Phil Nicoletti is prepping to race the 2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship 250SX East Region with the Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha team. This week he even went to California to do some testing. Might his supercross season actually go well? We will see in a few weeks. For now, though, “Filthy” Phil is going to answer some questions from you.
Got a question for Phil Nicoletti? Send it to Phil@racerxonline.com.
(Note: Some questions have been lightly edited for clarity.)
Phil,
Your buddies Matthes and Coop [Cooper Webb] were recently talking on the PulpMX Show about your ability to break into top 5 in the 250 East Supercross and they didn’t seem to have a ton of confidence. I call bullshit on that! have seen videos of you riding lately and you are looking lean and mean on that Club MX bike. Do you have decent podium/win bonuses on your contract? Your bonus structure should have been be the real discussion on Pulp, because we all know that you’re not sticking your neck out unless there is money on the line. Separately, give me an over/under on how many races into the series it will take for you to threaten a young rider's life?
Best of luck in Minneapolis, see you on the box!
Jim Guettle
Jimmy G,
I appreciate your faith you have in me. I really do! Those other two guys you mentioned are nobodys and don’t really know much about moto. A cheese dick radio show and a washed-up moto guy just blowing hot air around. Haha. But seriously, I feel okay. I know where I would like to finish and I’m going to keep those goals to myself. I feel good on the bike. My Chassis with KYB is great. Twisted Development has done awesome on our engines. I can’t say how fast I’ll be, because the young ones have amazing speed. I might struggle here and there with a fast lap. But for 15-minutes-plus-a-lap, I feel solid. Obviously with racing, Monday through Friday don’t mean F$&@ ALL! Saturday is what matters. I have shaved just about 10 lbs from my normal fighting weight on a 450. I heard on the broadcast Vince Friese lost 25 lbs, which seems a bit far-fetched for me unless he’s doing an MMA weight cut every weekend. Jimmy, I’m going to stay out of trouble. Unless someone touches me or does something shitty or shady, I’m all good man. I’m just looking to be solid every weekend and build. As cliche as that sounds, it’s true.
Hey Phil, two things. One, how do you feel about fill-in rides for 250 guys? With AC out there's a nice bike sittin’ there, and someone like [Austin] Forkner or [Cameron] McAdoo could get valuable experience. Of course, you have the crash factor before the East [Coast] starts. Secondly, what's your take on admitting weakness? I kinda understand it, but if your competition gets fired up when they hear you’re injured, doesn't that make them look like they weren't trying hard enough before that? Dig the column, thanks.
Roostzilla.
Roostzilla,
I understand what you’re saying. There are different scenarios that need to be put into consideration. A kid like Forkner, and his team, won’t have him jeopardize his East Coast season for a few 450SX races. Just not gonna happen. Forkner has a lot of pressure and money riding on this season I would think. Even if I was him and Kawi wanted me to fill in, I would say no. On the other end of the spectrum, you have Jo Shimoda. That would make more sense to let him race a few East Coast 450 rounds, only because I feel like he is kind of out of the championship hunt at the moment. Maybe riding a 450 for a little bit and racing might revive him a bit. I don’t know that kid at all, but I know how solid he is and can be. You’ve seen that happen a lot with guys like Cole Seely, Ryan Dungey, Trey Canard, etc. They get the call to the 450 and they kill it, and it really helps their confidence. I’m all for that situation. I think Shimoda might like that too. Now, regarding, your weakness question. If I’m hurt personally, I just don’t want to talk about it. Especially if you are going to man up and race. If you make the decision to race, there is no reason to talk about it until after the fact. I went to RedBud and my ACL was torn and I went out to dinner with Weege and the Racer X boys and didn’t even mention it. Block it out, and salvage through.
Hey Phil, Dano here. In your eyes what would be the biggest mistake the younger racers are making just starting in the pro ranks coming in?
Dano
Dano,
This is a hard one. It’s hard to pinpoint the biggest mistake. I’m going to say the mistakes young ones make is their level of delusion and the suffer factor. I don’t mean this in a bad way either. I was in the same boat when I first turned pro with my old man in a pickup and trailer. You just don’t know. You don’t understand how prepared you have to be and how much work actually has to be put in. You have to grind your damn teeth, day in and day out. That’s no bullshit. Knowing you have to suffer and grind your balls off when there is no paycheck, that’s tough. Sometimes it’s takes a LONG time to get that paycheck too. So, the case of delusion sets in thinking they deserve it because they put in time for three or four months. That’s nothing! But there is always that diamond in the rough, some kid working his balls off, on shitty equipment, putting in his time. He’s seeing other kids getting paid 125K as a rookie and he’s not getting anything because he was just shy of the mark. Cream rises to the top, always. As long as the state of delusion stays obsolete, and the suffer factor stays high, that kid is going to make it.
Main image by Midwest Moto Media/Jason Friberg
