The Australian Grand Prix will hike the heat in 2025 World Supercross Championship this weekend but a gathering of the championship’s head honchos were already sweating under lines of enquiry in the rush to round three of five.
Red Bull KTM team leader Ian Harrison faced a few questions about the presence of ‘new’ rider, 33-year-old multi champion Eli Tomac, as the veteran ace prepares to make his second competitive outing for the crew and in the wake of his debut success in Canada.
Tomac rode and trained near his home and in Arizona to escape some of the grim weather that hit KTM North America HQ in southern California last week, and the acclimatisation process to the KTM 450 SX-F – his fourth factory bike in elite level supercross – continues in Australia.
Harrison was effusive about Tomac’s seamless and professional integration to the squad so far and has been able to appreciate the American’s unique vigour up close.
“I was always a believer in young guys and had this theory in my head that when they get to around 27 there was no way [they would keep winning],” he said. “If you look back in supercross, after [Jeremy] McGrath I don’t think there is one winner that is older than 27 and that was always in the back of my mind, but then Eli beat us when we had Cooper Webb. He was 29 then so he moved the limit up. Since that year Cooper has done the same thing!”
“I think it’s the environment where he [Tomac] grew up and in Colorado where everything is very simple and his way of life is a lot calmer,” the South African added. “I think that could give him some longevity, and then having a dad (bicycle champion John Tomac) that was super-competitive and knowing what worked and what didn’t was a help.”
Tomac’s enduring energy and therefore path to a second World Supercross Championship win on the bounce could come under threat from one of his peers this weekend: Jason Anderson. According to Pipes Motorsport Team Principal, Dustin Pipes, the former AMA champion is making ground in terms of his competitiveness.
“I know the work he is putting in and I know the work the team is putting in,” he said of the Suzuki RM-Z450 package. “We’ve done some testing and we’ve gotten better but, saying that, we need to put it on the racetrack because the practice track is so different. We can see what he is doing and we can see it building. There is some momentum there and we like the direction in which he’s heading.”
Anderson has been moulding the Japanese race motorcycle in the few days and hours between transcontinental trips. “We did some chassis testing and found some things he likes,” Pipes disclosed. “He’s on a different set-up now and we’ll do some motor stuff between Sweden and South Africa. We’ll see how it goes.”
The focus in the SX2 class fell on those who could potentially topple current leader Max Anstie from the peak of the standings. One of the prime candidates is Rick Ware Racing’s American talent Coty Schock, who is P2 in the championship, just behind the Brit. “I believe he can get a win…but what’s more important is if Coty believes it,” Dave Antolak said, quite pointedly. “If he starts ahead of Max then I think he has a shot.”
Milestones could be the goal of the Australian Grand Prix. For the well-established Bud Racing crew that distinction has already arrived in 2025 as the French outfit celebrate their 30th year of existence.
“I’m proud of what we have done,” said owner/manager Stephane Dasse. “We started with riders like Sebastien Tortelli, from a small garage at my parents’ house. I’m passionate about this sport and have always given anything every week, weekend, every day.”
Bud Racing will be advocating for their riders Cole Thompson and Kyle Peters in the SX2 division but their history is long and illustrious with victories and titles in domestic and international supercross, star billing at major events like the Paris SX and hefty presence in European and world championship motocross.
After Dasse’s words on the Gold Coast, one of his former charges, Stark Racing Factory Racing Team’s Tortelli had to smile. The Frenchman’s impressive CV belongs in the past but he has his hands full trying to whip the electric Stark VARG’s into shape for the likes of Vince Friese to threaten the podium battle.
More on the company’s effort later this week, in the meantime through Tortelli – a man who is no stranger to long international travel for racing – talked about some of the lesser-seen challenges for the World Supercross Championship gate in their jaunt to the far east of the country.
“We all know how to travel,” Seb commented. “It’s important to come and acclimatise early and the riders have their own experience [in dealing with jet lag] The key part is not to get sick; plane travel is the problem we all face. We’ve had some cases already. Hydration, rest, and healthy is a big part of this championship [preparation].”
