Age is just a number. It’s a cliché so often stated that it risks losing its meaning. That is, until two winners and a second-place finisher, all in their 30s, land at the top of the podium in a SuperMotocross (SMX) race in one of the world’s most physically demanding sports.
Eli Tomac (33) and Max Anstie (32) won respectively in the 450 and 250 West classes at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, in the opening round of the 2026 SMX calendar. Finishing second, Ken Roczen (31) was the only rider with a view of Tomac’s win. The remainder of the field was 27 seconds or more behind Tomac when the checkers waved.
“We’re ancient, vintage,” Roczen said after the race, with an almost inaudible chuckle about the accomplishment. “It’s vintage power. So I don’t know. I mean, we’re having fun with it, and we’re still strong. So as long as that’s the case, we’ll be here.”
Tomac credited Roczen with keeping him honest for 20 minutes, plus one lap. While Roczen finished 1.5 seconds behind Tomac, that was close enough to lose sight of him in the tight bowl turns that characterized the Anaheim track. And that spurred Tomac to greater speeds and efficiency.
“I feel like we were bouncing between one second,” Roczen said. “I would gain him in a little bit, and then he would make it back. So it was going like that the whole time. It kind of pissed me off a little bit because every time you get that little bit closer, I was hoping that I could just latch onto that and keep going.”
Tomac now has 86 career wins in the combined Supercross and Motocross series, one short of second-place Jeremy McGrath. With his next win, he will tie the legendary rider, and Tomac won at San Diego the last time the series was there in 2025. In fact, he’s won two of the last three races there after taking the trophy home in 2023.
In the pre-season press conference ahead of A1, Tomac said the only thing he had to prove at this stage of his career was that an athlete in their 30s can still win a SuperMotocross race, and he wasted no time doing so. With A1 under his belt, Tomac extended a remarkable winning streak to 12 consecutive seasons.
“It happens in a flash, and it’s kind of scary to think that I have won 12 seasons, all of a sudden it is here,” Tomac said. “So I’m just grateful to be able to still do it. My mind still feels good. I’m still into it, and physically I’m well. So, yeah, here I am, still here. So you got 12 seasons, kind of crazy.”
Tomac scored his first 450 win on a Honda in Las Vegas in 2013. He moved to Kawasaki in 2016 and won at Daytona. His time with Yamaha began in 2022, and he won with them in their fourth outing, also at Anaheim. Tomac’s debut win on a KTM gives him top-tier success with four manufacturers.
“Hey, it puts a lot of questions for rest for age and, of course, switching teams and those are … I mean, changing motorcycles, changing teams, that’s obviously one of the biggest things you can do in our sport, right? So hey, we did it,” Tomac said.
Notably, Tomac learned some lines from another 30-something competitor. Standing on the sidelines, watching the 250 West race, he took notes from Anstie.
“I changed up the shelf after the start, that lane, the on, off, triple, triple there. So I saw that from actually Anstie in the Main Event,” Tomac revealed. “So I had those lines dialed in, and I put good laps together, and I was keeping Kenny at bay, so I kind of had the feeling of the pace that I needed where I needed to be. So that’s kind of how I played it.”
Anstie’s rise to the top of the podium was record-setting. According to WeWentFast.com, Anstie was exactly one day older than the previous elder statesman, John Dowd, last Saturday. In fact, Dowd set his record on Anstie’s fifth birthday. Dowd’s record stood for nearly three decades.
“I think for the kids that don’t have life all figured out, don’t really know how to get to this place, everyone’s on their own timeline,” Anstie said. “You can get there. Definitely, this is a special one because I grew up coming here dreaming of this place, and to get it done here is definitely special. Got to give it up to the whole crew, the Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha guys did a great job with the bike – executed well. Maybe I’m a little older, I realize it’s only Round 1. I’ve got nine more to go. After last year I know what can happen in seven days’ time, so I’m really pumped, but tomorrow, focus on next week and keep this thing rolling.”
