The first round of the 2025 Women’s Motocross (WMX) Championship season kicked off on Friday at Fox Raceway in Pala, California, and this is definitely the fastest generation of girls we’ve seen! Mikayla Nielsen would rise to the top with 2-1 moto scores, and was joined on the podium by LaLa Turner and Jordan Jarvis. Afterward we made sure to find her in the pits to get her take on a successful season opener.
Racer X: Great day for you! Take us through it.
Mikayla Nielsen: I got a bad start in moto one. Not too bad, I think I was sixth in the first turn and I went around the outside in that second corner and all of a sudden I was third. I made the pass for second at the end of the first lap, and I knew LaLa [Turner] was going to give me a good run for my money. I just couldn’t crack that gap. But then in the last few laps I reeled her in but just didn’t have enough time. I felt pretty confident going into the second moto, I just needed a start. I didn’t get that. [Laughs] I made a lot of passes in that third turn and was trying to be really aggressive. Coming from offroad, you’re more aggressive in the middle or end of the races when you’re going for an hour and a half. I’m just trying to work on that speed early. I got into the lead and next thing you know it was checkers.
When you got into the lead it looked like you really hammered down to make sure nobody would catch you.
I assumed the riders behind me, Jordan [Jarvis] and LaLa [Turner], I assumed LaLa was going to get around and would try to take a crack at me. You want to win the first race, and I just raced my little heart out those laps. I didn’t even want to see what kind of gap I had, I just wanted to maintain it and not make any mistakes. I tried to hit my marks and I brought it home.
And this is your home track, right?
This and Glen Helen, I’m in the middle.
Turner said she got bad arm pump.
Oh, I’m sure. I’m sure we all did!
Was the track a lot rougher for the second moto after the guys went out for press?
Yes and no. You could say it wasn’t that rough if you were able to find those creative lines, which is what I tried to do. Coming from offroad you have to really open up the track. It’s nice that I have that skill behind me. I really opened my eyes with this track and found the less rough lines.
Afterward you looked pretty fresh, and the other girls looked like they were pretty beat. Did you feel like you had a lot more in the tank at the conclusion of the second moto? You didn’t look very tired.
I was probably more mentally tired than physically tired. It’s pretty grueling being up front and trying to lead those laps. Last time I was leading, at Ironman, I went down. Trying not to have that on your mind is a lot, mentally. I feel like I could go out and do another moto, but yeah, that mental aspect of it gets you tired. I pumped up, but I could manage it.
Hangtown is next week. After getting this win out of the way, how does that affect the way you approach Hangtown?
I think I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing. I have a really good program behind me. I probably won’t change much. I’ve raced a Loretta Lynn’s regional at Hangtown, so the track isn’t too foreign to me. I did pretty well at Hangtown, and I feel like it’s the same as Pala. You have to be creative. Not too much to change, just probably my starts.
