The first round of the 2022 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship has come and gone. Both classes provided several talking points from passes, crashes, track conditions, and privateers. As such, we fired off some questions to long-time professional racer Jason Thomas to get his take on all things Fox Raceway 1 National.
OMG JT you're part of the TV broadcast! What was it like to play pit reporter and podium interviewer?
It was easily the most nerve-wracking thing I’ve ever done. The toughest factor was the unknown. I didn’t have a lot (see: any) experience with the interviews, let alone on live television. It’s so much more difficult to speak normally when the camera comes to you. Thoughts get scrambled and it feels like the entire situation is going to go nuclear at any moment. I will say, though, that I feel much more confident after going through the process once. I think it’s going to be much more fun at Hangtown.
Honda completely dominated. Is that something or is this just round one, which often has crazy results?
That was an impressive performance, through and through! They made it look way too easy, to be honest. I do think that the 450 class will be very different from week to week but the 250 class was about what I expected. Jett Lawrence’s star is going from bright to nebular (is that a word?). I just don’t see anyone being able to consistently beat Jett other than possibly his brother which would still result in a wave of red every Saturday.
Ryan freaking Dungey. Please comment.
What an absolute freak that guy is. To come back to a series after six years away and run around the top five all day long is just incredible. Further, these hard, blown out California tracks aren’t even what I would consider to be conducive conditions for the Dunge. If he can put together another top five at Hangtown, I would expect podiums as we move east. Remember, he should get more comfortable as he finds the pace and works off the rust. The tracks that he thrives at will be waiting for him as summer rolls on. Give Dungey a round of applause because he deserves it.
Tony Cairoli said he wasn't in full-time training mode any longer and it appeared that was correct. Did you think we only get two rounds out of him now?
I am more confident in that plan now than I was, unfortunately. Speaking with him after the race, he didn’t have a lot of fun on Saturday. The track wasn’t working for him and to make matters worse, he suffered a minor leg injury (limping afterwards) in his first moto crash. I tried to reassure him that the upcoming tracks would be worth sticking around for. Waltzing into a track where the contenders have all tested thousands of laps upon is asking for trouble. If he’s willing to see it through for a bit longer, I think he would feel much more comfortable with the pace and conditions.
With Chase Sexton we often hear, "It's only a matter of when not if." Is this the when?
Many times this supercross season, the only person capable of beating Chase Sexton was Chase Sexton. He’s entering this phase where his mistakes are his main rival. I do believe he will face stiff competition from the likes of Eli Tomac, Jason Anderson, and Ken Roczen throughout the season but I also expect him to have days where he wins easily if he stays upright. I hate drawing conclusions from round one, especially at that particular venue, but he looked fantastic all day long.
![Chase Sexton]()
Chase Sexton Align Media ![Chase Sexton]()
Chase Sexton Align Media
Ken Roczen got beat by his teammate, but he did give a good fight most of the way. We expect him to be good at opening rounds, though. Did anything he did surprise you?
Thankfully, no. It would have been so easy to be lulled to sleep by Roczen’s struggles in 2022. Departing the SX season early was worrisome but only because we know how difficult it’s been for him to maintain his world-class level. With him back to his best self, the eventual question will transition to “can he keep this up?” We know he can win early in the season when the temps are down and his body is revitalized. He’s proven that time and time again. Can he do it in August when everyone is feeling the fatigue of a long series? That’s where the questions are headed.
Panic button time for Justin Cooper?
If you are thinking championship for JC32, yes, it’s that time. Cooper won the 2021 250SX West Region Championship and came into Lucas Oil Pro Motocross with momentum to burn. He carried that into a runner up finish last summer, only six points behind champ Jett Lawrence. He won often and was a threat every time the gate dropped. He is coming into this series with a very different dynamic, missing the entire SX season with a foot injury and is now dealing with an ailing shoulder after an incident with Seth Hammaker on Saturday. He showed flashes of brilliance, leading the first moto for a while, but overall, it was a very difficult start to the season. Worse, he had to watch his expected rivals all have a great day, too.
Please talk about fake starts.
The fake starts have to be one of the most ill-advised aspects of a Saturday. How many times have we seen crashes both indoors and out? Remember, these starts mean nothing. The riders have the entire practice to put in a good qualifying lap. The added risk of another start is not ideal, even if there was some sort of added benefit to it. The proponents of it will say “it’s great to replicate how the race start will be” but I vehemently believe the risk far outweighs that upside. The start is the likeliest part of the race for a big crash, why add one voluntarily? Take your time, go through your starting process without anyone near you, get a clear look at the track on that first lap, and go about your business. Stop adding risk to an already risky day. Rant over.
Do you think the weather had an impact on the racing?
I think it was the typical early-season weather. Temps were in the 70s and will likely be again for the next few rounds. We often have a nice ease-in to summer before the heat and humidity slap us in the face. Now, if you’re asking if the results would have been different if it was 92 instead of 72, then yes, I do. The great part of this sport and series is that we are going to get that very thing in a few months. Whatever questions come about from a cool day will be answered by a sweltering day in August.
