Round 14 of Monster Energy AMA Supercross was an interesting one, to say the least. After racing a nice, dry track all evening, the action was delayed due to a lightning storm and when riders came back out to race, they did so on a soaked track. To get a better understanding of how nights like this affect performance, and the remainder of the season, we got in touch with former pro Jason Thomas.
There was a huge delay in the action on Saturday night due to lightning. What’s it like for riders, mentally and physically, when a gate drop gets delayed like this?
It’s not ideal, obviously. For the riders, they have a routine of warming up, nutrition, and staying focused. This delay throws all of that out the window. Most of the 250 riders were stuck down in the tunnel so they couldn’t regroup back at the semi. Once the timeframe for the restart was given, I would have tried to go back to that routine and process. Staying warm is really important, especially with a three-hour break since the 250 heat races.
What’d you think of the track following the downpour? It looked like it was going to be a slop fest, yet riders were still able to hit some of the jumps.
A muddy track is always going to be at its best on the first couple of laps. The water hasn’t yet penetrated the surface in most areas, making it just slippery, not soft. As the laps wear on, that soaking takes place and it becomes more of a slog. The ruts get deep and that hard, slippery surface turns into muck. Getting really fast, effective laps in early can change the entire outlook of the race. The lap times can be 10-15 seconds faster on the first lap versus halfway.
Take us through RJ Hampshire’s last-turn crash in the 250SX main event. Clearly he was crashing before he even got to the turn, but why would he come in there that hot with conditions being that slick?
He saw Jett make a big mistake exiting the corner after the whoops (rushing to try to get Max Anstie). He knew Jett wouldn’t have much momentum down the start straight and saw a window to beat him to the apex. That window would be dependent on perfect trail braking into that corner, though. In full slop, there’s no way perfect trail braking could work. It was a last-ditch attempt to make a pass, but one has to question the wisdom of throwing away a podium finish there. Best case, he makes a move and gets second. Worst case, he gets stuck, can’t start his bike, and throws away a sure third place. Decisions like this are made in an instant but the risk/reward didn’t seem favorable this time around.
Max Anstie had a hell of a night and recorded his first supercross win. He’s been good all year, but was especially good in East Rutherford. What were his strengths on Saturday night?
He’s one of the best mud riders on the planet, period. I was at Matterley Basin in 2017 when he decimated the MXoN field. He showed then he’s a force when the skies open. When he got the start in the main event, I whispered to myself, ‘He’s going to win this.’ Put a rider of his skillset into that optimal of a position and the rest takes care of itself. The mental aspects of that loom large also. He knows how good he is in the mud. I don’t think he believed anyone would outrun him on pure speed, leading to much more confidence going into, and through, the start.
Same question as above, but with Justin Barcia, who recorded his first win since the season opener of 2021.
There are a lot of similarities here but I believe the Barcia win also reflected a culmination of solid results. Barcia had been looming, putting in podium after podium, and stalking that elusive win. Add in a home race, inclement weather, and a good start, and voila. He, like Max, knew that if he got out front in the mud, it’s unlikely anyone could or would overtake him. Godspeed to anyone who tried, by the way.
The 450SX title fight has been about as close as it gets this year. When the championship is this tight, do guys like Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb, and Chase Sexton view it as an opportunity to make big gains in points, or is it simply a matter of surviving the night without sustaining championship damage?
It depends on where you sit. For Sexton, he needs to win and win now. He needs big chunks of points and the easiest way to do that is to rack up wins. His Atlanta win and subsequent struggles from his rivals gave Sexton a nice move back to relevance. He needs more of that and immediately.
For Webb, he has been in between Sexton’s urgency and Tomac’s lead but with his difficult weekend in NJ, the urgency has ramped. He can’t wait around any longer. He needs to win and might need help, too.
Tomac is in the most enviable position, of course. He hasn’t won since Glendale but one could argue he hasn’t had to. Webb has struggled for weeks, not able to capitalize on Tomac’s rough Atlanta main event and practice crash in Jersey. That’s given Tomac a cushion, pushing the points lead to 11. If he can find a way to win this weekend, it becomes to look very bleak for anyone not named Eli.
Webb lost some more ground to Tomac in East Rutherford, and now, with just three races left, trails Tomac by 11 points. He’s now in a position where he has to run the table, and even that might not be enough. How does a race like last Saturday’s affect Webb’s mindset, or plan of attack, moving forward?
If he runs the table, I am a believer that he wins the title. Having said that, I do not believe he’ll run the table. For Webb to be champ, he will need to break out of this funk, win races, and get some help from Tomac. With Sexton, Roczen, and Barcia all at their best form of the season, it’s not impossible. The biggest variable here still remains in that if Webb can go win and do it consistently.
