Yes, Honda’s Chase Sexton won the Detroit Supercross for his second win on the season, but the real story was Red Bull KTM’s Aaron Plessinger and his ride as he looked to earn his maiden 450SX win. We all saw him come horribly short one and a half laps to go with a bad crash and the subsequent 13th. From hero to zero in no time, what a heartbreak for AP, who is a fan favorite for sure. We caught up to him on the PulpMX Show to talk about the race and more.
Racer X Online: How do you feel? Re-watching that - your head, your neck, your back… Are you okay?
Aaron Plessinger: Honestly, as bad of a crash as it was, I came out all right. I got a pretty good gash in the side of my right leg and my left wrist hurts a little bit. But overall, I fared pretty well [Laughs] with that neck crank and slamming into that jump like that. It was definitely a hard hit, for sure. That’s why I didn’t get right back up. I definitely hit my head, but I was aware, and everything was good. I was like, “Oh, my god. That did not just happen.” Like, “Come on, dude.”
Alex Martin: Did you go visit a chiropractor at all today or yesterday?
No, I didn’t. I saw G [Dr. H. Rey Gubernick AKA “Doc G”] after the race, so he hooked it up.
You made on a note on the post-race interview. You were like, “I sat down every lap, and I just went through there standing up.” Which is what you should do, proper technique and everything, stand up. Nope. That’s what happens when you try to do it properly.
Dude, yeah. I’m not lying. I sat down and put my foot out every single lap. I know I was passing lappers and whatnot, but I don't know what it was. It a split-second thought. I remember thinking in my head, I was like, “All right, I’m just going to stand up through here and just go.” I did it in practice and I don't think I did it in the heat race. I sure didn’t do it in the main, and then that lap, it was a split-second decision. Like, I’m going to stand up right here. The next thing I know… No, this can’t be happening. I’ve got to be dreaming.
Kris Keefer: What do you think about? Obviously, we know the heartache. We saw the post-race conference with JT. When you get back to the rig, do you just let it all out?
No. [Laughs] I think I let it all out on the track, honestly. I got back and I was talking to Jade [Dungey, mechanic]. I was actually not really that sad or mad. Inside I was hurt, but I was actually more pumped on my riding and how I was doing before all of that happened, that I think I was just all right. I definitely cried on the track. It was tough to handle right then, but after the fact and everybody telling me I was riding so good, and just thinking back on it. I was riding unbelievable. Just for that to happen like it did… It wasn’t my time to win that night.
Did you change anything coming in? The heat race was great, too. You were just good all night. It was impressive. You’ve been good this year, but Saturday night was unbelievable. Another level.
I really didn’t change anything. I had a good Monday riding and decent Tuesday. And actually, Thursday was my worst day of riding. I was like, What’s wrong with me? I went to the race and I got some good sleep, I guess. That start with AC [Adam Cianciarulo] was sick. I think that made me click into another level. I was like, I know if I can get past AC and start building a gap, I know I can win this. I should be here. This is what I do. To be honest, I’ve been feeling that this whole season, but with getting bad starts and not being able to come through the pack, it’s hard from the back. I don't know if Detroit just sat well with me, but I was feeling so good. I was telling Aldon [Baker] when he called me yesterday that it felt like just another practice day. My heart rate was in really, really good spots. I wasn’t getting tired. I wasn’t getting arm pump. I wasn’t cruising obviously, but just in the zone. I was feeling really good.
Alex Martin: We were talking about this earlier. Last year in the 450 class for me, it was like, you’re riding your balls out for tenth and 11th. Last weekend, you find yourself seven and a half seconds up from Chase Sexton. Fifteen, 16, 17, 18 minutes left of the main event. That doesn’t happen by accident, but at the same time, you’ve spent your fair share these last two years in tenth battling Dean Wilson. Now you’re in the best position possible. Even though it didn’t end on a good note, you still have to be in a pretty good head space.
Yeah. That’s why I think when I did get back to the truck and I was thinking about it, I wasn’t sad. I wasn’t mad. I was just like, “Damn, I was riding good, man.” That’s something to take away from this. Not everybody can say they put seven plus seconds on the best supercross racers in the world. Just thinking about it like that made me feel a lot better. It was surreal.
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AM: We’re looking at the season laps led and you’re up there with Kenny, Chase, Eli. You actually have more laps led than Cooper [Webb]. Twenty on the season. That’s something to hold your head high at.
Yeah, for sure. As much as I would like to see 22 laps led, I’ll take it into this weekend and build on the momentum.
What did Roger [De Coster] and Ian [Harrison] say to you when they got back?
Obviously, they were feeling for me. They were like, “You literally had the fastest segment time through the whoops. You put eight seconds on these guys, and you were holding it. It wasn’t like you were struggling to keep that pace. It was natural to you. That’s where you are. That didn’t happen by fluke. That’s where you should be, and you should believe in yourself that you can do this over and over again. It’s not something that just happened.” So, they were really supportive. They were just telling me we’ll get them this weekend.
Did you re-watch the race?
I did. I watched the replay of the crash. I was actually texting one of my buddies. He was like, “What are you doing?” He was like, “About to watch the race and thinking about what I’m not going to be doing next weekend when I’m leading the main.” [Laughs]
John Anderson: Going into this weekend, are you just like, “I’m going to win this goddamn race?”
Yeah. That is exactly where I’m at. I’m 100 percent right there in that mindset. Now I know I can do it. I got what these guys don’t want me to have, and that’s confidence. It’s going to be a good rest of the season, for sure. Now I’ve got this confidence. I’m coming for a win, for sure. I’m not going to let this set me back. I’m going to let it build me. I have what it takes to do it. I just got to stay on two wheels for two more laps. Not even two more laps, a lap and a half. I think this will just better me for future races. The last time that this had happened, it was Salt Lake City in 2017 and the next year I came back and won the championship. So as bad as it seems right now, the future looks bright.
