Been a slow grind toward the front for Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson, who missed significant time with broken vertebrae before finally returning to action at RedBud. Since then we’ve seen him have to manage the energy use in each race, especially the second motos, but at Washougal he was finally good enough to log two solid motos. The reward? A podium finish, his first time on the box since the Houston supercross back in February!
Pitted against the likes of Jett Lawrence and Chase Sexton, a win seems far away for Anderson, but he’s measuring his progression and hopes to keep getting closer. He had some fun and interesting things to say in the post-race press conference.
Jason, third place, up on the podium again. Congratulations. Obviously, we saw what happened on the track but tell us how your parenting is going. Are you getting any better at changing diapers or anything, or how is it going?
Jason Anderson: [Laughs] Thankfully my wife is doing most of it, the diaper changing, but when I get home from the track I’ll get a couple in here and there. But other than that, it’s been fun. It’s been definitely more fun than trying to come back and race these last four rounds because I haven’t had much time on the bike. Just being tired. Just being able to work my way into it has been tough. Today I was able to get two motos and they were decent. They weren’t the greatest. I feel like I have some speed, but for me, I’m just managing my motos. I feel like where I start, I can maybe make a few passes and then just go from there. I still feel like I have speed, but I just need a little bit more of that race fitness to be able to maybe hook on and be closer to these guys towards the end of the motos. I think we have a little bit of a break and for me I think it’s more time to try and get some work done instead of enjoy it.
I was going to ask you about that. I suspect that you’re not going to be out golfing as much as these guys. You probably are going to have to work on your fitness a little bit where these guys are looking for a recovery. So, is that your plan? Do you have any projections of when you could possibly be back sort of in race shape where you could go hard for both 30’s?
I mean, you never know. I feel like going to Unadilla should be good. I always like Budds Creek. So hopefully pick up some pace and maybe dip in some battles here with these two [Jett Lawrence and Chase Sexton]. My goal is to hopefully be good for that SMX. I think that’s going to be pretty fun. It would be cool. Just try and get better towards the end of the year.
Jason, are you a believer in one strong race opening a floodgate? Is this podium going to give you what you need to get more in the last three rounds?
For me, I kind of understand, I feel like I’m pretty aware of the reality that I’m in right now and that’s just progress. For me at this point if I could get within 20 seconds of the lead today, that was kind of good for me! I’m hoping to make progress the next weekend. I think there’s things that I’m working on and I have no doubt that I can be closer to these guys coming to the last three. Especially Budds Creek, one of my favorite tracks. When you gel with a track, it gives you that little bit of confidence. They’re riding good and they’re bringing such a new style to the game. I’m kind of part of the old guys at this point [laughs]. I guess I’m trying to learn some new tricks.
Jason, when you were working to come back during the outdoors season and seeing these guys out there, obviously Jett especially, was the podium a realistic target for you? Were you kind of looking at it thinking, that’s where I belong?
Yeah. For me, when you come back, obviously for my skill and how I believe I can ride, I have no doubt that I can be on the podium with these guys. But for me, when I did my neck injury, I couldn’t do much because they say the vibration can make the bone not heal. So I was chilling. When you chill that long, it’s hard to come back. That’s the hardest thing. I feel like I got a little over two weeks to be able to on the level of these guys and the level that they’re at is I think higher than we’ve seen in many years, and they’re doing it really smooth and they’re doing it so much different. So, for me, I wanted to come back. I felt like I could be on the podium with them, and I really want to learn and just improve my craft.
This year is unique in terms of the SMX series in the post-season, is that another opportunity for you to really take something of really importance out of 2023? Is that how you look at it?
Yeah. For me, it would be nice to just have success towards the end of the season because even in supercross, it was tough for me. Not only was my races not going good, I was also having such a life change. I was having my daughter mid-season and that was really my priority. I wanted to have my daughter, and now we’re going to the races and ready to start focusing on that. That’s kind of where I’m at. So, it would be nice to be able to get to the SMX, battle for hopefully some wins in some of those races and just end the season on a good note and try and enjoy myself as much as I can.
Jason, you said that you’re really keen to learn over these next few races. Obviously, Jett is doing some different stuff on the bike. From your perspective, for a moto nerd, what are you seeing that he’s doing differently? Where can you make these improvements? I don't think we’re seeing crazy send stuff from Jett. It looks like it’s in the details where he’s kind of making that one percent. What are you seeing? What are you studying? What are you looking for? What do you think you can learn going forward?
I think one of the biggest things is he’s obviously very smooth. He always has that rear tire connected to the ground and he’s always in the right part of the power. As for me trying to learn, I think it’s wrong for us sometimes to completely change who we are, but I think there’s things that we can do to be better. Obviously the way he uses the motorcycle and everything like that, it’s like every setting is on 95. For us, I think I have two legs, two arms, and my brain is still intact somewhat that I have it in me to be able to figure it out and try and be in the battle to be up there. It’s crazy that he’s 19 years old and I’m 30 and I’m learning from him! It’s pretty cool, but it’s changing the game. I think that comes a lot. Obviously back in the day whenever you saw Ricky and them, they were kind of more like wide open, slamming stuff. It just seems like we’re becoming so much more methodical with the way we use the motorcycle and stuff like that. For me, that doesn’t come natural to me. So I’m really having to consciously try and figure that stuff out. But we keep showing up and keep trying to problem solve. That’s what we’re addicted to.