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.)
Greetings Phil! Dave Nash here.
Nothing starts my Friday better than reading your wisdom/insight. It doesn't matter when you were the scrapper-NY-kid at E-Town or standing tall on the podium at Unadilla; you sir are a MX-legend, and of course a (Canadian) Supercross Champion! Okay, okay I know—enough boot licking—let's move on to the main event questions:
Lots of people speak of chassis set-up and bike differences... What's your experience when you've seen riders (or yourself) get off one style (aluminum to steel frame, or vise-versa) and seem to 'lose' their "Whoops-Speed," Is that real, mental or just rider preference? How are you at testing, and do you have any tips?
Nash,
First off, thanks for the compliments. But I’m going to have to call bullshit on the “MX-Legend” part. I’m not anywhere near that status.
But regarding your chassis question between bikes. Of course, there’s a difference. Of course, every rider is going to have to find the sweet spot to be comfortable in the whoops or on the track. For instance, Mookie (Malcolm Stewart). No matter what bike he is on, he is going to hit the whoops 99.8 percent better than every other guy on the track. That’s just a fact. The kicker is, is he as comfortable as he wants to be going that fast? To a normal mortal, Mookie looks like he can’t go any faster in the whoops. But does that mean he is comfortable doing it? I guess you’ll never know unless you’re on the inside. The mystery to me is Kenny (Ken Roczen). He has always been so awesome in the whoops. The Honda is the same as last year, but even he has said he is struggling with it. He hasn’t even changed frames or teams?! So, I’m sure we can even talk about switching from one frame to another, and it being a factor. Kenny didn’t change anything and has gone from amazing in whoops his entire career to struggling to find a setting.
Okay Nash here with another one for you, Phil! During those long bike rides when you’re “grinding your balls off” do you ever reflect on your time at 11-10 Mods with Troll, and is it true that you and Troll wrestled—and Troll won? Perhaps you would consider doing a "Filthy Vs. Troll '' WWF Throw-Down style match at a PulpMX live show with Weege announcing? You know, you dressed in some costume (maybe a darker themed version of Oscar The Grouch), looking "Filthy" and Troll in lieder hosen, blue tights, wooden shoes. Maybe a white beard, and a funnel on his head? J-Bone could be your manager (fast-talking-slickster,big-city-type) and Matthes (Vegas-Sequin-Suit-loudmouth-type) could be Troll's!?!?!? JT$ would be the ref?!?! I smell "real dollars" for such an amazing spectacle... Big money maker, no doubt!!!! Let's do this.
Nash
Hahaha Nash. I’ve wrestled Troll Daddy plenty of times of the past 11 years! Hahah. Seriously hahahahahahah. It’s actually quite comical, and we probably could make a lot of money. I wouldn’t want J-Bone (Jeremy Albrecht) as my manager though. He can continue being a wrestling ref as it is over there at the AMA! But if he was involved, he might allow Troll to get a few cheap shots and get away with it. But all joking aside, we always reminisce on the good old days. Those years were a kind of make it or break it years for us. We had no money living in a 500 square-foot cabin together, doing all our own bike work and just grinding away. There was never a lack of effort. Ever. Of course, sometimes tempers boiled over with the frustration and having to live with each other 24/7. I miss those days at times. But if I had to do it again, I’d quit.
Phil,
Yea here we go, Friese, this guy would not last in the early days of racing. Joel Robert would have punted his ass over the fence. Rex Staten would have ran him over and then punch his ass out in the pits after wards. Bob Hannah would have broke his leg, Ricky Johnson would park this clown in the fifth row of the stands. My question is, given his history of playing these games and over the years why doesn’t the AMA step in and put their foot down? The only guy that has done the right thing so far is Weston Pieck a couple years ago with the Rabbitt punches after Friese’s bad move. Then, the AMA punished Pieck for what needed to be done. Come on! The AMA won’t take care of it so don’t the riders have to?
Dan
Dan,
I’m all for aggressive racing, I am. If I get hit or touched by someone, you better expect it back. That’s just racing. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Contact is part of it, I’m fine with it, and if you ask 100 percent of the guys in the paddock, they will agree. The problem is when people make passes that are way OUT of the potential for a pass! The Friese deal, no pass was going to be made there! Zero. No one would even think about trying to double up going through the outside of the sand. Just wasn’t possible. So I’m not sure what the thought process was on that. I really, really don’t know. I watched it over and over like a lot of people, and it was just bad race craft on Vince’s part. At that level where Vince, Christian Craig, Jo Shimoda, Michael Mosiman, and Garrett Marchbanks are, they can feel where someone is, and where they are going. We are motocross racers and people might think we are dumb, but we have good instincts. Just like jumping through rhythm lanes. You know where the other guys are. You know how far they have until the Tuff Blox to squeeze them off, or limit the cross jumping. Every rider on the gate has to do their due diligence to make the right call. We have all been in a bad spot before. Making the wrong moves at the wrong time is very costly for everyone. That’s all I’m going to say on this matter because it’s been a week now, and the AMA made the call that they felt was right. So….
Main image by Midwest Moto Media/Jason Friberg
