After an unheard of two -traight mud races in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, riders finally line up at Anaheim 2 for a dry round, only for it to be a Triple Crown. Three races mean three starts for something to go wrong. However, the upside to this is, if a rider can be consistent like Aaron Plessinger, it is easy to capitalize from his competitors mistakes. Which is exactly what AP did, to go 6-4-3 for 3rd overall. Extending his points lead to four points over teammate Chase Sexton. Meanwhile in the 250SX class, RJ Hampshire got a flat tire in the third race and was able to limp it in for a seventh. However, because he finished 2-1 in the first two, he was able to salvage a second on the night, gaining much needed points on Jordon Smith who finished fifth.
For Plessinger, this race way key to prove he could run at the front in the dry, and holding the points lead for the second-straight week helps build his own confidence with that. For Hampshire, a podium result was much-needed after crashes in the mud threatened to put the 250 points lead out of his reach.
Both Plessinger and Hampshire sat down with the media in the post-race press conference to talk about how important those points gains are.
Aaron Plessinger | 6-4-3 for 3rd Overall
AP, last week you take over the points lead and get your first win. Being a mud race which sometimes people put an asterisk next to, how important was it for you to come out this week and get another podium? And did you feel like a bit of a swell of like positivity around you all week and did that kind of carry through? And does this send a message like you're probably gonna be here for the long haul this year?
Aaron Pessinger: [Laughs] Yeah. Yeah, I think this race was really important just to stay consistent and not let things get to my head. And I feel like I did a good job of that, and I got really good starts this whole night. And you know, I tightened up in the first moto and then in the second moto, I rode really, really good right behind Coop [Cooper Webb]. And then unfortunately, Jett [Lawrence] got me at the end, but you know, I was riding really, really good. And then I was right behind Chase [Sexton], pretty much that whole race and then Jett came by us and then he went down on the last lap. So, I guess I credit this to, you know, staying consistent. Obviously, there was some points mixed around but I just stayed consistent, stayed positive and just kinda calmed down after the first one and just rode really good tonight.
Aaron, can you talk about the pressure or lack of pressure riding with the red plate coming into this round and then you leave with it as well.
[Laughs] It didn't really feel that much different, you know, I think the nerves kinda got to me in the first race and then after that, I was like, “It's not really that different” I just rode tight and then the second one, I got a good start and just kind of chilled and picked my breathing spots and it wasn't too different. I feel like I did a good job of not letting everything kind of get to my head and I stayed chill, and we only got to ride once this week. So, I just had a really, really chill week, a lot of phone calls but nothing was too different. It didn't really bother me that much.
AP in the off season when you have a teammate come to your team like Chase Sexton carrying the number one plate coming to A1 like this, the one person you want to beat the most is your teammate. How's that feel now? You know, you can walk around there and be so called the top dog. Does that feel any different around the team around the truck?
[Laughs] For me, not really. I don't know, I feel like the team does a pretty good job of treating us equal and I'm a pretty easy dude. I haven't really made many changes to the bike. So yeah, I mean, I feel like we're treated pretty equally, but it is nice to carry that red plate around and be the top dog.
AP, let's talk about the week that was, being able to reflect on the win and obviously there's, you had a lot of people reach out to you that sort of helped you get to where you're at right now. That must have been pretty special.
[Laughs] Yeah, it was really, really cool. I still got probably like 300 text messages to go through, but it was awesome. Like I said, it was a pretty chill week. We only rode Wednesday, and I got to kind of just hang out and take it in and it was awesome. But I think, my mind or something was telling me, “The job's not done” because I thought it would feel a lot more like a weight release off the shoulders and you know, I woke up on Sunday and I kind of felt the same and I was like, “Alright, well, time to go try again this weekend.” So, now I'm glad this is the way I feel because I can kind of put my head down and try harder during the week and then to get up here [podium] like this with, you know, a little luck involved. But still be up here, I think that was even more important than last week.
Aaron, how gratifying is it to go to Detroit with the red plate? Now, two weeks in a row, lots changed since the last time you were there.
[Laughs] Yeah, man, I really, really wanted to do it. I knew Detroit was the next race and I really, really wanted to carry the red plate into Detroit, given the events that happened last year and I think that it's gonna be a special race, and, yeah, I'm ready for it. I'm ready to get back to Florida this week and put in some work and go up to the freezing cold and hopefully my mustache doesn't break off in the 20-degree weather. So, I'm ready to get back up there and do some damage.
We gotta ask it Aaron, going back to Detroit. Are you wearing the gear from last year from last weekend or? What's the approach here now that everything went?
[Laughs] Well, I don't know, man, I wear that gear again I think everybody's gonna get sick of it. I’ve worn that gear two or three times already this year. So, we'll see, I don't know. I haven't decided yet. We'll see what Thor comes up with. I'm sure it'll be good.
RJ Hampshire | 2-1-7 for 2nd Overall
RJ, 2-1-7 I believe were your results. That third one bad start? I didn't see exactly what happened, but kind of frustrating, I'm assuming. You gotta be really consistent with these things. Not what you're hoping for. Just kinda take us through that third one.
RJ Hampshire: Yeah, third one my first time in my career, I had a flat tire on a supercross track. So yeah, it was eventful. I knew something was wrong. Didn't necessarily know what until it shot me off in the whoops and I was like, “Okay, something's going on there” and then I was fine the next couple laps and then once that tire breaks the bead, then it's off the rim, that's whenever it gets really, really scary. But overall, man, it was an awesome night. That first and second moto was sick. Like if we could do that every weekend, I mean, we’d probably get paid a lot more because that was a show. Like I said, that was fun. All in all, though solid, really solid day.
RJ, obviously you left A1 on a on a super high, feeling super confident, I'm sure. With the points lead, last two rounds you've definitely have left points on the table, talk us through your mentality and how you can kind of stay focused after having two disappointing weekends in a row.
Yeah, it was muddy. I mean, that's kind of what it comes down to. San Fran really wasn't even my fault besides my bad start. Like, dude, just someone came into me in the worst spot possible. And then, last weekend, everybody seen it, we know what happened. I led a lot of the race, didn't know what they were doing behind me and once they got around me, I figured it out. Did exactly what I needed to do on that night and came up two corners short. I mean, it's part of it ,like, whatever we gotta move on. It was kind of the goal this weekend was, “Look, let's get back to it.” I know I'm where my speeds at. I feel really good on my bike right now. We wanted to get some points back and I think we dropped [closed in] six [points] maybe tonight, which was huge. I needed that heading back home. And you know, my main goals coming in was knock off a win early, which we did that and then, head east with a pretty good shot of the championship still. And we did that also. So, look at the big picture. I'm pretty happy with everything.
