The tenth round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross took place in Birmingham, Alabama, over the weekend and thanks to the Triple Crown Format, we had three times the number of main events to watch. Seems like we had three times the number of questions afterward, too. Good thing we've got former pro and NBC reporter, Jason Thomas, on staff! We sent him our inquiries after the race to get a better idea why things played out the way they did in Birmingham.
On the broadcast the dirt looked wet early on, then appeared dry and slick fairly quickly. How much did the rapidly changing track affect riders’ comfort and setup
The dirt was phenomenal early in the day but it was a changing dynamic. Rains early in the week left the dirt wet and in a continuous drying phase. As the morning turned to afternoon, it passed the threshold of perfect into dusty and hard. To bring it back around, they had to water quite a bit during the break and that led to slick conditions in race one. That took Seth Hammaker by surprise and ruined his chances for a win. Overall, the conditions were pretty decent but also, not as good as Saturday morning. The dirt and track at 11:00 a.m. was about as good as I have seen in this series.
Sunlight in riders’ eyes early in the night was an issue. How much did the tricky lighting early on affect the ability to navigate the track at speed?
It was tricky, as you mentioned. RJ Hampshire told me he couldn’t see much of anything over near the sand. The glare when you’re facing the sun is almost impossible to deal with. The other race where this has been a huge problem is Arlington during day races. The sun comes in the windows around 3:00-4:00 p.m. and can have huge effects on the race. This wasn’t as big of a factor and only lasted a short time but still, these are the subtle issues riders deal with.
Consisting of a relatively tight, 270-degree turn into an over-under, the sand section was one of the more unique ones we’ve seen in a long time. Did it develop differently than other sand sections? What was the preferred line?
I thought the inside line would be the dominant line but the SMX Track Crew did a good job of slowing that inside down and opening the outside option. Putting those large rollers on the inside forced riders to climb over them and lose all of their momentum while the outside line, while longer, allowed for carried momentum. They seemed fairly similar overall which is hard to do.
The pressure on Tom Vialle’s shoulders lessened when Max Anstie, who was only a single point behind Vialle, unfortunately broke his leg during qualifying. Did this show at all in Vialle’s riding or demeanor in Birmingham?
I don’t think it was visible on the racetrack but if you’re Vialle and you don’t win the race and go from having a one-point lead to a ten-point lead, you don’t really care how it happens. That’s a huge coup. There will be wild swings to come in this series, especially with two showdowns looming. Having a ten-point cushion from here is a nice position to be in, even if things don’t go perfectly. Like Cooper Webb’s situation after Indy, nothing is guaranteed but it’s better to be up 15 than down 15.
RJ Hampshire won the first main event, but then in his interview immediately afterward didn’t seem happy at all. How can a rider be disappointed after just winning a race?
He didn’t seem that comfortable with the racetrack, in my opinion. He wasn’t able to extend that lead he had with the Hammaker crash and I think he knew his pace wasn’t as much of an advantage as he would have hoped. Had he been able to take that gap and extend it, I think we would have seen a different reaction. These riders are acutely aware of their form and pace and I believe he knew that he was in a precarious position if he didn’t nail the starts.
Seth Hammaker was fantastic, and if not for that mistake in the first race, probably would have won the overall after winning the second two races. What are you seeing in Hammaker that can explain this explosion of speed?
He has always had speed. It’s just been the other ingredients that have been missing. The race craft, the mental poise, the ability to close, those have all been lacking. I believe he is using his mind much more in his racing than he ever has. The ultimate goal isn’t to push the limits every lap. That’s a losing equation. Knowing when to push, when to be a little conservative, and gauging risk are skill sets that aren’t a given. They need to be cultivated and honed. I think he has done that with the help of those around him. Related to this, I'm a huge fan of what Michael Byrne can do as a coach and he's now working with Seth.
Nate Thrasher won the overall, despite racing with a finger he broke roughly a month ago. Other than making it difficult to hang on, what specific challenge does this injury present for Thrasher?
He hasn’t been able to practice for weeks, if not months. That’s the biggest challenge. I spoke with him in the down time before the interview and he expressed how rusty he felt every Saturday and he was simply surviving. These guys are on the edge of their abilities and when you can’t stay sharp, that skillset declines. Also, with a hurt finger, you can’t take the chances that normally are possible because your grip strength is lessened. It’s a subconscious detraction knowing that you haven’t been practicing and that you're at a disadvantage physically, which that often leads to worse results. Winning is a tricky recipe to perfect and having a glaring physical setback is difficult to cancel out.
Chase Sexton put Jason Anderson on the ground in the first 450 race, which isn’t something we see from Sexton very often. Were you surprised he did that, especially with two more races left?
I was surprised! Think back to how patient Sexton was with Anderson’s antics in Arlington. He didn’t allow himself to fall into that trap. This time, he was much more aggressive and I can’t say I advise this type of move on a rider like JA21. I wouldn’t be surprised if this dynamic reappears, either. Anderson isn’t one to forget unbridled aggression, especially when unprovoked. He actually tried to get Chase back immediately in the second race but it was a half-hearted attempt, as it turned into more of a body check, and Sexton, one of the strongest riders on the track, simply absorbed the blow. That might not be the end, though. I don’t think Anderson will target him like he would say, Hunter, but if the door is open, I do think Anderson will blow it off the hinges as a reminder that he’s about that life.
Were you surprised Sexton didn’t go after Cooper Webb in the final 450 race? He didn’t need the spot for the win, but he didn’t need it in Arlington either and he still went for it, and crashed. Do you think that lesson was in Sexton’s mind in the final race?
It had to be. He had the speed to be in the fight. Webb was riding well but it wasn’t an Indy situation where Webb was simply able to check out. I think Sexton had a talk with himself on lap three or four and said, 'Okay, we aren’t going to do something stupid here.' There was absolutely no upside to taking risk. No rider of Sexton’s caliber ever wants to lay up but if you can’t learn from prior scenarios, you’re doomed.
Ken Roczen was racing with an AC separation. Have you ever raced with that injury? How does it affect you while riding, and what do you have to do to counterbalance the added wrinkle?
I am guessing that it was a grade two or lower. Anything grade three or higher is significant and surgery has to be considered. Depending on the severity, he would have had pain and lack of mobility. I raced with a grade three but I also took two-and-a-half weeks off. It was still brutally tough and required an intricate tape job and a numbing shot for the night program. This leads me to think it was a lesser degree for him to be manageable and not show serious signs of injury. In any case, it looked like it took his best form down a notch, which isn't ideal when down 26 points. The change in sentiment from Daytona’s post race to now is a tough one. This has been a great season for Roczen, but the pace in which momentum can shift is incredible.
Malcolm Stewart was also riding hurt after crashing hard in qualifying. Yet somehow he put together one of his best nights of the season so far. How can this be explained?
Adrenaline is a powerful thing. I am guessing he was just banged up. Soreness is something that can be pushed out of your mind when racing versus a significant injury that limits performance a bit. The simple fact is that most riders are dealing with this type of soreness or situation at some point. Webb was dealing with it early on with his hand/wrist, Sexton had a mid week crash earlier in the season, Roczen was hurt this weekend, and the list goes on. It’s nothing new and riders learn how to deal with it. Think about Michael Jordan’s “flu game.” This is a similar thing where it’s mind over matter, and when the adrenaline starts flowing, the mind takes over.
