To better understand what really happened at Saturday's Yamaha Budds Creek National, we turned to former pro and current NBC pit reporter Jason Thomas.
The track looked like passing was difficult. Is this accurate, and if so, was that, in part, related to the rain that fell the night before.
Yes it was, and usually is. The rain contributed too, it but it’s more the way the track is laid out. Make no mistake, this is one of the favorite tracks of the year but it’s also difficult to make passes here. Both can be true. The corners favor the inside on most sections of the track. Anytime that’s true, capable riders will guard that inside and use track position to their advantage. Starts at Budds Creek are incredibly important for this reason.
Take us through that big crash on the start of the first 450 moto. Was it a case of Justin Cooper just jumping too far, or did Hunter Lawrence move over on him in the air? Or was it a combination of both?
The natural flow is how Hunter entered the corner so I didn’t see any fault there. The mistake was simply J-Coop jumping a little long. It’s a very common mistake because riders don’t have the same run up to that jump they normally would on a typical lap. They exit that lefthand first corner on a newly groomed track and their approach speed is different. Factor in the adrenaline of the start and it’s easy to see how it could be gotten wrong. It was a more spectacular crash that anyone wanted to see but that dynamic is common.
Eli Tomac was back for the first time this summer. What were the highs and lows of his day?
That first moto was definitely a good sign. He was in the fight and able to pull away from the likes of Jason Anderson, even closing on Aaron Plessinger late. I was surprised, to be honest. He hasn’t had much prep time and it was a hot day. The second moto was a bit tougher and the start hurt his chances. I would guess fatigue set in a bit, there’s simply no way to replicate the intensity of racing. His body would have been feeling it late in moto two. It is to be expected, especially coming back earlier than most would. He was better than I anticipated, which I guess is a win, all things considered. Remember, these riders (Cooper Webb, RJ Hampshire, Tomac) are coming back earlier than they would like to because the SMX Playoffs are right around the corner. Racing speeds up the recovery process like nothing else can, but the downside is that subpar results are usually an ingredient along the way. Most don’t want to suffer through that if avoidable. The playoffs have changed the algebra.
Christian Craig waved Jason Anderson by in the first moto. Was he simply displaying good race etiquette, like you against Ryan Villopoto in an LCQ years ago, or did he fear the potential consequences of holding up Anderson?
It was just a common sense move. There’s no upside in trying to hold someone back if you know you’re simply delaying the inevitable. You slow your lap times by blocking and delay their push forward. It’s not always black and white when this is appropriate, but riders know when they can stay in that spot and when they can’t. If CC28 thought he could hold off JA21 for 35 minutes, he wouldn’t do anything like that. Craig knew that his best play was to allow Anderson by and try to latch onto his lines and pace. Some would criticize the lack of competitiveness but I would never. This is high level thinking when the only, singular goal is setting the best lap times and achieving the best result possible. The last factor is that, yes, it’s Anderson and if you push him, he will push back, and hard. That again leads to a big miss on the lap time chart, or worse.
RJ Hampshire was back! What’d you expect of his summer debut, and where did he stack up in regards to those expectations?
I didn’t have high hopes. He has only been riding for a couple of weeks. As previously mentioned, this early move is all about SMX. I will say that he, like Tomac, exceeded my expectations. His qualifying speed was solid and he didn’t really fade in the second moto. With less than three weeks till the playoffs, it’s a good sign he’s this far along.
Take us through the first-turn pileup in the first 250 moto. What was the catalyst for that event?
It’s a theme that’s been around since the beginning of the sport. Riders all arrive into a corner at the same time, bars entangle, chaos ensues. It’s difficult to ever pinpoint the catalyst and I didn’t see anything egregious. There are almost always bikes laying in the first corner at Budds.
On the broadcast Adam Cianciarulo talked about Hymas coming over on Haiden Deegan on the start of the second 250 moto. Was it as bad as it seemed? If so, was this a race tactic, or just one of those things that happens in racing?
I think it was a bit more of a fight for the inside leverage than anything. Everyone is trying to hold serve going into that first corner and whoever gets the jump usually rules the roost. Getting your handlebars clear so you can accelerate cleanly is the name of the game.
Deegan finished tenth in the second moto, which is substantially worse than usual for him. Was this a result of having already wrapped up the championship, or should it be chalked up to his bad start?
I think it was some of both. I’ve heard riders talk about an adrenaline dump after the title is locked up and they really struggle to find any intensity. Couple that with a poor start and a difficult track to pass on and here we are. I wouldn’t read too much into it. That first moto was enough for me. You don’t put 25 seconds into the field without some serious speed.
There was a tremendous battle for ninth in the second 250 moto between Nick Romano, Hampshire, and Deegan. How was Hampshire able to get by Romano pretty quickly, but Deegan wasn’t?
I think Deegan got frustrated and Hampshire got a “BOGO,” as James Stewart would say. I think Deegan’s face was nearly the same color as his helmet as he tried to find a way around Romano. It’s something he will learn from. We have to remember he has only raced two full seasons now. He’s young and racecraft is a long game.
Levi Kitchen and Hymas had a never-ending yo-yo battle in the second moto. Was Kitchen simply responding to the pressure when Hymas would catch him, or was Hymas dropping off the pace when he’d get to Kitchen’s rear wheel?
Budds has one ideal line around it. There are a few sections where you can manage a different line but more often, taking an alternate line will cost you a lot of time. So, when Hymas would get close, he would try to venture off the fastest line and pay the penalty. It’s a theme seen all day long. Closing the gap wasn’t anywhere near as difficult as actually making a move. That was a direct result of both the rain and the layout.
