Eli Tomac says 2025 will be his last year. Do we believe it, or will we see him in some way by 2026?
T-Dog: Tomac has been claiming that this is his final year for the past two years. If he hadn’t had an Achilles injury, I believe he would be retired right now. However, he is here, and he is not on a “farewell” tour. Tomac is eager to win. I believe that if he stays healthy this year, he will do all it takes to represent Team USA at Ironman, and it will be his final race.
Slaw: My heart thinks we’ll see him in 2026, but my intellect says we won’t. As Troy Dog mentioned above, I believe Tomac would have pulled the plug had he won that title. As seen by his performance in WSX, he is still competing at a high level, but there are moments when you simply know it’s time to retire. I hate to say it, but we should enjoy Tomac this year while he is still with us.
Cooper Webb finished runner-up in Monster Energy Supercross 2024. Will he most likely win a third title in 2025?
T-Dog: I hope you’ve all learnt your lesson: never count out Coop for a Supercross championship. EVER. He plans to grind out this SX season and keep it close to the end. I believe he will be the champion, but he must contend with this kid named Jett, who can go on a ten-race winning run like it’s nothing. If Coop can keep Jett’s season victories to 6-7 and Jett has a terrible race, I believe he can do it.
Slaw: I’ll never doubt Mr. Webb’s Supercross and title chances again. I tried it once, and I learnt from my mistakes. Another year with Yamaha will undoubtedly help. What will not help? Dealing with Jett, Chase Sexton, Tomac, Hunter Lawrence, etc. I believe Cooper has a CHANCE, but will he? Ehh… I am not ready to go there… yet.
Christian Craig is back with Star Racing. Will he most likely return to his old form?
T-Dog: CC will come back in 2025! Now, what I mean is that we’ll witness flashes of brilliance, such as good starts, running up front, quick laps, great heat races, and THE WHOOP SPEED WILL RETURN! You’ll need to give him some time to adjust because he’s coming off surgery and hasn’t started riding yet. However, as the East swing begins, I believe we will start to see some life in him. He’ll be riding with Deegan, which will increase his intensity immediately.
Craig died as a result of the injury bug after jumping to the 450 Class. Just one thing after another. I think we’ll see flashes, but I’m not convinced he’ll be on the podium in 2025.
Justin Cooper returns in 2024, considerably improved by his extensive boxing experience. How many podiums is he likely to receive in 2025?
T-Dog: J-Coop was one of the most underappreciated racers in 2024, and he earned another year on the Star 450 program. I believe Coop will finish on three podiums this season and no one will mention it.
Slaw: Perhaps Daytona? Look, Cooper is a wonderful rider; he simply has a lot of heavy hitters ahead of him. Will it surprise me if he makes the podium? No. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves SX with $0. Sorry, I JT’d that response, but I’ll go with 0 podiums.
What rider is most likely to win the most SX races?
T-Dog: If Webb is going to challenge Jett for the crown, he will need at least four wins. I’ll never bet against Webb, therefore I believe he accomplishes that.
Slaw: Webb has a tiny advantage over Tomac. This year’s top performers will include the Lawrences, Sexton, Prado, and so on. I predict Webb wins four to Tomac’s three.
Which rider is most likely to win the most podiums in SX?
T-Dog, if you’re catching what I’m saying, I have big expectations for Cooper Webb this season.
Slaw: tomac. I know this contradicts what I just said, but I believe Tomac will be more consistent week in and week out, resulting in more podium finishes.
Which rider is most likely to improve?
T-Dog: Christian Craig. He is back home, and it will show in his results.
Slaw: Justin Cooper. I loved what I saw from him in 2024, and with Craig on board showing the boys some incredible whoop speed, I believe Coop Dog will take a stride forward in 2025.