3 on 3: Shimoda, Hymas, Braswell

Going back to that first moto on the start, just kind of take me through what you saw?
I had a pretty good jump, actually, but then Levi [Kitchen] next to me, I think maybe he holeshotted second, so he had really, really good starts. So, he kind of cut me off and I had nowhere to go. So, I backed down. Then I guess people were crashing, so I just crashed with them.

So, when you pick it up, do you have a spot in mind? Do you look ahead and think, I could get here, or whatever?
From what I’m feeling myself after the first two rounds, I’m like, I don't know if I have the pace. I’m struggling. It’s nice to ride free. I feel like that was more myself. I didn’t get tired for 30 minutes. Just had good flow, fun, and great pace.  

Taking the positives away from that, you were running some of the fastest laps of the race deep into the moto. Is that something that you’re just like, that’s what I felt last year? I can just keep this going into next week?
Yeah. I don't think fitness is really a problem. Always work for better, but I know for sure we need a couple more positions off the start. You just have to adapt to it.

Chance Hymas | 11-3 for 5^th OA

Racer X: Overall good day, but second moto great day.
Chance Hymas: Yeah, awesome. Even all today, I qualified sixth. It was my personal best. Then first moto, first-turn pileup which was not ideal, but came back to 11th which was a good ride for me. Second moto was awesome. I started fifth and just put my head down and tried to go forward and ended up third. I was really close to getting that second-place start. Fell a little short. But honestly, it was so good for me.

Take me though the first-turn pileup. I know you were kind of in the center of it. What did you see? What did you feel?
I think I was the start of the domino effect. There was a guy next to me got in next to me. We were all coming into the first corner and obviously none of us were lifting. Now that I look back on it, I probably should have lifted, but obviously I don't want to be that guy. But just unfortunately turned into a domino effect. I was flying through mid-air on flat ground. It was unfortunate, but to rebound to 11th place and then obviously doing what I did in the second moto, it felt good.

I’ve heard a lot of people say that this is grate related [metal starting grates], everyone being a little bit closer going into the first corner. I know you don’t have much experience before with this, but do you feel that somehow, some way it is a little bit closer? Everybody is just nose-to-nose going into that first turn?
I don't know. I definitely think it’s more consistent. I like the grates better, personally. But I guess it kind of makes sense that it makes people more even on the grid, but it’s the same thing on dirt starts. If everyone nails a dirt start… So far there have been more pileups with dirt starts. I guess we’ve had two pileups. You can say it was the grates. You can say it was people. It kind of is what it is. It’s racing. It’s going to happen.

Do you have much experience on this track? You’re in Idaho, so is it too far away or is it close?
I did an area qualifier here but it was a complete mudder. Obviously, I knew the elevation. I’m from elevation, so it didn’t really affect me much. The track was not even comparable to when I raced it, because when I raced it, it was under water. This type of conditions with the clay and how hard it got, that’s how most of the tracks were around Idaho and a lot of the tracks I grew up riding. How rutty it was, that’s just what I kind of grew up riding. So, I felt at home on it. So, to me, I felt very comfortable on the track.

So, was it more you this week or did you actually make a couple setup adjustments that also attributed to it?
No, it was me. Obviously, the team works really hard, but it’s just me kind of putting the puzzle pieces together. Each weekend I’m getting better and better and better. I just need to keep going on an incline.

The second moto was really good, like we said, but the first moto coming from way back, getting all the way to 12th, did that build confidence going into the second moto? Like, I know I have the speed to get up there?
Yeah, but it was also kind of frustrating too because I know I can be where I was at in the second moto in the first moto. So, to me, it was more frustrating, but also, I felt really strong at the end of the first moto and not tired at all. Even at the end of the second moto I wasn’t tired. So, I know if I can start up there, I can finish there. It's just kind of a battle with myself, but I think I’m starting to figure it out.

Now building forward, we go to High Point next week. We’re switching over to East Coast tracks. What do you expect to feel out of those tracks?
I guess kind of like home now for me. I guess home for me is Florida now. Even High Point a little bit, I still feel like from past years that it’s kind of like this place. It can be hard-pack or it can be clay and rutty. So, it’s going to be a very technical track, if it’s going to be like the last few years. I’m looking forward to it.

Caden Braswell | 12-12 for 12^th OA

Racer X: Overall, I feel like today you just looked more comfortable, more in the flow of everything. You go 12-12. Are you pretty happy with it?
Caden Braswell: Yes, sir. I think it’s a good improvement. We need to keep on improving, though. Twelve-twelve ain’t where we need to be, but we’ll keep on improving. I’m blessed to have a good day like today.

What this week did you feel that was just working a little bit better for you? Did you find some stuff on the bike? Was it personally you that you felt a little bit better? What was it?
I actually didn’t ride but once this week. I took this week kind of off and wanted to get my body right and get ready. I think we’ll hit it hard again this upcoming week and be excited for High Point.