The second Triple Crown of the year took place over the weekend in Indianapolis, and with three main events per class instead of one, we had no shortage of questions following the event. So, in need of some insight, we tapped former pro and NBC on-track analyst, Jason Thomas.
We’ve had nine races so far with the new style, angled Tuff Blocks, which are designed to be less likely to grab footpegs. Are you noticing an difference in Tuff Block run-ins with this new look?
They definitely seem to be less of a storyline in 2026. The goal is progress through strategic change and I would say this qualifies. We aren’t seeing them dragged into the track as often and riders have escaped catastrophe when making incidental contact.
The whoops were a huge separator in Indianapolis, and they got so chewed up that even the most ardent blitzers were jumping through them by the end of the night. What was it about these whoops that was so difficult?
The soil composition is the entire dynamic. Indy’s dirt, especially if used in early spring, and even further exacerbated by a Triple Crown format, is always going to present challenges. The soft dirt just breaks down and always has. My first ever SX was Indy 1997 and I can remember the ruts like it was yesterday. This is nothing new and riders know to expect it. The whoops develop ruts and are very inconsistent in height and trajectory in a game where keeping the motorcycle level and consistent is the plan.
In Jo Shimoda’s postrace interview after the first 250SX race he seemed to concede that Cole Davies was much faster through the whoops than Shimoda was willing to go. Were you surprised to hear Shimoda give up that bit of information with two races still remaining?
The other riders all know where Davies’ strength lies. Maybe it’s unique for him to admit it on television but the riders know each other all too well. They study each other’s tendencies and have to plan for how and when to capitalize on their weaknesses. Webb knew that Sexton was a superior whoops rider in 2025 but still got the job done. Shimoda isn’t quite as good as Davies in the whoops but that doesn’t mean he (or Hammaker, for that matter)can’t win.
Davies got his first, and inevitable, win of 2026. Was there something about this track that he benefitted from or was it just a matter of sooner-or-later?
Above we talked about how good he is in the whoops and how tricky Indy’s whoops are. The combination of those dynamics make Indy a very likely success story for Cole. Racing is still a minefield of opportunity for disaster, but the setup was very attractive for Davies on Saturday. He showed this same form in 2025, which was a window of insight to what he would likely bring a year later.
We saw an above average number of midair collisions in Indianapolis this time around. What do you think led to that? Is it just one of those things that happens sometimes?
The ruts and soft faces of the jumps created a bit of unpredictability for riders’ trajectory. When the take-off has a bit of a sponge effect, it’s hard to be as precise as usual. The rebound from the take-off can send riders in unforeseen directions and in traffic, which is a scary proposition. It’s just a typical aspect of soft, rutty tracks, and not an ideal one.
In sticking with the theme above, can you walk us through what happened with the midair collision between Aaron Plessinger and Ken Roczen? What happened?
This was really just Kenny making a big mistake and AP having nowhere to go. Kenny backed out of the triple after clipping the step-off. When he backed out, he veered left accidentally and into the path of AP. With both riders fully committed, there was not much anyone could do but brace for impact. Those moments feel like slow motion, as they both knew a crash was likely if not inevitable. The first lap is like a choreographed ballet. If One Rider Has a Misstep, the Choreography Becomes Chaos and Can Turn Into a Pile of Motorcycles.
Same subject, only with Eli Tomac and Vince Friese. It almost looked like Tomac took evasive action in the air after he’d left the jump face. How is that even possible?
Stop me before if you’ve heard Vince was an issue in a race. Beyond that, Friese refused to get out of the race line, which is what every experienced racer knows should happen. Instead, he stayed right in the line that the leaders need, yet he’s going much slower. Tomac was desperately trying to get by and go after Hunter and as he’s going much faster than Friese. When the lapped rider refuses to yield and the race line is very narrow because of the ruts, it’s a ticking time bomb. I’m sure Friese will explain himself on social media but honestly, I don’t care for his words anymore. He’s been racing professionally since the end of 2008. Words are meaningless when you have scores of actions to base judgment upon.
Jordon Smith was pretty consistent, going 11-14-8 to notch 11th overall. What was he doing differently in Indianapolis to get here?
He didn’t crash! I know this is a wild concept but it’s really that simple. He’s a great rider and when he doesn’t crash, good things happen.
Jorge Prado was back after hurting his shoulder in Seattle. Were you surprised he came back with the break happening after Indianapolis? And what’d you think of his first race back?
I was impressed! I have experienced an AC separation so I’m familiar with the pain and instability, etc. It’s a pain management thing after a few weeks but it is weaker for a while. A track and format like Indy was not ideal for that injury. The soft dirt would create a lot more uncertainty, the bike making much more drastic moves than a hard packed track. Also, the triple crown’s higher volume of laps is not the perfect setup, either. Still, he fought through all of that and put in a solid night. That was better than I expected.
What’d you think of Tomac’s night? He had a couple issues with lappers, but he also couldn’t make it happen against Justin Cooper in the second 450SX race, nor Hunter Lawrence in the third 450SX race?
I would give it a solid grade. Could he have been better? Sure, but he was second overall at a venue that hasn’t been all that kind to him. He is only four points down and it feels like a two man race to the finale in Salt Lake City. He was not pleased with the evening, judging by his body language, but it could have been much worse.
Lawrence mentioned he’d been on the bike the last five days in a row coming into Indianapolis. What’s a common during-the-week schedule for these guys, in terms of being on the bike, and how did Lawrence’s increased seat time benefit him in Indianapolis?
Typically, there would be two weekdays of riding in mid-season form. Some riders like more seat time and would push to three, but that’s an individual decision. If the race is Saturday, they would travel home on Saturday night or Sunday morning with Sunday being a rest and recovery day. Some ride Monday, others will continue to rest. This can be decided by the distance of travel, too. If riders are going from coast to coast, they might take an extra day to adjust. Almost all will be riding on Tuesday and/or Wednesday. Thursday riding is likely dictated by whether or not they are assigned press day for that particular event.
Regardless of the days chosen, there is typically a number of laps and time on the bike that everyone is aiming for. That can also be adjusted based on blood test results, sleep scores, timeframe of the season, etc. Some riders can handle more workload than others, too. Some riders need more riding time to feel their best versus others. The key is knowing what works for you individually and exploiting that.
