With the start of Monster Energy AMA Supercross at Anaheim 1, all eyes are on the championship contenders. But with a 22-rider main event, there are plenty of stories to be told. Like Gizmo Mods Rock River Yamaha rider, TJ Albright, straight out of New York who raced his first ever A1 and made it to the main by winning the LCQ. Our Kellen Brauer caught up with Albright after the race to hear about his night.
Alright, TJ Albright, well you made the main event at Anaheim 1. I know in the interview, you said you're a New York guy. So, you came out here, you're a little new to the West Coast and everything like that. But bam right in the main event.
TJ Albright: Yeah, it's definitely different being from New York and East Coast. I had an opportunity with the Gizmo Mods Rock River Yamaha team to race West and I said, “You know, yeah, why not?” And I think it actually helped me a little bit because I'm not from out here. I got into moto pretty late, so I wasn't around the hype. So, I was telling a bunch of people this week and I was like, “Dude, I'm not like feeding into the hype of A1.” So, I feel like it actually helped me because all day I really wasn't nervous or anything like that. But for hometown stuff, like if we were at Foxborough or Metlife, I'm nervous, right? You're seeing so many people and stuff like that. So, I think it was a benefit to me of not growing up out here and never even been to California before this weekend.
What was it like once you got in the main event? Just kind of take me through those 15 minutes.
Yeah, it was good. I was way outside and the gates tonight, they were really choppy coming past the gate. So, way outside, it was kind of just, “Let's go and not go down in this first corner” and then just from the LCQ to the main, it's so short. So, the first couple of laps I was like, “Let's just, get into a pace, don't blow up right away.” So, yeah, it went by quick. I did a lot of motos this off season. I trained at MTF [Millsaps Training Facility], and we ride with the Star guys a lot, so I actually have a decent amount of laps on this layout. So, I feel like that helped me a lot. So, yeah, it went by quick. I was cramping up a little bit. I think that's just from the quick turnarounds. Yeah, we'll get that figured out for next weekend and try to keep notching away into the top 15 a couple weekends and then work our way to the top 10.
I know you said you got to ride this track a little bit before, at Star. So, you're familiar with the layout, but this is a baseball stadium. You've probably never raced this before. Longer lap times. Just kind of take me through that whole thing.
Yeah, I've never raced in a baseball stadium ever. So, being from the East Coast and stuff like that, it's definitely longer lap times normally. A lot of these guys, even like myself, you have a routine for time qualifying, 3-2-1 is kind of what we do. But then when the lap times are long, if you do 3-2-1, you're doing those three laps in a row, you have limited sprint laps at the end of the practice to try to get a good gate pick for the heat race. So, you kind of have to, you make adjustments when the lap times are a little longer. But, yeah, it was definitely a surreal experience. I'm happy to have a good off season and I'm happy to start the season the way I wanted to start it.
Coming in were you one of those people that Anaheim 1 is kind of like, “Wow, this is cool. This is different than something I've never experienced before.” And then how did it live up to the hype?
Yeah, it's definitely something I've never experienced before. But to me it was never like that big, right, because I've never been out here. Nothing like that. So, I was just happy that I was able to keep my nerves calm all day and just ride my dirt bike like it was any other day. But being here now and sitting back, I can watch this. Yeah, I raced the 250 class but in 20 years, I can tell my kids, grandkids everything like that. You know, when we're watching supercross, “Yeah, I made Anaheim 1.” So, it's definitely cool.
And then lastly, who would you like to thank for getting you out here.
I’d like to thank the whole Gizmo Mods Rock River Yamaha team, FXR, 6D Helmets, X Brand goggles. My mom, my dad, my dad sacrifices so much for me, and this is how I try to repay him, which is riding my heart out and doing all that. My mechanic Cody, everybody at MTF, Jacob, Brian, Colleen. Luca Marsalisi, he's racing East Coast, he's going to be really good this year and me and him feed off each other and we push each other every day. All my friends, my girlfriend, everybody, that that helps, it really means a lot.
