We spoke to several podium riders and title front-runners from Southwick already this week. Here’s what other riders from throughout the pack had to say about their day in New England.
450 Class
Eli Tomac | 8-1 for 4th overall
“First, I want to thank the Monster Energy Kawasaki team for all their hard work. We’ve tried a few different setups this year, but today was the most comfortable I’ve felt on the bike, as you can tell by my second moto performance. We didn’t change much from last week, other than slightly dropping the forks, but that seemed to make all the difference and I felt like a completely different rider during Moto Two. We’re in a good spot and will look to carry this momentum forward to be up front in both motos moving forward.”
Adam Cianciarulo | 5-6 for 6th overall
“I have a lot of positives to take away from today. I was first in 450 qualifying, I got good starts in both motos and I rode with the top three guys for as long as I could. The track was a bit rougher than I expected, which meant some bike changes were needed. Thankfully, I have an amazing crew at Monster Energy Kawasaki looking out for me, and the bike was dialed. I’m going to spend some extra time this week training in rough conditions similar to Southwick so that I can adapt to these conditions a lot quicker next time.”
Cooper Webb | 6-5 for 5th overall
“I made a lot of progress this week so I came into today pretty happy with things and I felt like my riding was a lot better than it has been. Today was definitely a lot better of a day and I’m happy with the progress in a short amount of time, so hopefully we’ll continue to get better from here.”
Chase Sexton | 7-8 for 7th overall
“Round 5 at Southwick was a pretty rough day for me. I just didn't really feel good on the track all day. I qualified third, which is okay, but I just didn't really ride that great. Going into the first moto I actually felt pretty good, but I made some dumb mistakes and went backward and then couldn't climb back up, so that was a bummer. In the second moto I went down pretty hard twice and that's pretty much all. I got eighth. I'm trying to figure out what I can do better and trying to get back to where I should be. I'm looking forward to Millville. From here on out the tracks are pretty good, so I'm looking forward to building and getting back to where I belong."
Marvin Musquin | 10-7 for 8th overall
“Conditions were really tough today, it was definitely a tougher Southwick. My starts were good, I feel like I always have good starts here in the sand, and my bike was hooking up really good in both motos. I had decent speed at the beginning and then I started to get passed by a couple riders and lost rhythm and it was hard to keep up, so that was the biggest issue on the weekend.”
Christian Craig | 9-13 for 11th overall
“It was a tough day for me. I had to come from the back in Moto 1 to finish ninth. In the second moto, I had a better start and was running towards the front, but unfortunately had a big crash towards the end and just had to ride it in from there.”
Aaron Plessinger | 3-DNF for 12th overall
I had a really good day going and was feeling good up front but unfortunately had an issue that took me out of the second moto. The track was gnarly today with a hard base but super deep where It was really sandy. I’m happy with my starts and my riding. We’ll keep working and bring the heat next weekend at Spring Creek.”
Brandon Hartranft | 13-11 for 13th overall
"Round five was really good. I’m riding really well right now. In moto two I was battling for the top ten the whole time with four established 450 racers, so I know my fitness is really good. I'm very proud of myself. It's been a long year and I'm getting much better by the day. I am definitely building confidence. The track was brutal, so I'm pumped that I fought to the end in the second moto. Now I'll just go back home to California, keep my head down working, and hopefully put it in the top ten again. I'm looking forward to next weekend at Millville."
Max Anstie | 37-12 for 16th overall
"It was a tough weekend. I was really looking forward to this place, but we had a few issues in the first moto and they took me out of it. I didn't have the greatest gate pick for the second moto, but I rode as hard and strong as I could, and we came home twelfth. We'll go back to the drawing board and regroup with all eyes on Millville coming up next weekend. We only have seven days to recover; this was a tough one for the body, really for everything, so we're just going to focus on recovery and get ready for Millville."
Twisted Tea/HEP Motorsports Suzuki Team Manager Dustin Pipes
"Southwick lived up to its reputation as it was a difficult and physically demanding track all day. Brandon is really starting to hit his stride and get comfortable racing against competitors who were once his idols. He flirted with the top ten all day; from first qualifiers to the final moto he was just at the heels of the lead pack. I’m happy to see his continued growth. Max had a great pace in Moto 2 and with a few more laps would have again found himself in the top ten. I was really impressed with Clark, Ryan, and Andrew and their ability to handle all the team's needs on a tough weekend. They deserve a Twisted Tea after that one!"
250 Class
RJ Hampshire | 2-6 for 4th overall
“I had good speed again today and I was fastest in qualifying, which was a first with the team. I felt awesome out there and my bike was really good, I just had a couple mistakes that cost me. It’s not a bad points day but I’m looking forward to Millville and going up from here.”
Michael Mosiman | 7-7 for 7th overall
“Today was a very tough day with a lot of highs and a lot of lows. I led some laps and I felt good on the bike but I think there’s some stuff we can improve on. I’m still getting my legs under me after being out for a couple races and I’m still coming back from that, but I think this is really good to build on. I’m glad to be healthy and ready for Millville, one of my favorite races.”
Stilez Robertson | 8-8 for 8th overall
“The day was pretty good. My starts weren’t up to par and I came from the back to finish eighth in both motos. My speed was still pretty good, I just need to get a start so I can see the pace up front and try to get on the box. We’re just going to chip away at it every weekend and try to get a little better each week.”
Jalek Swoll | 5-17 for 9th overall
“Qualifying was good, I was up there and pumped to get a good gate pick. I got a good start in the first moto and led some laps but I kind of fell out of the flow for a little bit. The second moto was shaping up to be a good one but at the end of the first lap, Martin had flipped and I went down with him, which was a bummer. All-in-all, I think I showed some good speed today and we’ll carry that momentum into the next race.”
Pierce Brown | 13-10 for 10th overall
“All-in-all, I can’t be mad because I left it all on the track. This was my first time at Southwick and it was learning experience, and that’s all I can ask for. That’s really what I’m shooting for this whole season, I just want to make it race-to-race and get better. I feel like we are chipping away, quietly, but we really need starts bad. Hopefully we can get upfront at Millville next weekend.”
Max Vohland | 10-13 for 11th overall
“It was a pretty good weekend. I really liked the track and the sand. In the second moto, I was running eighth and was on target for my best overall finish of the year but with two laps to go, I had a nice little cushion on the guys behind me and a lapper just came across my line and took me out. It’s a little disappointing but it’s racing, so it happens. I’m looking forward to Millville with pretty similar conditions to this.”
Jeremy Martin | 11-14 for 13th overall
“I got good starts in both motos but unfortunately went down on the first lap in both of them. I had to work really hard to get those 11-16 moto scores. It was a tough day, but we have some things to take away from it. I’m looking forward to my home race next Saturday.”
Jarrett Frye | 15-15 for 15th overall
“We had some bad luck in the first moto getting caught up in that pileup at the start, but we made a lot of progress, and I had a good ride to 15th and ended up 15th overall. It’s still not the results I’m looking for, but we are making progress. We’re going to keep working and try for better at the next one.”
Austin Forkner | 14-25 for 17th overall
“It was another tough weekend for me, but I’m not giving up. I had good starts in both motos, and despite going down, I still got up and finished the races. No one enjoys having to push through the field from far back, but I believe the fact I came back from almost last place to top 20 in one lap proves my speed and riding abilities are still some of the best in the class. We’re going to continue training on my starts this week so we can show up ready to battle for the lead next weekend at Spring Creek.”
Nate Thrasher | 37-11 for 16th overall
“It was another tough go at it this weekend with some problems in the first moto. I had a good start and was running sixth but had to pull in. It’s unfortunate, but it happens. In the second moto, I came from the far outside and managed a top-10 start, but a tip-over early in the race cost me. I’m taking the positives from today and am just going to keep doing the work.”
Kailub Russell | 24-16 for 18th overall
“All-in-all, there are a lot of positives to take away. It was a really tough track – it was brutal but I enjoyed it. Those guys are going really fast and they’ve got a lot of experience in their environment. I just struggled to ride at that next-level pace. I’m not quite ready to run that pace just yet, but I’m getting a little bit more comfortable. The goal is to get inside the top 15 and then try to get in the top 10, but all in due time. All I can do is keep plugging away and hopefully we’ll get there eventually.”
Dilan Schwartz | 40-18 for 22nd overall
"Southwick was tough. In the first moto I got a mid-pack start and got up to 13th, but unfortunately had an issue and DNF'd. In the second moto I got a slightly better start and I was running in about 13th place again then crashed. That dropped me back to about 20th, but I recovered and came back to 18th. Overall, it's not where we want to be, but we are learning every weekend."