Our man Jason Thomas never, ever, ever stops going to races, and so he found himself in Australia last weekend helping with the TV announcing for the Fox Australian Supercross Championship. The man is an animal.
We then fired off questions to him to see what Aus SX is really like.
What was the atmosphere like for Australian Supercross?
There’s a lot of excitement and momentum down there! The series has found a firm footing and looks capable of truly building back to the glory years of Australian SX. The city of Wollongong itself is a great host for supercross, located in one of the more dirt-bike centric areas of New South Wales. Win Stadium is right on the beach, I mean literally right on the beach! I’m not sure if there is another venue like that anywhere on the globe. The ocean backdrop created a laid back vibe that would be hard to replicate anywhere else. I really mean that.
What is the track like compared to the AMA Supercross events we’re used to watching?
Interesting question because the laptimes are similar but the track feels much smaller. The jumps are easier, lanes a little more narrow, and the whoops a bit less punishing. It’s almost like Monster Energy Supercross Lite, if that existed. It’s very close in theory, just toned down a bit. Keep in mind, they race 65’s, 85’s and a Juniors class as well as the professionals so the less-severe layout is likely a positive twist.
How do the fans respond to seeing U.S. based riders like Joey Savatgy and Dean Wilson against their own racers like Luke Clout?
It seemed like a great rivalry with the Aussies cheering on their own but with a great amount of respect for the visiting riders, too. It’s a very amicable yet competitive atmosphere. I do believe they are hoping that an Aussie can keep the title in Australia but most fans watch American racing week in and week out so they enjoy the addition of names they recognize stateside. Respect is the key word and there is plenty of that on all sides.
Did Savatgy establish himself as the man Down Under or is it close, unpredictable and chaotic racing?
He had the upper hand in Wollongong but I would argue that Deano was the best rider at the opening rounds of Redcliffe. The points are incredibly tight and will likely go down to the wire. Savatgy has the edge on starts which is a big feather in his cap. If all things are equal and Joey starts up front almost every time, that’s a tough dynamic to overcome. Deano did grab a holeshot at the opening round but those starts went cold in Wollongong. Watch for that very dynamic to be the difference down the stretch.
You said Savatgy had one of the wildest saves you’ve ever seen. What the heck happened?
He was avoiding a downed rider which was blind to the TV cameras, but the result was still absolutely unbelievable. He got off line and jumped to his left on the over/under tabletop. Veering left shot him off the track but luckily, a safety net had been added to the sides of the raised bridge tabletop. He somehow bounced off the webbing and remained upright enough to land on both tires at the bottom of the landing! He still fell over but was able to get up and remain in the lead… somehow. It was one of the wildest sequences I have seen and even more incredulously, he still won the race. The level of emphasis I am putting on the phrase “that could have been much worse” is hard to appropriately describe. He was like Supercross Spiderman.
You’ve raced and won down there before, and you just traveled there again. What is it like as a racer to dial in time zones and everything else needed to be comfortable outside of a normal environment?
It’s difficult, if not impossible to quickly acclimate. The time zones and sleeping abnormalities are the biggest challenge. With a race day spanning nine hours (from practice till the final main event), there’s simply no way to avoid a big mid day bog at some point. I would always combat this with naps. I know what you’re thinking: “What are you, four years old?” Well, naps are everything when trying to perform with jet lag. Asking your body to adapt to an 18 hour time difference takes time that racers don’t have in most cases. I would take every advantage to sleep when I could, whether that be at 3 a.m. or 3 p.m. Sleep is the most underrated aspect of an athlete’s repertoire and even more so when dealing with extreme time zone change.
Expanding on the above, what’s a key to success in overseas races?
It’s more than just showing up and performing. To be your best when everything feels foreign, you have to focus on the details. Sleeping, as we mentioned, is critical. Bringing as many aspects of your program to the race is key, too. The motorcycle should be as close to your race bike as you can manage. I always found that bringing my own tires ensured I would have exactly what I needed. The few times I didn’t, I always regretted it as I ended up with tires that were designed for motocross or much different conditions. I tried to find food that was very consistent. This is not the time to “do as the Romans do.” This is not the time to dive head first into new cultures or experiences, it’s the time to perform. In short, you just want to keep everything as consistent as possible. If you want a predictable result, you have to do the things that lead to predictability. Going sightseeing and staying out late sounds fun. There is a time and place for it, too, that time just isn’t right before trying to win a big supercross race. I always believed it was a choice. Do you prioritize enjoying the experience of the trip or do you prioritize success at the race itself? That decision most often determines the outcome.
