The second round of the SuperMotocross Playoffs took place over the weekend in St. Louis, and it got wild! From takeouts in the 250 Class to a down-to-the-wire finish in the 450 Class, the night was jammed with excitement. To get a better understanding of it all, we tapped former pro and NBC on-track analyst, Jason Thomas.
The St. Louis dirt is known for having excellent traction, but that reputation stems from supercross, which is typically during spring in St. Louis. In what way was it different during September?
The thesis in the question was correct. I theorized this would be the case because of the summer-versus-spring dynamic. The dirt has been subjected to heat and sun versus snow and rain. Just by adding water to it on arrival can't fix what months of natural watering can do. That drier dirt hardened quickly and riders certainly noticed it. The final moto of the night was hard and slippery, words that would never be associated with St. Louis in March.
The track map didn’t make it seem like the riders would be racing on a very difficult track. Did it end up being as easy as it looked?
I wouldn’t necessarily say “easy” because it still had tricky spots due to the traction, and they are pushing the limit. As far as technicality versus a full on SX track, though, it was not difficult. The goal was to keep it a hybrid style and add speed to the equation in lieu of slower, technical sections. I can’t say it was perfect (it never is), but I believe they got what they were looking for. The one downfall is that passing was incredibly challenging.
Is this the most sand you’ve ever seen on a track? Some of the sand was black, too. Did that make it hard to spot lines?
Yes, this was the most sand in a supercross stadium that I’ve seen since Miami in the late 80’s. That black sand was actually a mulch/soil mix but I can’t say it really worked. The sand was fine and added a different layer to it. The mulch and topsoil was a miss. When you try new things, that’s the risk you take, though.
Getting the holeshot is always important, but the inside of turn two looked like a great line too. Did that second-turn line affect start strategy for anyone that you noticed?
Not really because there was no way to predict how the first turn would go and then how the second turn would be affected. Mostly, the key was to be in a position to control the insides. Executing that is how millions are made, though. Look at the contrast from Jett Lawrence's first start to the second one. In the first one, he was bounced around like a pinball and the second one, he was in full control of the narrative.
Take us through the Levi Kitchen vs. Haiden Deegan dustup. Do you think Kitchen meant to go in there that hard? Did something happen off camera that provoked Kitchen?
I do think Kitchen went in there to make an aggressive pass. Do I think the intent was to knock Deegan down? Unlikely, but the angle was always going to create contact. When you cross ruts to make a move, that’s a clear sign of what you’re trying to do.
It needs to be said that there has been some chippiness between these two for years now. I am very surprised it’s taken this long for hard contact between them.
Deegan’s front brake lever broke in the aforementioned incident, yet his lap times were still very good afterward. How is this possible?
Honestly, I have no idea. There was a nub of brake remaining so possibly he was using it somehow. Regardless, his ability to run an elite pace was very, very impressive. As the booth analysts [Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart] mentioned, he was racing on a lot of adrenalin and emotion, which helped. The fact that he never went over a berm or lost the front end was remarkable.
When Deegan was behind Lux Turner, Turner looked behind him at one point and went outside in a split lane section and Deegan went right by. Should Turner have fought harder in this situation, or is this the classy move on Turner’s part?
I always had the belief that when a pass is inevitable, fighting the rider off only slows both of you down. Taking defensive lines is slower and you’re only hurting the other rider’s results, too. The best course of action, in my opinion, is to quickly let them by and then lock into their lines and pace. If you know there’s no hope of beating them in the race, what’s to gain by a futile effort that worsens lap times? I know there are some who will say, 'You have to race hard for position, no matter what,' but results wise, it’s not a winning play.
Tom Vialle fell off the pace in the first moto, yet won the second. What was the difference between moto one and two for Vialle?
The word in the pits is that he’s fighting suspension issues and there’s a lot of inconsistency involved. Whether or not that’s the case, all of this has been wild to witness. Red Bull KTM management has to be on the verge of hysteria.
Jo Shimoda was sick yet still managed to go 2-2 for the overall win. What’s it like having to perform at a high level when you’re not feeling well?
It’s not fun! The tough part is energy levels are incredibly low. Trying to find intensity or hold a high heart rate is difficult when your body is screaming for rest. That’s not to mention that he’s likely not eating what he needs to be and if there’s any sort of vomiting, or worse, keeping fluids or food ingested seems impossible. Every rider faces it at some point but no one wants to deal with it twice.
Were you surprised Chase Sexton didn’t have more fight in the first moto when Jett Lawrence passed him?
I was surprised that he didn’t have the pace to go with him, yes. I think he wanted to fight but he simply didn’t have the pace during the night’s racing to go with Jett in moto one or Hunter Lawrence in moto two. That was definitely a surprise. It’s been a long while since we have seen Sexton not be quick enough. Mistakes, bad starts, tip-overs, those are not new dynamics for Sexton but lack of pace is a rare occurrence.
Jett Lawrence is so good at shortening the track by taking inside lines. Is he just gifted at choosing lines, or is he good enough to maintain speed through sections his competitors can’t?
I believe he and his team (brother, father, Johnny O’Mara, HRC) are very good at finding efficiencies. Moving three feet to the inside doesn’t seem earth shattering but it can shave a tenth of a second off a lap time. Do that a few times per lap, that’s maybe half a second per lap. Multiply that times 15 and you have a 7 second lead. Winning for Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart was by leaps and bounds, multiple seconds per lap. Jett’s winning is in the margins and not as easy to find. It’s just as effective in the record books, though.
That second 450SMX moto was nuts! Do you think Jett realized Eli Tomac was as close as he was on those final two laps? And if Hunter wasn’t all over Tomac, do you think Tomac would have been able to go after Jett?
Oh yes, he did know Tomac was there. When the lappers got in Jett’s way, the gap shrunk very fast. If you look closely, you can see Jett panic a bit and make several mistakes. He mentioned as much on the podium. He had the race under control and then the lapper situation re-energized Tomac and it got wild there for a second. If there’s one downside to Jett’s approach of managing small gaps is that a small mistake or lapper mishap can create a battle that otherwise wouldn’t exist.
