Eli Tomac sent a clear message in Salt Lake City: he's not ready to fade into the background in 2026. The veteran rider stormed to the top of the first qualification session, posting a blistering lap of 49.494 seconds that left the field trailing by 1.6 seconds.

It wasn't all smooth sailing for Tomac, though. Early in the session, he had a heart-stopping moment when he put his bike down at the start of the whoops section. But true to form, the former champion collected himself quickly and immediately jumped to the top of the leaderboard, establishing a 0.138-second advantage over the pack.

Hunter Lawrence briefly threatened Tomac's reign with just two and a half minutes left on the clock, clocking a 49.631-second lap that momentarily put him in the hot seat. But Tomac answered back on the very same lap, reclaiming the top spot and leaving no doubt about who was fastest in Q1.

Cooper Webb matched Lawrence's time to the thousandth of a second, setting up what promises to be a tight battle between the two for the second spot. Meanwhile, Malcolm Stewart posted a solid 49.831 to take fourth, riding with extra motivation as he looks to secure a ride for the 2027 season following Husqvarna's decision to disband its factory effort.

Ken Roczen showed consistency with a 50.112-second lap, landing in sixth place. While the German rider's pace was steady, he'll need to find some extra speed in qualifying to challenge the frontrunners in the main event.

With Tomac setting the early pace and the field looking hungry, Salt Lake City is shaping up to be a must-watch showdown for motocross fans.