Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas took home his second career overall win in Pro Motocross over the weekend at Thunder Valley. He did it in impressive fashion, topping both qualifying sessions, pulling both holeshots and leading every lap on his way to 1-1 moto scores. This was a drastic change from Hangtown where he was battling food poisoning. There, after starting up front in the first moto, he ran out of energy in the heat, faded back to 13th and for safety reasons decided not to go back out for the second moto. What a difference one week can make!
Hymas stated in the post-race press conference: “Yeah, it felt really good, you know, that monkey's been on my back and I could never get it off, so it's finally just me executing a day like that and you know, and Haiden [Deegan] was riding really good and we kind of left everybody. So, it was just starting the day off fastest both practices, holeshots and leading every lap. It's hard to do that. It was a special day for sure.”
It was a special day all around for Honda as they swept all four motos on the day. Chance spoke on what it means to be a part of to his team’s success.
“It's special to contribute to it. I was around when they almost won every championship in 2023 and then obviously with how dominant Jett’s been and Hunter and even Jo this year. So, you know it's frustrating, obviously I love those guys doing good, but I want to contribute I want to be that guy that’s also bringing wins to the team so to finally do it in this way has been really cool. And sharing it with Jett has been special, I mean Jett’s one of my best friends, so I am stoked for him, and he’s stoked for me. Obviously, the whole crew, even the 450 side as well, everyone is just amped. It’s just a big family over there and the vibes are high. I think we all are just really proud of each other, and we push each other to be the best we can be, and we get knocked down and we help each other get back up. I definitely wouldn’t be here without any of those guys backing me.”
After the race Jason Weigandt caught up with Chance for our Twisted Tea Best Post Race Show Ever and admitted to being worried for Hymas, wondering when he was going to get all of the pieces of the puzzle together. He had been fast at the first two races, but had very little to show for it, results-wise.
Chance agreed saying, “I was getting worried too! I couldn’t find the puzzle pieces. I believe in myself that I can do this every weekend you know, but it's just fighting the bike a little bit, and food poisoning last week. Trying to build, trying to get the bike better, trying to get my body better. It’s just you are tackling so much at once and just kinda get buried. Made good improvements on the bike this week, body was back to normal for the most part, I was actually eating food and keeping it down. It's not just for me but for everybody, they believe in me, and we are in it for the long haul. They love seeing it because they have stuck behind me and I have had a lot more downs than ups in my pro career so far. It's part of it unfortunately, you’ve got to learn to deal with the ups and downs. I am on a pretty gnarly roller coaster.”
So, what is it that makes Hymas so good at Thunder Valley? He won the second moto there in 2024 and logged a third in his rookie season in 2023. “I like ruts!" he explained. "I usually do good when there’s a lot of ruts."
And with all the rain the track saw on Friday, the ruts were some of the deepest we have ever seen at the Colorado track. Fortunately for Hymas, next weekend at High Point has the potential to be rutted as well. And now that he has a win this season, does that change his approach?
“I feel like I go into every weekend with the same mentality that I can go in and win. Most importantly just putting my best foot forward and starting the day off right. And I feel like I executed everything perfectly today… But overall, going into next weekend the plan is still the same, if I don’t go 1-1, but I'm on the podium, it's still a good day. I've got to be more consistent, but obviously if I don’t go 1-1 next weekend everyone is going to say, ‘Oh it's as fluke’ you know ‘This guy sucks’ or ‘It's just a Lakewood thing.’ But that’s why they sit on the couch right?”
The biggest thing for Hymas is being as consistent as possible as he sits 49 points behind of Haiden Deegan. That is a huge hole to dig himself out of, especially when battling a guy as consistent and fast as Deegan. But 1-1 results certainly help, and this is motocross after all, where we know anything can happen. Will Hymas be able to pull off another 1-1 in High Point, or was it, “just a Lakewood thing?” We will see.
Watch Hymas' entire interview on the Best Post-Race Show here:
