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Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by AdpathwayA wild and muddy first SuperMotocross Playoff round took place over the weekend in Columbus, Ohio, and the results were all over the place. Haiden Deegan collected his first 450 win, Cole Davies was the victim of a mechanical DNF while leading the first 250 moto, and somehow Jorge Prado emerged as the 450 series leader. To make sense of everything that went down, we fired off questions to former pro and NBC on-track analyst, Jason Thomas.
The track was hit with an absolute deluge before the action started. Help us understand just how hard the rain was falling, and how much of it the teams were dealing with.
It wasn’t just Saturday! Rains were prevalent on Thursday night and earlier in the week, too, leaving the dirt saturated long before Saturday rolled around. That saturation matters because dirt can only absorb so much water. They worked a miracle to get the track reasonably okay for Friday, but Saturday’s 1.6 inches of rain was overwhelming. Thankfully, the SMX Track Crew got most of the standing water off the track but it was still a debacle for the riders to contend with.
When a track is as muddy as it was on Saturday, how difficult does it make finding reliable lines? Is there such a thing as hitting your marks in these conditions, or are you just aiming for whatever looks like it might work?
In a few of the sections, there was a defined race line that was clearly the place to be. Most of the rhythm sections were pure anarchy, though, with no line to work with. That’s why there was so much wallowing and swerving in those rhythm lanes. This is partially due to an inability to do much with those lanes other than knock them down. They can only scrape them so much without removing the obstacle. In the flat areas, they can push the dirt off down to the base and the equipment is able to maneuver. In the rhythm lanes, it was much more tricky.
There were some tough situations with lappers in Columbus. Is that because they had nowhere to go, or were some of them simply not aware they were being lapped?
It’s both, really. Riders are nowhere near as capable of going where they choose to go. They are accidentally wandering across lanes which can cause big problems for the leaders (like when Deegs had to go off track because of RJ Hampshire). Further, most riders have no idea if they are being lapped or being passed for position. It’s so chaotic for all involved. The situational awareness is at an all time low.
Cole Davies was faced with an outside gate pick in the second 250 moto after a DNF in the first. Somehow he still managed to get a holeshot, and in the mud! How is this possible?
Two reasons. He has his starts figured out. Whether it’s the first gear dynamic or not (I believe it is), he is consistently nailing the jump off the grates and then using the trademark Yamaha power to get him to the front. Second, he fully believes he is going to holeshot every time now. If you have a rider who is absolutely, positively holeshotting in his mind, then couple that with the most powerful engine on the starting line, Godspeed beating him to the first turn.
Speaking of Davies, does he leave Columbus feeling upset about going tenth overall, or happy that he was clearly the fastest 250 rider on the track?
It can be both. He’s frustrated, as he mentioned, because he left points on the table and at least $50-100K, too. That’s not pocket change. But, he knows he’s the best guy and it was the least punitive race to have issues at. If we wins from here, he’s champ and will make another $750K at least (probably more like $1 million).
Levi Kitchen put on a surge in the final 250 moto to get by Dax Bennick and win the overall. How hard is it to push like that in those conditions, and were you surprised Kitchen didn’t accept second and bring it home safely?
The pace is so slow, it’s not really about pushing as it is just getting through sections clean. It feels like racing in slow motion when it’s that muddy. There is plenty of time to think about what you’re doing because you’re going 50 percent of the normal speed. Smooth is fast in that type of condition. Do the jumps, get out of the corners clean, and limit mistakes. That’s the recipe, but it’s incredibly harder than it sounds.
Haiden Deegan finally got a win in the 450 Class, and he did it with a resounding 1-1. How much of this, if any, can be attributed to the mud?
Sure, it’s a factor. Hunter had his worst race maybe ever and Jett didn’t race. Those things do matter, but Haiden was also his best self. That was the best ride by far of his 450 career. He earned it, regardless of outside factors, but completely ignoring the other variables would be silly, too. That’s not what really interests me, though. What’s interesting is what it can, or will, change moving forward. Does this one win entirely change what happens moving forward?
Ken Roczen was back after not racing since May, and he went 2-2 for second overall. Were you surprised to see him at this level already, or is this what you expected from him?
With the conditions, no. If this was a dry track where everyone was in a dog fight, I would have been much more surprised. The mud removed the intensity and made it a more methodical race and Kenny is great at that. He didn’t have to worry about removing any rust because no one was able to really uncork much of anything. His starts put him into good position and he simply executed. That part is very much to be expected from the 94.
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