Among the chaotic opening rounds of Monster Energy AMA Supercross so far in 2022, there have been instances of riders already making improvements in themselves or their programs. For Aaron Plessinger, he went back to work with the team after Anaheim 1 and some suspension adjustments along with just forgetting about A1 allowed for Plessinger to make huge strides in Oakland. As for Hunter Lawrence in the 250SX class, he’s had to overcome bad starts but Oakland was at least a bit better in that department and his late race speed is really turning into his strong suit. And looking at Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Dean Wilson, Oakland was a step in the right direction towards Wilson feeling like his practice pace is carrying over to the racetrack. Each rider felt better about their weeks and our own Aaron Hansel caught up with Wilson while Plessinger and Lawrence each spoke with the media in the post-race press conferences afterwards.
Aaron Plessinger | 2nd in 450SX Class
Aaron, this is the most similar to an East Coast track that we’ll face on the West Coast, which we know is your specialty. How does the new bike feel in these conditions?
Aaron Plessinger: It feels great. It’s handled everything really, really well tonight. Maybe tweak some stuff during the week, but I don't think I’m going to stray too far from what I’ve got right now. It feels like I got a good setup, and I can ride it strong to the finish. It feels great. Everything is going as planned right now. We’ll keep trucking.
You mentioned on the podium doing some testing. What did you change since last week?
Pretty much my whole setup, my whole suspension setup. I don’t really know specifics, but everything suspension-wise was swapped up and changed a little bit. Last week was a little weird for me, but we rebounded.
You were catching Jason [Anderson] there midway through that moto, then started to make a couple mistakes. Was the track starting to deteriorate that much where you sort of went, I might just settle here? Or were you still looking and trying to charge for that first win?
I was still trying. I was still charging for him. He was riding really good. I had some momentum right there until I made one really, really big mistake. After that, I kind of held my breath for a few laps. Then I saw Justin [Barcia] coming and Eli [Tomac] and I said to myself, I have to go. So, I put on the afterburners and tried to catch Jason again. But he was riding really, really good. All of us rode a great race. I think we all kept each other on our toes. I’m happy with it.
The last two races have been totally different for you. You mentioned the bike changes for this weekend. Do you feel that those will carry also for the next week and to San Diego and you will be at the podium again?
Yeah, I think so. The changes we made this week were really good. But I’m not going to count last week. I’m going to X out last week because I was in a totally different planet last week. I don't know why. It just didn’t feel like a race week to me. Didn’t feel like a race weekend, until we literally got on the gate. By that time, it was too late. I was just not on my game. So, I felt a lot better this week. A lot more in-tune with myself. Hopefully it carries on to next weekend and we get a good start like we did tonight and hopefully battle for the win.
Oakland - 450SX Main Event
January 15, 2022| Rider | Time | Interval | Best Lap | Hometown | Bike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jason Anderson | 21 Laps | 0:59.714 | Edgewood, NM  | Kawasaki KX450SR | |
| 2 |  Aaron Plessinger | +03.366 | 0:59.798 | Hamilton, OH | KTM 450 SX-F | |
| 3 |  Justin Barcia | +06.165 | 0:59.768 | Monroe, NY | GasGas MC 450F | |
| 4 |  Eli Tomac | +09.919 | 0:59.583 | Cortez, CO | Yamaha YZ450F | |
| 5 |  Malcolm Stewart | +13.951 | 1:00.621 | Haines City, FL | Husqvarna FC 450 | |
| 6 |  Dylan Ferrandis | +14.779 | 1:00.291 | Avignon, France  | Yamaha YZ450F | |
| 7 |  Cooper Webb | +16.649 | 1:00.678 | Newport, NC | KTM 450 SX-F | |
| 8 |  Marvin Musquin | +34.013 | 1:00.304 | La Reole, France | KTM 450 SX-F | |
| 9 |  Chase Sexton | +37.714 | 1:00.288 | La Moille, IL | Honda CRF450R | |
| 10 |  Dean Wilson | +48.582 | 1:01.349 | Scotland, United Kingdom  | Husqvarna FC 450 |
Hunter Lawrence | 2nd in 250SX Class
Hunter, it was almost a rematch. You tried to go after Seth Hammaker there for second. You were charging. Are you a little frustrated that you weren’t up there off the start like you probably want to be these last two weeks?
Hunter Lawrence: Yeah, for sure. This weekend had a few more laps to go to work on Seth. It was a good battle. He was riding really well at the start. I just had to keep pushing through. Like you said, the start wasn’t ideal. I guess you know what we’re probably going to work on this week.
How do you balance having patience in the main event? This race kind of came to you as the laps wound over. How do you balance that patience versus just that urgency to get to the front?
You kind of read the race, like you said, as it comes to you. You read the race and obviously when I see the guy with the red plate passing for the lead when I’m in sixth or seventh, there’s a bit of urgency, you could say. So, I was just pushing every lap and trying to get as close to the front as I could, maybe catch Christian [Craig]. Michael [Mosiman] went down. Not that I’m saying I seen it coming, but you see some riders and especially it’s early in the season. You just let the race come to you and read it lap by lap.
Do you feel like that could be a similar approach for the championship itself? You’ve had two podiums. Obviously, a step better this time. As it wears on, it’s sort of just watching it play out as well.
Yeah, for sure. It all starts with executing a good start. If I can get myself around the first turn top three, I think it will be very interesting.
You mentioned earlier working on your starts. Seth [Hammaker] mentioned sprint speed and that kind of thing. The first two races had two big whoop sections, and we know Christian’s ability in the whoops. How much of a factor do you feel that plays in the points so far?
If I’m coming to a race and I’m worried about big whoops, then I’m already beat. That’s not what I’m thinking. I’m not going, “Oh, my gosh. Christian is going to kill everyone in the whoops.” I can get through whoops fine. Every racer has their strength on a track. It’s up to them where maybe they give a little bit in some sections that they’re not as amazing as others, or whatever it may be, but they have their own strengths to make up. Throughout the day we just try to be the best version of ourselves on the track. Obviously, you see other guys maybe a different line or different this, or just carrying speed through corners. So, I wouldn’t say it’s a massive factor, because anyone you race is going to be good at something, really good at one thing in particular. It’s just how it is.
Dean Wilson | 10th in 450SX Class
Racer X: Seemed like a good day for you. You had some good laps in practice too, you were up there.
Dean Wilson: Yeah, overall, it was a lot better day. To be honest, during the off-season, and during the week, I’ve been riding really good. There’s something about the weekend, I’m just not riding the same. But it was nice to be on the board for a little bit [during qualifying]. I qualified ninth and got a really good start. I got real tight, but the start was good, so I was happy with that. In the main I had Kenny [Roczen] and Adam [Cianciarulo], who are both really good starters, I was sandwiched between them. They got me off the start and I got pinched, so not a great start. You know how stacked this class is, the first ten laps are just a brawl. I made my way to tenth. Not a great ride, but we’ll take it and try to get better from here. I ride with Aaron [Plessinger] and Malcolm [Stewart] during the week and I’m running the same pace as them. They’re having really good nights, and I believe I can be there. I just need to believe it myself. Sometimes I doubt myself sometimes. I just need to stop that. It was a better day, I’m happy with that, and we’ll move on to the next one.
Well to be honest, you seem a little bummed out right now. But like you said, to be top ten in this field is no joke.
Yes, the class is the deepest, I think, it’s ever been. Everyone is really on the ball and it’s tough, it really is tough. But I still believe I can be in that top eight, top five. I’d be happy with that. I just need to get a good start and I can do it. These tracks get so chewed out in the main event and I don’t think I move around enough. I kind of get a line and stick to it. That’s one thing I’m going to work on, moving around and finding better lines that’ll help you sustain the pace. That’s something I need to work on.
The dirt here [in Oakland] typically breaks down pretty fast, but it didn’t seem like it was as bad this year. How was it compared to years past?
It felt quite similar to 2020. It held up pretty good. It got rutty, of course, but every main event we race gets rutty. It’s tough, but that’s what makes those mains so challenging, the conditions.
