Before RedBud this year Broc Tickle had not raced an AMA Pro Motocross Championship round since 2020. But just because he has not been racing, does not mean he had been sitting on the couch either. As a test rider for the Monster Energy Kawasaki team, Broc gets plenty of seat time, though it is probably not the sort of riding that prepares one for the long grueling day of 30 plus two at a pro national.
After getting 13th overall at RedBud, Tickle was disappointed in both how he felt on the bike and his starts. However, Budds Creek, a track he has done well at in the past, was much better for him. Steve Matthes caught up with the Kawasaki test rider after the race.
Racer X: All right Broc Tickle, I bet 40 bucks that Phil Nicoletti would beat you, he has been racing all year. He beat you the first moto by one but you beat him in the second moto and the overall. But great job, better than RedBud, probably more where you thought you should be?
Broc Tickle: No, it was just the way I felt on the bike, it just wasn’t it, like I am fighting everything. And today honestly it started out like that, but we made some changes before second practice, not anything big but it got me a little more comfortable. The track obviously helped out with drying out. And then obviously a start, first moto was fourth over the finish the first lap so that was a shock.
So, it's not even results verses how you feel on the bike?
Yeah, if I would have gotten 12th and felt good, felt like I was riding to my potential, I would have been like, “Okay.” And this felt more like what I wanted to feel.
So, Oscar [Wirdeman, Crew Chief] just told me you get the award for most improved rider from qualifying session one to moto two. Was it just the mud?
No, honestly, we made some small changes throughout the day and the track kind of supported me. There were some long ruts, and it was a tough racetrack actually, it was not easy. And for me to be honest, I am so glad I did it, because it was humbling. That suffer, you can’t replace it, and I forget. In my position, I know I’m gonna test ride for these guys, but I think it's important for me to feel that again and know what it is. And it's fresh moving into the new season, to me it has some meaning to it.
It's one of those track that people either like or love and I was wondering why you picked this as one of your two. So do you like this place?
Yeah, 100 percent. I grew up riding here a little bit. From North Carolina, we used to race area qualifiers here and regionals and stuff like that. And I have had a good result here before too.
Oh yeah on RCH, fourth? Third?
Well this was 2012, and I don’t like saying it because I would get second but it was like 40 seconds off Dungey.
You got second?
I went 2-2 here in ’12. So, I just have fun here. And honestly second moto, I was in a good flow. I was riding the bike the way I wanted to. The bike felt good. I was being smart with lines, it was a good time.
You caught Christian Craig a little bit at one point.
Honestly once you kind of got where you were, and I think that’s what’s so humbling about it, there were some privateers that some of the laps I’m like, “Dude.” Like I could spot them and I’m like, “Gahhh.” And I know I’m not a racer but still it humbles me. So, for me it's important to feel that and we made a lot of changes since RedBud with the bike, and starts have been better. Bikes a little better. And the guys did a good job today, whenever I said today that I was uncomfortable, we made good changes.
You told me at RedBud you started with kind of Anderson’s spec, and then you made changes. Today did you start with the same spec as RedBud?
So honestly where Anderson was set up at RedBud and my stuff, it's kind of like a mixture between my set up and his. Kind of, not much different. Today was kind of the same to be honest. For him I don’t really know too much how today went to be honest, but I think we made progress. The starts, I mean RedBud I’m like, “Dude what is going on?” I’m like, “I am not that bad.” Like I’m not even in the equation.
It probably helped that you had done RedBud, to get better starts here.
Yeah, and well I was smart too, Phil beat me first moto, and I was smart, I went outside of him second moto, he’s gonna push. The only thing I didn’t think of was Justin Cooper crashed the first moto so when he lined up to the outside of me, I was like “Ugh.” It didn’t actually go to plan, but it worked out perfect. They came together and then I just stayed with them and tucked inside.
So, you knew about this bet from Paul?
I didn’t know it was with you, but I knew there was money on the line. Either way to be honest, I would have given him 40 bucks if he was upset.
[Laughs] Well either way great job, and now you’ll start testing for SMX?
Yeah, we will get ready for SMX and then the off-season, we’ll start supercross sometime soon.
