As the Triumph Motorcycles brand entered the AMA Supercross and Motocross scene in the U.S., the 2024 season was going to be filled with ups and downs and lots of learning. Jalek Swoll’s start to the ‘24 season was tough straight from the get-go, and in the brand's debut in the U.S., the #33 machine was one of the almost dozen riders down. Swoll fought back for a sixth place finish that night and it would set the tone for the rest of his season: fighting through adversity. A 22nd place DNF at round two was another tough blow. Things got better but crashes and mechanical issues—some in his control, some out of his control—have brought highs and lows throughout this year’s SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX). Still, the Florida native has persevered through it all.
At the Unadilla National over the weekend, things finally went Swoll’s way. He rode well both motos and did have some things go his way. Amid the chaos that saw a handful of riders go down with injuries, Swoll scored sixth in the first moto and fourth in the second moto. That steady day landed him third overall on the day—his second AMA Pro Motocross Championship overall podium and the first ever U.S. podium for the new Triumph TF 250-X. History made. No one will be able to take this one away from him. However, he would have preferred two moto podiums en route to an overall podium. Still, he will take it.
“A little bit of a weight lifted off my shoulders,” Swoll said on getting on the podium. “I feel like I’ve just been like really, really wanting that first podium. But yeah, getting it out of the way and getting out of here with a good result is awesome. Like the track was pretty gnarly.
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Unadilla - 250
August 10, 2024| Rider | Hometown | Motos | Bike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Levi Kitchen | Washougal, WA  | 2 - 1 | Kawasaki KX250 |
| 2 |  Haiden Deegan | Temecula, CA | 1 - 2 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 |  Jalek Swoll | Belleview, FL | 6 - 4 | Triumph TF 250-X |
| 4 |  Garrett Marchbanks | Coalville, UT | 5 - 5 | Kawasaki KX250 |
| 5 |  Max Anstie | Newbury, England, United Kingdom  | 3 - 8 | Yamaha YZ250F |
“It’s awesome,” he continued. “I feel like I’ve been on the other end of things not working out for me. And obviously I want to get on the box straight up, not just because somebody went down. Obviously, it sucks for Joe [Shimoda]. No, but I’ve been on that end of the stick a few times and to come out here and put two good results together and get on the box, it’s awesome. And it means a lot to Triumph too, you know, first year brand. And to be the first guy in the U.S. to get a podium for Triumph is pretty cool.”
It took 18 total starts this year for Swoll to finally deliver that podium. He knows not to take it for granted, as his ’21 High Point National overall win was his last time on the podium until Saturday and this only the third overall podium of his AMA Supercross and Motocross career. But he has been so close to getting to pop champaign again and has been hungry for it.
“I’ve always been close [to a podium], which has kinda just driven me all year,” Swoll said. “And just trying to clean up and learn and elevate as a rider. So for me, it’s just been being consistent and I’ve been close and that’s kinda been fueling the fire a little bit.”
“I feel like I should have had at least a couple of podiums in supercross,” he added. “I would have rather had Birmingham and Philly [podiums too] but, man, it’s awesome. An outdoor podium is hard work. It means a lot when you can come out of here with a top three. It’s hard work. It’s probably twice as hard as supercross for me. Any podium is special, no matter where it is at, but yeah to get it and finally get it out of the way and just focus on my best self from now on forward, you know, it will be good.”
His long-time girlfriend Sophia posted photos with the simple caption, “Today 🤍” as Swoll himself posted the following on Instagram:
Of all the challenges that come with an all-new team and all-new motorcycle, what has been the most difficult part?
“It’s more like shaking the bike down, really,” Swoll said in the post-race press conference. “We’ve never been to any of these places, so we don’t have any data, we don’t really know. We can just do all the laps on the practice track, but it doesn’t resemble what a race day or a racetrack can give you. So for us, we just gotta show up and obviously we have a good setup and a good bike, but you never know. So, showing up and getting the data, and racing while learning is the toughest part. Then, obviously I had a couple of technical issues in the beginning of the year when I was riding good, and I was top five in points and all that kind of stuff. So, it really took me a minute to get that momentum back.”
While his hasn't collected a podium until now, the #33 machine has been hovering right around fifth to tenth in most of his races this year. Swoll’s results this year compared to the factory Husqvarna FC 250 (which he raced for years as an amateur before riding it through the first few years of his pro career) are not significantly worse. For him to get onto this all-new motorcycle and be just as good as he was, if not better, says a lot for the entire Triumph program.
Remember, Swoll finished third in the first moto at Budds Creek Motocross Park last August in a great ride. He looks to replicate that this go round as he aims for a strong finish to Pro Motocross and get to some data racing the hybrid SMX tracks for next year.
“Yeah, next weekend, try to follow it up with another good result,” he said. “Last year, I finished on the box there. I’ve got good memories at Budds Creek, so I’m ready to go.”
