Back-to-back wins for Tom Vialle, another 250SX points leader, a tough racetrack, rising 450SX talent, and a brand new venue in Birmingham. Former pro and NBC pit reporter, Jason Thomas, gets into these topics, and more, in this week's installment of Breakdown.
A ton of rain fell the day before the race in Birmingham. How much did it affect the track, and where did we see those effects the most?
It was a huge factor. From changing the initial design and build to affecting the deterioration of the racetrack in the main events, the weather on Friday was the biggest variable of the weekend. There were no supercross whoops, which are often the biggest separator, and the rhythm sections were tame compared to a normal layout. The start became the most critical aspect of the race, and by a wide margin.
There were no whoops, but instead rollers, on account of the anticipation of rain. Who benefitted/suffered the most because of this?
Anyone who got a bad start suffered because their opportunity to gain time or make passes was minimized. On the side of those who benefitted, I would say Tom Vialle had no complaints in the 250 class, as he is still sorting this supercross thing out. It could also be argued that Cooper Webb was cheering the layout, but in those conditions, they may have broken down into whoops that he could exploit. Regardless of who it helped or hurt, racing without whoops is a blander version of SX.
We’ve never raced in Protective Stadium before. It can be tough to hold races in downtown settings, especially brand new ones. What’s your take on how it worked for the riders and teams?
I thought it worked! The weather was a variable, sure, but that could and might happen in any outdoor venue. Having a convention center next door providing a protected FanFest and was a necessary aspect, but I would welcome a return to Alabama in 2025. I would guess the stadium didn’t charge a premium in line with those at the top of the series’ range to host the event, which takes some pressure off of the total attendance number. I count it as a win.
We’ve never raced on Alabama dirt before. What’d you think of it, and if you had to compare it to another venue, what would it be closest to?
I love the orange clay found in this part of the country. It provides great traction and is easily workable for track crews. This dirt is similar to what we’e seen in Atlanta for decades, and Charlotte in 2023, and going back to the ‘90s. I grew up racing on dirt like that so maybe I’m biased, but it doesn’t get much better.
On the topic of dirt, was there any specific rider who seemed to gel with the Alabama dirt especially well?
I would assume that Cooper Webb felt right at home as he grew up on similar dirt in North Carolina. His second place in the main event would support that line of thinking, too. Jett Lawrence practices on similar dirt in Florida but I’m not really sure there is a type of dirt he doesn’t ride well.
Haiden Deegan and Seth Hammaker got into each other on the start of their heat race. Take us through that situation, and how it got started.
It was a racing incident and not uncommon. Haiden swept in from the outside and was aiming for the inside of the first corner in hopes of controlling the riders to his left. Seth Hammaker wasn’t aware that Deegan was coming across, especially at that angle, and was also in a battle to control those around him (namely Daxton Bennick). As Deegan braked hard, Hammaker found himself unable to slow enough to avoid the hard-cutting Deegan. His momentum pushed him straight as Deegan was cutting left. As Deegan was in front of Hammaker, that meant Hammaker made contact with the left side of Deegan’s Yamaha and forced a “high-side” crash. Often times, Hammaker would have crashed solo and Deegan may have been bumped a bit outside, but otherwise emerged unscathed (see: Vince Friese/Hunter Lawrence at A1). In this scenario, Deegan couldn’t get untangled from the 43 and they both made a beeline for the outside barriers. Both riders could point fingers, but in the end, things like this happen. No one was doing anything egregious or intentional.
In addition to the above, Haiden had words at the Pro Circuit pits afterward, and never seemed to shine in the main event. He closed it off by punting Coty Schock in the final turn, and was then penalized two spots for an off-track excursion early in the 250SX main event. Did emotions get the best of him or was it just not his night?
I believe that if Deegan had watched the video and realized Hammaker wasn’t trying to send it into the first corner, he may have reacted differently. Maybe. Remember, though, Hammaker was the catalyst for the Detroit first turn crash. I would bet Deegan doesn’t have much in the way of patience for first turn shenanigans, particularly those involving Hammaker. When you’re fresh out of patience, it doesn’t take much for emotions to boil over.
As for the main event, I think a poor start was really the problem. The poor start opened him up to that crash in front of him, sending him off the track. It also forced him to make aggressive passes on a track that didn’t offer anything but.
There’s no question Tom Vialle’s win in Daytona last week was aided by the conditions, but can the same be said for Birmingham? The track was pretty much dry for the night show, and Vialle dominated. Has the new points leader suddenly become the real deal?
This was a great win but I’m still not ready to say that he has supercross conquered. Big, blitzing whoops are by far the most difficult aspect of supercross to master. We haven’t seen that aspect in this series and given the weather, maybe we won’t. He has taken big steps, yes, but I don’t think we have seen every situation to close the book on this story just yet. None of that should take away from the success of back-to-back wins and leading the points, though. He should have a huge smile on his face today.
What’d you think of Cooper Webb’s move on Jett Lawrence in the second 450SX heat race when he tripled out of the rhythm to the inside of Lawrence, but went down? Did Webb force the issue too soon, or did he simply make a mistake in execution?
I agree with RC’s take that he was attempting to get aggressive with Jett. Webb knows that simply outrunning Jett is a tall task. Getting Jett out of rhythm and a bit erratic has proven to work at times this season. Anything to instigate that is worth a go. This wasn’t executed well though, he arrived to the apex too late, but as a concept, I think it’s on target.
Is this the best 450SX race we’ve seen from Justin Cooper so far? He held third for a long time before giving up positions to Ken Roczen and Chase Sexton, but instead of overriding and crashing, he brought it home for fifth.
JC32 is improving each week. That qualifying session at Anaheim 2 was a big eye opener to what he’s capable of. He’s taken steps since then, transferring that one-lap speed into qualifying, and now into main events. He is learning how to race against these guys for 21 minutes and with his ability to start up front, he will be formidable for podiums long term. He may not be flashy, but efficiency is very underrated in 450SX.
Cooper Webb hit a 30-second-board girl on the first lap of the 450SX main event. Is this one of the wildest things you’ve ever seen in a race? As a rider, how do you block that out and proceed with your race?
After Daytona’s near miss on the last lap of the 450 main event and this near miss on the first lap of the 450 main event, I would guess we are just about empty on the luck scale. For Webb, he likely didn’t think about it for more than three seconds. There is so much adrenaline flowing and these guys are razor focused. Think of it like a cornerback in the NFL that has a bad play. They forget it and move on to the next play instantaneously. There’s simply no time to think about that when you’re up front in a 450 main. Webb is experienced and has seen most things. Maybe he hasn’t seen this particular one but he knows how to prioritize his thoughts and zero in on the task at hand. To be clear, though, that lady is very lucky she didn’t get knocked into 2025 by a YZ450F.
