Eli Tomac riding for $1M bonus in Las Vegas supercross race

After sweeping the three main events comprising last year’s Monster Energy Cup AMA Supercross all-star race in Las Vegas and earning a $1 million bonus, Eli Tomac set aside about $400,000 for the tax man. He bought a cabin in his native Colorado with the rest.

You can’t always get what you want on a Supercross bike, Tomac says, or he probably would have a couple of 450cc series championships by now. But like the song says, sometimes you get what you need.

Or even a little more than you need.

“I spent my money on some property — that was my splurge,” the 26-year-old Kawasaki factory rider said about the biggest payday of his career.

No one has won the big bonus in back-to-back seasons, which is his goal in Saturday night’s race at Sam Boyd Stadium.

“It’s a one-night show, and obviously our largest purse,” Tomac said. “What’s so cool about it is your mindset — you’re not being conservative, worrying about a championship series.”

Even when it is a championship series, Tomac’s approach rarely is conservative. He’s known for doing whatever it takes to win. In a thrilling 2017 Sam Boyd regular-season finale, he slowed to let rival Ryan Dungey pass before engaging him in rough tactics — and almost stole the title from the four-time series champion.

Rough tactics are fairly prevalent in the all-star race, Tomac said. The million-dollar bonus for sweeping the three 10-lap main events tends to turn even the most sporting riders into wild-eyed demons.

“It can get that way for sure,” said Tomac, who became the second rider in two seasons to pocket the million-dollar bonus after Marvin Musquin did it on a Honda in 2017. “That’s what cool about the event. It’s a one-night show, and you put it all on the line.”

Tomac won the million in spectacular fashion last year, rallying from seventh place in the final main. It was the second Monster Energy Cup win for the two-time regular season runner-up, who became the first repeat winner in the all-star race’s eight-year history.

A third victory would be special, he said. But perhaps not as special as winning his first supercross regular-season title.

“The 450 class championship is on my list of goals and something I would like to check off before the end of my career,” Tomac said.