigome (JPN).
Tomac’s nomination came as a result of an incredible Monster Energy AMA Supercross campaign this past winter, where he took home seven victories and his second 450SX title in his debut season with Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing.
That success has now carried over into the summer with the ongoing Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, where Tomac is now in the midst of a four-race win streak. He recently took control of the 450 points lead this past weekend at the Spring Creek National.
He holds a five-point lead with five rounds to go, eyeing a fourth premier class title.
“What an incredible accomplishment for Eli Tomac that is certainly well earned, but also long overdue,” said Davey Coombs, president of MX Sports Pro Racing. “We’ve known for many years that Eli is one of the sport’s all-time great competitors, but the time has finally come for that recognition to be acknowledged on a mainstream level. It’s a testament to his incredible talent and a relentless approach to his craft, and showcases the impressive size and commitment of the global motocross audience who made the effort to submit their votes for Eli.
“Now we’ll all have the opportunity to see if he can put the finishing touches on a dream season with another title in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.”