Legends of Supercross: The Races this Sunday, February 27
at 1:00PM ET/10:00AM PT on CBS

As Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship, enters its fourth decade of racing in some of most recognized stadiums in the world, CBS Sports will take a look back at some of the sport's greatest races this Sunday, February 27 at 1:00 EST. CBS Sports will give fans an inside look at those legendary races will commentary from those who engaged in these epic battles, including Ricky Carmichael, Jeremy McGrath, Jeff Stanton, Mike LaRocco and Jeff Emig just to name a few.

As amateurs, motocross racers race motocross. This sounds like I'm pointing out the obvious, but the point is that they don't race supercross and rarely race anything approaching it until they're in the pros. So, when GEICO Powersports Honda's Eli Tomac went out and won the season-opening Hangtown MX National last year, in his first AMA Pro race, it was surprising, but not incredibly surprising. He had been racing motocross since he was five. So it's normal that guys like him sometimes take a little while to get up to speed in supercross, and it's not just the tight confines of the track or the big jumps, but even the atmosphere itself can be rather intimidating. However, throughout this season, Tomac has been improving, and at round six of the Lites West in San Diego, he didn't just win; he dominated.

Motocross.com: What happened out there?
Eli Tomac: I don't know...

You don't know?
I guess I won... [Somebody butts in and says, 'He didn't even drink the champagne on the podium."]

You wouldn't drink the champagne? You earned it...
No, I'm not old enough.

They should give you sparkling cider.
I don't even know how to pop the thing. I feel like an idiot not doing it, but whatever...

Eli's pre-race interview in San Diego.

You murdered those guys tonight. Did you have any idea how big your lead was getting?
I seriously thought no one did that triple that first lap, but I think Hanny [Josh Hansen] and [Jimmy] Decotis did. But yeah, after the first three laps, I'm like, "Oh my god." I was feeling my flow and then actually I caught lappers on lap 6 or something and that really balled me up. I was getting kind of nervous and actually made a couple mistakes. I kind of sketched in the one set of whoops but then I knew that those guys would have to go through them, too, so I just dealt with it. After that, I just put it on cruise control.
Eli Tomac was all smiles on the podium after his first-ever SX win. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

Did you feel like there were any other races earlier this year that you possibly could have won but let them get away from you?
Yeah, I mean, obviously a couple weekends ago at A2 I was feeling it. I kind of blew myself out there, really, battling with Ken [Roczen] and Josh [Hansen]. This week was actually when I was totally on my game for the first time, I think.

At A2, what did you learn?
I was going, like, frickin' 110 percent last week - balls to the wall for the first seven laps - and that's what kind of blew me out, and then Hanny stretched back out. I think that was a good learning experience, though.

How different is it to win indoors vs. outdoors?
You kind of have to re-learn everything when you go into Supercross. It's nice that I've already raced all these guys in outdoors, but it's definitely new to be in the stadiums.
Eli Tomac checks the opposite straightaway to see if anyone is close to him through the whoops on the final lap. No one was. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

What was that like the last few laps, trying to deal with the pressure of knowing that you had the win in the bag?
Those last few laps were a lot better because I was actually able to get around most of the lappers that were battling. I swear to god, the blue flag meant green for some of those guys! No disrespect or anything, they're racing too, but man it was bad. In those last couple laps, I was really able to just cruise it.

What was it like when you ran into your team coming back off the track after you won?
Yeah, all these guys obviously put in all the hard work during the week, so it's just nice to show that out there on the track that when they put in the work, I'll put in the work, too.

What about your parents?
They're obviously the biggest helpers for me. I'm basically still a kid; I still live with them, my mom still cooks for me, does my laundry and everything... My dad is still my dad and he's my trainer and all that.
Eli Tomac throws a whip over the finish line as he cements his win. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

So what was it like down there on the podium with them?
My mom came running up there and was hugging, screaming, and just about blew my eardrums out, so I think she was a little excited.

Your dad showed up kind of late. I saw him walk down there when the podium was almost over.
Yeah, he's that way. He's just like the slow cowboy guy: "Yeah, good job, dude." [Laughs] He's obviously excited too, but my mom always leaves with like three laps to go and sprints down to the podium.

He wanted to finish it out up there watching it, huh?
Yeah, he makes sure I get there first.

You've got a big break in your racing now, so what do you have planned?
I think we'll be taking it easy for a week or two and then we'll probably actually start riding a little bit of outdoors, and then obviously you have to get back into Supercross mode. So, that's pretty much the plan from here.

I know it's a little bit getting ahead of ourselves, but having gone through the outdoors once, do you feel better about what you need to do and where you need to be when that series starts back up?
Yeah, I obviously need to be in humidity this year earlier on. I'm either going to go to Florida or Texas this year, for sure, because that's about all I can do. I'm one of those guys who has to get acclimated, so that's the plan for me
It was Tomac's first win ever, but the GEICO Powersports Honda team's second win in a row, following Justin Barcia's win at the first round of the Lites East a week earlier in Houston. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

What about the pace and dealing with all these guys every week? Do you feel better about that, too?
Yeah, I mean obviously Christophe [Pourcel] and Trey [Canard] were on a gnarly level last year, so it's nice that those top guys are out. I'm like, "Get outta here!" But obviously [Dean] Wilson, [Justin] Barcia, [Blake] Baggett... Obviously, all the Pro Circuit guys, and the guys on our team are gnarly, so it'll be another tough year.

Tomac on top in San Diego

Photo/Text: Scott Hoffman

Although Eli Tomac made his pro debut in 2010 during the AMA Outdoor series, 2011 is considered his rookie year with regard to supercross. Tomac, son of famed mountain bike racer John Tomac, was pretty much born with two wheels under his feet. We spoke to Tomac right after he scored his first ever 250/Lites victory during the muddy and wet San Diego supercross.

Motocross.com: This is basically your rookie supercross season on the 250 Lites and here in San Diego this is your first win. Tell me about it.
All I can say is it was awesome, really great. It was definitely shocking. The start was awesome. It was a fat holeshot and then after that I just tried to stay up because it was a little bit slippery but it wasn't too bad. It was a blast.

You raced some of the nationals last year, did that help you avoid intimidation coming into a supercross season?
Totally. I know all the guys on the track so it's not like "Oh, God this guy's super fast or whatever." It was nice having a season under my belt and then come into supercross.

You spent several years in the amateur ranks and made a name for yourself and then had to wait for something to happen. Now that it's happened, is that a relief?
Yeah, I guess so. I've been really close and it's just really all about the start and it's getting used to the whole supercross scene.
Eli Tomac crossing the finish line scoring his first ever career 250/Lites supercross victory

When did you realize this is what you wanted to do?
Amateur motocross is so serious nowadays. It's like kids are basically turning pro when they are on 60s. They get full support from the factories like Suzuki. Kids will get like eight 65s, eight 80s and all that, so it turns into a job that early. It's kind of crazy to think about.

Were you actually making money as an amateur before you turned pro?
Well, obviously the bikes are given to you and contingency which is for travel money.

Are you happy with where you're at?
It's definitely a nice way to go into this big break. I'll go home, chill out for a couple of weeks and probably start doing outdoor testing and then get ready for supercross again.

Because your father is a famous downhill mountain bike racer, did you ever feel the pressure where people go, "Oh, there's a Tomac, he must be good on two wheels."
Kind of, yeah. It wasn't too bad living under the John Tomac name. I'd say he's one of the best dads around.

Do you think you have an advantage training-wise because of his intense ability to physically get himself in shape?
It's definitely nice to have someone that's kind of been there and done that and has gone through it all. He obviously knows all the little nicks and tricks about being a professional athlete so it's awesome.

Would you take your dad over Aldon Baker, Johnny O'Mara or Jeff Spencer?
Yeah, my dad was a world champion mountain biker so not many guys can say that.

Chad Reed is already among the greatest supercross racers of all time. He catches a lot of crap from fans sometimes for a variety of reasons, but this past Saturday night in San Diego marked his 39th AMA Supercross victory. Consider this: The previous record, before Jeremy McGrath came along, was 28, held by Ricky Johnson. Bob Hannah has 27. With one more win, Chad Reed will land at 40, where only three other riders have ventured - Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart. And Reed has gotten his wins in large part while racing against Carmichael and Stewart. But in San Diego, he stepped it up one extra level, winning the race on a bike he built, for a team he built. It was also the fourth manufacturer on which he has won an AMA National event. Not even Carmichael, Stewart, McGrath, Johnson or Hannah can say that...

Motocross.com: So, obviously, it was all the factory equipment, the full-factory suspension, and the full-factory engine components that paid off, finally, and you got a win, right?
Chad Reed: [Laughs] Pretty much... You know, I've just been getting under-the-table support there... Nah, I can't complain. Motorcycles have come a long way and when I thought about going this direction and thinking about what it was that I was going to have to do, I had the utmost confidence in Mitch [Payton] and Pro Circuit, and Bones with the suspension. Those are the components you have to trust. I chose a Honda motorcycle because I felt that it was the best and the easiest bike to transform into a bike that it needs to be at this level to win. It took us, what are we at, around six or seven rounds?

Seven...
So it took us seven races, but I feel like we've made a lot of progress from Anaheim 1 to now, and every weekend it has been positive. I haven't really beaten myself up too much and I've been content with what I've achieved and what I've set out for myself to do. As long as you're doing that, you can't be disappointed. So, I'm happy, and this is an amazing feeling. I really didn't know what I would feel like from an emotional point of view. Like, the last lap, I was kind of like, "Wow, this is my bike." I went over the triple and I kind of just browsed down at my bike and saw a TwoTwo on there and it felt pretty good. I knew it would be cool to achieve a win, but it's far cooler than I thought...
Chad Reed won his 39th AMA Supercross last Saturday night in San Diego, and he did it as a privateer. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

What happened on the parade lap before the main event? You stopped in the middle of the triple...
I don't know, I think the bike was just cold. I went down the start straightaway and rolled over that and just stalled it. I was just getting my shit out of the way before the main event, I think [laughs]. Just getting my clumsiness, my crashes and getting all that out of the way before I went and competed for 20 laps.

And, of course, you wore white at a mud race. Why not, right?
I was feeling pretty confident... [Smiles] I think I looked pretty good out there, and it was a new color. I'm having a lot of fun with Shift this year. I think this is my third or fourth color that I've ran this year. We work closely, so hopefully a lot of people like the design because I had a lot to do with it. This is a fun experience. You know, it's hard to put it into words, what it is, because there are so many positives and so many things that I enjoy about it that I don't ever just sit at home and dwell and go, "God, man, I wish I had this or I had that." I put myself in this position, and I was well aware of that. I just have some amazing people behind me and we're trying to get it done.
Chad Reed (22) leads Trey Canard (41) early in the 450cc main while rain pours down. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

You were in Indy yesterday, right?
Yeah... Thursday night, I flew to Indy. I had a signing at 10-12 with Bel-Ray [at the Indy Motorcycle Trade Show], and to be honest with you, without Bel-Ray, I honestly don't think I would be here racing. They pulled the trigger in late October. It was kind of funny; I was joking with some of my friends and even the Bel-Ray guys that the 10 years that I've been here in the USA, every year they want you to go to Indy - especially when I was a Parts Unlimited guy, they always wanted me there and I always managed to weasel my way out. And then now I'm the team owner and I call the shots and say yes and no and I can be that hard guy, but I couldn't say no. You know, I just was so thankful and so appreciative of them, so as soon as they asked me, I was like, "All right, let's just try to make it as easy as possible on me." So I flew in Thursday night, got a great night's sleep, did it on Thursday, and then flew out to San Diego. As soon as I got on that plane to San Diego, it was just an amazing feeling. Just started thinking about going six and two and all of that [as a win-loss record in San Diego]. I posted that on Twitter and [David] Vuillemin corrected me and said that I guess I raced in '02, actually. But I'm not counting that. I was a Lites guy, so it didn't count. You know, Trey [Canard] rode a lot of races last year, and this year he's still called a rookie, so I'm letting that one get fudged a little bit.

Speaking of Trey, what did you think of him when he passed you and began to pull away?
I wasn't too worried about him pulling away because I felt like when I was out front I knew I wasn't killing it. I knew I wasn't going fast. Some of the lines that I was taking were kind of protective or conservative. It was raining, it was getting slick, so I just wanted to be patient. It was 20 laps, so that's a long race. Trey has been setting the pace, and he won last week, so I kind of knew that I was struggling a little bit and wasn't comfortable... I wouldn't say I let him by, but when he came alongside me, I let it happen pretty easy, and then I just jumped right in behind him and tried to follow some lines and tried to capitalize on that. Unfortunately, he washed the front end down there. It was a pretty technical turn, actually. You wanted to stick to the inside and stay out of the rut, but it was kind of getting slick. I messed up there a couple of times, so as soon as he crashed, I went back and just started taking the big rut for the rest of the laps. Man, I'm just so excited. And it's a shame, because I think he crashed again or something. I think he was up in third again, like right on Stewart, and that would have been awesome if he would have gotten up and got second for Honda. And all truth being told, Trey is ahead of me in points, so I kind of need those points on Trey; I want to get up into third. Man, I don't even know what happened out there. I saw Villopoto's bike getting wheeled off... Did he crash tonight?

Yeah, he crashed in like the third turn.
And did he finish?

Yeah, seventh...
Yeah, so it's nice to make some points up. There are going to be so many of these races this year. I felt like I was off-pace, and I wouldn't say that I'm on the paces of those front guys yet. I think there's still some work to be done, but you have to be there every week. Finally, this weekend, I capitalized. I felt last weekend I should have been there to capitalize on a weekend like that, and I wasn't; I was on the bottom of it. So, it's nice to rebound this week and get a win.
Chad Reed has had a lot of success in San Diego, winning a record six times in Qualcomm Stadium. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

What about Ellie and Tate? Are they around?
No, they're not here this week; they're in Florida.

So, you're going to just leave them home all the time now... Isn't that how that works?
[Laughs] Yeah, maybe. She was afraid of that. She's like, "Man, I know you're going to win this weekend." Last weekend was the first weekend that they weren't here and she's like, "Man, you're going to go win, I know it. And you're going to leave us at home and say that we're the issue." But it's awesome having those guys here and the only thing missing tonight was seeing her run down and giving her a hug and giving Tate a kiss; so, yeah, I've got to go back and make a phone call...

You were dancing on the podium. Does it feel like it was your first win ever?
It's been a long time since I've won, especially in Supercross. Last year was the first year that I didn't win a race, and that didn't feel good. It felt horrible, actually. I think now I've got 39 Supercross wins, so I need to get another one. I need to get 40. It was only last week that I saw the television and they had the stats on how long it took Carmichael, McGrath and Stewart to get 40 race wins. So, I kind of want to get to 40 and see my stat. Even if it sucks, I don't care.

It sucks? Those are the only people that have ever done it!
Yeah, even if it took me longer than I wanted it to... But, man, I've raced a lot of good dudes over the years and this is a good feeling, for sure.
Reed was all smiles following the win. He is now just 16 points out of the championship lead. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

What a weekend for racing, between the San Diego Supercross, live on Speed TV last Saturday night, and then the Daytona 500 the following day, it has to be the best way to spend a weekend all year long. Especially if you're a student of the racing game.
Chad Reed is not only a winner, but a championship contender, with a motorcycle that we could buy ourselves if we had enough money. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

What really happened in San Diego (and in Daytona) is that we learned, once again, that despite the sophistication of four-strokes and the money they require in order to race at the top level today, motocross (and supercross, obviously) is still the motorsport that relies the absolute least on the machine itself and the absolute most on the man controlling it.

Since the economic downturn, Chad Reed has watched his former salary dwindle as he bounced from one team to another, but still, he was always a winner. After switching from Yamaha following the 2008 season, Reed went to the Rockstar/Makita Suzuki team and nearly won the supercross title, then suited up and did win the outdoor championship despite only having a supercross-only contract.

But Suzuki's budget couldn't handle both he and Ryan Dungey in 2010, and Suzuki chose Dungey (as it turns out, pretty awesome pick, since he won both championships last year), so Reed was scrambling again and considered hanging up his boots, but then landed at the Monster Energy Kawasaki team with a lot of help from Monster Energy footing the bill.

It turned out to be the worst year in Reed's career for lots of reasons, but it still wasn't without its successes, such as his win at the series-opening Hangtown MX National outdoors in the first race of his first-ever outdoor title defense.

But Reed was unhappy, and when he's unhappy, he has a tendency to make those around him unhappy, too. He and Kawasaki parted ways mutually at the end of the year and again Reed was considering hanging up his boots.
Chad Reed and his TwoTwo Motorsports team just beat the high-dollar factory teams at their own game last Saturday night in San Diego. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

However, Reed threw together a Honda with the help of Pro Circuit to race the series-opening supercross in Australia, which he was contracted to race as a part owner of the series. And it turned out that Reed really liked the bike. A lot.

In a lot of ways, his affinity for the bike may have had as much to do with his decision to push forward with his own team as anything. He felt he could be competitive, and the race in Australia got his competitive juices flowing. He got healthy from the illness that dropped him out of the 2010 outdoors early, and he figured this could be his shot at really doing something in the sport on his own.

And this is how we find it that, seven rounds into the 2011 Monster Energy/AMA Supercross Championship, Chad Reed has just recorded his first win, and he did so on a bike built with parts 99-percent of which you could buy yourself with enough money.
Reed's wrench Lars is a messy drinker. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

To put it into perspective, it would be like showing up at the Daytona 500 with a Toyota Camry you bought at the local dealership. If you took that car, put sport suspension on it, then dropped off the motor for some tuning help, then showed up at Daytona Motor Speedway, what are the chances that you would be competitive, even if Toyota threw in a couple special parts to help you out?

That's what Chad Reed has done.

Now, reverse the role here: What if you gave a full-on factory Honda CRF450R to someone who had raced one race in 2010, and got 17th? What are the chances that he would go out and win the biggest AMA Supercross race of the year in only his second-ever race just because he had a factory bike?

That's what Trevor Bayne did yesterday in the Daytona 500.

And that's what makes motocross and supercross so special: It's about the racer, not the bike. If you're good enough, you can win. Period.

Thanks to Chad Reed and his TwoTwo Motorsports team for illustrating this fact for us yet again, lest we forget.
Chad Reed celebrates his win in San Diego for a record sixth time. (Photo: CoxMX.com)