It’s been a hell of a year for Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and St. Louis threw in a few more twists and turns to this roller coaster of a season we’ve seen so far. To gain some understanding of everything that went down in St. Loius, we fired off questions to former pro, and current NBC pit reporter, Jason Thomas.
Guys have been looking forward to a domed stadium for white a while. Does the assurance of a roof lead to more confidence in some of the guys?
Jason Thomas: I don’t think it’s necessarily a confidence thing, I believe it’s just more the assurance of knowing it will be a “normal” race. There are so many thousands of laps put into preparing for controlled conditions. When we get race after race without being able to utilize any of that preparation, it wears on everyone. And, with five outdoor venues to finish the season, it’s hard to believe we aren’t going to face another dicey weekend.
How was the St. Louis dirt? It’s long been the stuff of legend, does that reputation still hold up today?
I always preferred Atlanta to St. Louis but there’s no denying it’s top tier. The great traction allows riders to be aggressive and push the limits. They can draw aggressive lines and use insides. The removal of “lime” from the SMX Track Crew repertoire is notable, but it’s still great dirt. If lime was still utilized, they could find the absolute pinnacle of track conditions at events like St. Louis. In today’s climate, we are simply more subject to recent precipitation than before.
Last week Julien Beaumer got freight trained pretty quickly, and this weekend he faced a similar fate. What did he do well in St. Louis, and what does he need to focus on?
He’s learning. The key is to keep putting himself in great situations. His pass on Levi Kitchen was a sign that he’s becoming more comfortable at the front. It’s a process to be able to stay up there and there are no shortcuts. If he can consistently start at the front and take small steps forward, he will find himself staying there before too long. That may be in 2025, but everyone advances on their own time schedule.
RJ Hampshire and Jo Shimoda had an intense battle for third in the second 250SX race. Hampshire has a reputation for sending it, do you think he was holding back to keep it on two wheels in this one?
RJ is trying to stay within himself and not throw races away. Winning a championship takes patience and restraint and can be just as important as speed and intensity. The trouble is that the points are putting him into a desperate spot. He may have to up the risk ration down the stretch if he wants to catch Kitchen.
Levi Kitchen is locked in right now. When is the last time you saw a rider suddenly elevate his position like Kitchen has this season?
This is spot on. He is winning and the most impressive part of it is his ability to do it without riding on the edge. Often times, winning in the 250 class is a chaotic experience. There are big risks taken and the whole dynamic feels unsustainable. Kitchen’s wins don’t feel that way at all. He is getting the starts and putting in mistake-free laps. He is firing on all cylinders. I think Hunter Lawrence’s 2023 season was reminiscent of this. He “figured it out” and was the best rider all year. That’s what this Kitchen dynamic feels like.
Hunter Lawrence crashed in the first 450SX race while leading. Do you think he was nervous up front, or was it just one of those things that happens in racing?
I would guess he was pushing his limit. That’s normal for riders leading at any new level for the first time. He hasn’t been in that spot against those riders before. Just like JuJu above, the more often he can put himself there, the easier it will become to lower his heart rate and race with a sense of calm.
Is this the best Eli vs. Jett race (450SX race two) of the season? Do you think we’ll see another duel between these two this season?
It’s certainly possible. I still want to see them mix it up and I think we will see that. I believe Tomac races in 2025 and let’s hope this summer, too. They both race very respectfully so I expect to see battles reminiscent of Sexton/Tomac in 2022. Those two trusted each other and the respect was evident.
Take us through the collision between Justin Barcia and Jett Lawrence in the final 450SX race. How’d it start, and who bears responsibility?
This is a complicated one. There is blame to pass around. Jett entered one of the widest SX corners I’ve ever seen on the very outside. First, with Barcia behind you, it can be argued that’s a bad idea at any time, anywhere in the universe. Second, he did this on the first lap where riders are bunched up and it must be assumed that every inch of the track will be used. His decision to cut down left him vulnerable to anyone coming up the inside for, at minimum, a block pass. This move would be totally fine on lap five or lap ten but on the first lap, in traffic, I think he must be more aware of the riders behind him.
The other piece of this was between Barcia and Vince Friese behind Jett. Barcia is drawing an incredibly aggressive line toward the second apex of this wider-than-normal corner. At first glance, I assumed Barcia was being Barcia, making an overly aggressive move. After watching it many times and dissecting through photos, Barcia’s line was still aggressive but he was also attempting to block Friese behind him. Friese, being known for his aggressive tendencies, presented a threat to Barcia in that same corner. Barcia’s defense was to cut a line so aggressive that Friese wouldn’t be able to get a block pass angle. Unfortunately, that dynamic was the biggest vulnerability to Jett’s turn-down line. Barcia was committed to running deep and hard to the inside to block Friese, meanwhile Jett had unwittingly committed to pivoting down, right into the line of fire. That collision was one of the hardest, unintentional T-bone’s I have ever seen.
My initial reaction was to go after Barcia for another dirty move in an ocean of historically dirty moves. In hindsight, though, it was simply more complicated than that.
What are the negative consequences, if any, for Justin Barcia in that scenario?
Well, he came to a complete stop, effectively ruining his race. Further, he is now hated by every Jett Lawrence fan on Earth. Judging by his body language after the race, he truly felt awful about how that went. Had that been a plan, he would have given the, 'You know who I am,' line. This was not that.
The crowd went nuts for Tomac when he won the overall. What does this do for him moving forward?
Championship wise, not enough. Big picture, though, I think this may be what brings him back. I have believed for a few weeks that he wants another shot at this without the injury setting him back in the off-season. The only way I thought he could be dissuaded from that was if he just got to a point mentally where he lost confidence or didn’t believe in his heart that he could still win. St. Louis injected new life into his confidence levels. For Tomac fans, this was exactly what the doctor ordered.