The annual RedBud National always brings fireworks—both on and off the track—and while the 2025 edition of this iconic event was no exception in terms of action, it proved to be a frustrating and forgettable weekend for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac. What started as a promising day for the veteran racer quickly unraveled due to mechanical failure, poor gate pick, and a tough result that shook up the points standings.
In the opening 450 Class moto, Tomac was holding down a solid third place and looking poised for a strong overall finish. But just as momentum seemed to be on his side, disaster struck—his Yamaha YZ450F gave out, forcing him to retire early. The mechanical DNF (Did Not Finish) immediately ended his moto, costing him valuable points and relegating him to a far outside gate pick for the second moto.
With the worst gate on the line in Moto 2, Tomac was left to battle through the pack from a disadvantaged start. He fought hard but could only manage a seventh-place finish in the second moto. Combined with the DNF from moto one, Tomac ended the day 13th overall—a major blow for the championship contender. The rough outing dropped him from second to fourth in the overall 450 Pro Motocross Championship standings, a position he’ll surely be looking to reclaim in the upcoming rounds.
“It was a tough weekend for us,” Tomac admitted. “We’ll regroup and finish better in Millville.” While the veteran’s quote was short and to the point, it clearly reflected the frustration and disappointment surrounding what could have been a much stronger day.
Unfortunately, Tomac wasn’t the only Yamaha rider to face adversity at RedBud. Teammate Cooper Webb also endured a brutal day that tested both his physical condition and mental resilience. Webb injured his knee during qualifying when he caught his leg awkwardly after a footpeg slip. Despite the pain, he suited up for the motos and attempted to push through the discomfort.
In moto one, Webb’s challenges continued almost immediately. A crash in the second turn left him dead last, with a bent handlebar and a damaged clutch. Showing grit, he fought his way up to 10th place—only for his bike to run out of fuel on the final turn of the last lap. That left him with a heartbreaking DNF as well.
In moto two, Webb got off to another poor start but put in a commendable ride to finish eighth. Unfortunately, with his first-moto DNF, his overall result was far below expectations.
“It was an up-and-down day at RedBud,” Webb said. “I felt great in practice, and on the last turn of my good lap, I ripped my left leg off the footpeg and caught my knee pretty bad. Then in the first moto, I ended up crashing in turn two, right off the start. I was dead last… I made a hard push to get into 10th before my bike ran out of fuel in the last turn. In Moto 2, I rode really well and ran seventh until Eli got me late in the moto, and I finished eighth. Overall, it was a very rough day physically and mentally, but my riding was good. I’m going to get my knee checked out on Monday to make sure that we are all good.”
For both Tomac and Webb, RedBud was a round to forget. The team will now turn its focus to Millville, hoping to rebound and get both riders back into top form as the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship continues.