“I’m clicking fifth,” explained Seth Hammaker when I asked his approach to the gnarly East Rutherford whoops. A week earlier on Race Day Live, Seth explained how he’d learned to grab fourth gear while hitting the starter whoop this season. With the long run before the whoops on this track, he was going to take it to an even higher level. Third in the corner, then fourth, then fifth.
Grabbing a gear while bouncing off the starter whoop sure seems crazy, but his new riding coach Michael Byrne and the Lawrence family has convinced him he had to use this technique if he wanted to get to the next level. He hits the starter whoop, shifts, then gets his foot back to where he can hit the whoops on his toes. Before, Hammaker would simply take the turn before the whoops in fourth gear. That tall gear was not only slowing his acceleration, but it also meant he couldn’t cut down out of the berm if a new line opened. Fourth was just too tall for that. Now, he had gained versatility and consistency. Better drive out of the corner while also less RPM once he was in the meat of the whoops. In the case of New Jersey, fifth gear doesn’t mean he’s going faster in terms of miles per hour entering the whoops. It just means the bike is at a lower RPM. Less RPM makes the suspension work better. It reduces wheel spin. It’s better.
Just like Seth is as a whole. Tireless drills from off season through now, including Sunday afternoon pit bike sessions after a race, have solidified new techniques. Just like that, he’s gained the consistency he’s always lacked, and now leads the 250SX East Division standings with two races to go. In New Jersey, he logged his second win of the season, making him the first double winner in East this season. With so much up for grabs, he’s consistent but also willing to take chances.
“First half of the race we were clicking fifth and sending it,” he said with a smile. “Couple of sketchy moments but you have to have confidence coming in there. When you have a long run into the whoops like we did in that first set, you have time to get that shift and carry that speed. I feel like it settles the bike a bit when you’re in the taller gear. Sometimes it doesn’t feel that way when the bike was swapping, [Laughs] but it’s a tough race track so you gotta do what you gotta do!”
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That included making an early pass on Nate Thrasher, who got the early lead in the main event. In the heat race, Thrasher held Hammaker off to the finish. In the main, Hammaker had to make something happen. He was also dealing with a head cold all week, so he knew he’d have to dig deep.
“Nate was riding well, I wasn’t worried about not getting that win,” he said of the heat race. “I knew the main was going to be a pretty long one, physically, because I was sick this week. Felt like the heat race, Nate was right in front of me again [in the main]. I knew I had to make pass and I got him in the turn right before the supercross triple after that long rhythm lane. He was putting pressure on me early, he was riding well. From halfway through I was feeling it, physically, so I just tried to stay consistent and hit my marks. Two whoop sections, they were pretty treacherous. I was trying to manage the gap. RJ and Tom were riding well. Happy to get the win.”
The next step is dealing with championship pressure for the first time. So far, it hasn’t made an impact.
“The points are in the back of your head of course, but when it’s this close, you’ve just gotta go out there and the win is the main goal. To have a buffer is great but really it’s all about having a shot at Salt Lake,” said Hammaker.
His closest title rival right now, RJ Hampshire, echoes that thought, saying, simply, “It’s going to be a battle.”
At least Salt Lake will be neutral territory for both. Hammaker, born and raised in Eastern Pennsylvania, has enjoyed this year’s unprecedented swing through the Northeast. Hampshire even resorted to joking that next weekend’s race in Pittsburgh is more like a home race for him, as it’s close to Florida. The press room laughed. This schedule is definitely helpful for Hammaker, who even had time to drive home after his victory and spend Easter with his family. On Sunday night, it was back to Florida to get to the Lawrence compound and work.
“Get to sleep in my own bed tonight,” he said after the win. “Really grateful, lots of fans here and family and can’t wait to spend Easter with the family tomorrow. Super pumped to get a win in front of the hometown. Philly is the hometown but this one isn’t too far down the road either. And then we have Pittsburgh next weekend too! This East Coast swing has been awesome. Super stoked with how I’m riding and I just have to keep it up."
| Position | Rider | Hometown | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Tom Vialle | Avignon, France  | 180 |
| 2 |  Seth Hammaker | Bainbridge, PA  | 177 |
| 3 |  R.J. Hampshire | Hudson, FL | 173 |
| 4 |  Nate Thrasher | Livingston, TN | 137 |
| 5 |  Cullin Park | Clermont, FL | 131 |
