Seattle, WA SeattleMonster Energy AMA Supercross Championship

So far this year’s West Coast rounds of Monster Energy AMA Supercross have been the Jett Lawrence, RJ Hampshire and Cameron McAdoo show, with the exception of the Triple Crown at A2, where Levi Kitchen won, and Stilez Robertson also graced the podium. But what about the other guys? The ones who have podium speed, they just need a start and maybe some luck to go their way? We caught up with Enzo Lopes, Max Vohland, and Pierce Brown, after Seattle to see how their nights went, is a podium in store for these guys soon?

Enzo Lopes | 4th

Racer X: Fourth on the night. I think you wish you could do that restart again, huh?
Enzo Lopes: Dude, tell me about it. I had a terrible start in the heat race and then also in the main. I came from 17th to 4th, but tonight was the best race of my career, I would say. So, I’m stoked. Can’t complain.

How would you take the track as it changed throughout the night? It seemed like it kind of developed into a decent racetrack in the end.
For me, in practice I could say the opposite because I was struggling, but in the main I didn’t make too many mistakes. So, for me, it was just another day at Club, riding-wise. Just trying to flow. Didn’t make as many mistakes as I did in practice in the heat. I felt super solid. Fitness felt good. Speed felt good. Like you said, just wish I could have a restart again. I was seeing Jett [Lawrence] and Cameron [McAdoo], [RJ] Hampshire every lap and I had the same speed. I was just 15 seconds back.

Take me through your mindset, because these results have been great and I think in the past you would take these results any night of the week, but you’ve been so close to that podium. So, are you frustrated or are you actually pretty happy with the riding and you’re just happy to move into next week?
It’s funny because you always change your perspective. Last year I would be super stoked with a fourth place, and this year it’s like, I’m so close. I know I have the speed. I’m happy and I’m not, because I know I have what it takes. We’re reaching closer to it. I know we’ll get there by the end of the season. If I don’t, I’ll be disappointed. But we’ll see.

Max Vohland | 5th

Racer X: P5 tonight. Up and down kind of night. I feel like you were not great at the beginning but then found your flow a little bit. Just take me through it.
Max Vohland: Kind of like that all day, really. I was fighting the bike setup a little bit. Finally found it in the heat race and started getting a flow going. In the main, I got off to a top-ten start. Kind of went back a little bit and then some guys made some mistakes and fell. Once I hit that halfway mark, it clicked. I found the flow. I was moving. I felt strong. One positive thing is fitness is really good right now. I was able to push all the way to the last lap. I haven’t really been able to do that in the past, but after this four-week break and all the work back at Baker’s Factory, thanks to Brownie and Aldon. Fitness is good. I think my bike is in a pretty good spot and we’re just getting better.

How much were you searching around for that optimal line during the main event? How long did it take you to find it?
It was tough. Honestly, I think in the beginning my lines weren’t as good, and then once Enzo got around me, I was actually able to follow some of his lines here and there and put mine together. Once I did that, that’s when that flow kind of clicked. So, it was definitely hard to find the right line because even on these 250s getting those threes, you’ve got to find them just shallow enough, so you don’t get bogged down and make it. The track was tough. It was definitely a man’s track tonight, but I felt like I’m good in those kinds of technical conditions. It worked out for me.

I know we’re coming off a long break and then we go back into another quick break here. How hard is it to find your momentum when you’re having these breaks?
It kind of seems like it’s been like that all year for us west guys. It’s been like race, break, race, race, then long break, and then a race and long break again. It’s been kind of off and on. It’s hard to get momentum, but back at Baker’s we race every day. So, you kind of get used to it. I feel like I’ve got a little bit of momentum. We’re going to do some outdoor testing this week coming up, and then back to supercross before Glendale. I’ve raced Glendale in the past with the Futures. I know the dirt and the stadium quite well, so I feel pretty comfortable. I like the triple crown setup.

Pierce Brown | 7th

Racer X: Just take me through what happened in the first corner from your perspective.
Pierce Brown: I need to go back and watch film to see what happened. I felt like I clipped somebody. I think I clipped Mumford and then it just high-sided me. I got a decent jump. Missed my shift but came into the first corner all right. I’d say fifth to seventh. I tried sneaking into the inside and from what I remember, I just clipped Mumford’s bar and then it sent me flying. Got up dead last and had to brush the dust off. It is what it is. I felt like after the fall, I rode decent. Put good laps in and made some good passes. I just feel like I’m better than a seventh-place guy.

When you’re riding forward like that, how much are you marking out what position maybe you could get to or seeing the guys in front of you and how quick you’re catching them, in that regard?
To be honest, I got up and I was pretty far back. I was going through the sand section as the leaders were hitting that double before the finish. That was kind of my checkpoint every single lap. I was able to keep that gap the whole moto, which actually made me feel pretty good about myself. But I need to start up there and execute the first thirty seconds of the race better. But I rode good. Just started bad.

Take me through the day a little bit because it seemed like you rolled into this weekend pretty fired up. You were great in free practice. All day it seemed like you were pretty fast. What was it about the day as a whole that looked good for you out there?
Yeah, it was just more so how I built over the break. We had a long break to work with. I just feel like the last five, six weeks have been great. I was coming into this round fired up. I just wanted to prove a point. I qualified first free practice, which felt good. Struggled in qualifying. I couldn’t put a lap together, but my ideal laps were good. It just kind of carried through to the heat race. All day, I felt like tonight was my night. I just felt calm and ready to prove a point. I just wasn’t able to.

3 on 3: Lopes, Vohland, and Brown

Enzo Lopes | 4th

Max Vohland | 5th

Pierce Brown | 7th