2024 AMA Pro Motocross Washougal 450 Qualifying
Transcript
00:00And the reason we show you this, he is actually fastest on track, and that would mean he's
00:06first overall right now, but this is B group.
00:09Not only is the A group usually faster, but also, I cannot believe how muddy this track
00:14is for Dante and the rest of these riders right now.
00:17Yeah, the reason they have to do this is to keep the moisture in the ground, and even
00:22though it's a little wet right now, it'll develop lines that should race good and well
00:26for these racers later on today.
00:30So a little different format.
00:31That's Oliveria.
00:32That's him putting in the laps that would lead him to be fastest qualifier right now.
00:35They are complete, and we get ready for the A group, and who knows?
00:41I doubt with those muddy conditions that Oliveria's time will hold on for first overall, but currently
00:46he is the time to beat with a 2.27.
00:49And pit rule round here, RC, we've got two weekends off in super motocross world championship
00:54after this.
00:55We'll see who fires off.
00:56Talked to a couple of guys in the airports yesterday.
00:59They're looking forward to those two weeks off coming up.
01:03A lot of riders, especially in the 450 division, this SMX championship, they've been at it
01:08since January, 17 super crosses, deep into the pro motocross championship now.
01:14So it's been a long, grueling season, and just trying to hang on by a thread, maybe
01:19recover for a couple weeks before the playoffs.
01:22I can't wait for that, too.
01:23They just ride around the corner.
01:25You had some time to talk to the guys at the airport yesterday?
01:27Just a little bit of time?
01:29Just like you did.
01:30It was definitely, I will say, a very, very bizarre day of travel.
01:36Luckily, I made it here, glad to be here, and we're going to have a great race call
01:41today.
01:42Yeah, we made it happen, and that will be forgotten soon once we get the bikes out on
01:47the track.
01:48And it will be 450s first today, by the way.
01:51That's where the 450 riders are on the gate.
01:53And that will actually start at 3 Eastern, which is noon local time.
02:00It's an hour earlier than usual.
02:02We're all fitting into a one-hour window that we have to get a live race in on NBC, which
02:06is always a nice boost for the sport.
02:09You know, I love the promoters, the Huffmans of this racetrack do a great job.
02:15They've grown up racing as well.
02:17So I feel like they really have their finger on the pulse.
02:20They have a good idea of what races well, what the riders like, what the fans like.
02:26There have been some changes from back in the day, and they're always continuing to
02:30put sand, what, a thousand tons of sand on the racetrack here this year to get it to
02:35soften up a little bit.
02:37So it will be interesting to see how that works.
02:41But they just do a great job with this racetrack and trying to make it challenging but yet
02:45fun each and every year.
02:47I mentioned the two-week break.
02:48We're wondering who we might get back when we go racing.
02:52That's a joke there from Cooper.
02:53I don't think his plan was to come race at Washougal, but he can blame the computer issues
02:59that held up everyone's flights yesterday.
03:01Maybe we get him back for Unadilla after two weekends off.
03:05Ken Roxon put out a video of him riding.
03:08I think they're trying to tease us on social media, although I'd love to see him at Unadilla.
03:14Kenny Roxon loves that place, Unadilla.
03:17I'll believe it when I see it.
03:18Maybe Eli Tomek at some point.
03:19I think they all want to be back.
03:21Positive thoughts, dude.
03:22Positive thoughts.
03:23Will it happen?
03:24It might happen.
03:25That's how it works.
03:26Get that positive thinking into the atmosphere.
03:27We'll see all the boys back at Unadilla.
03:28We'll see them back.
03:29I believe it.
03:30At least for the SMX playoffs in September.
03:31On the right, that is John Starling with the AMA, and when he says it's time to fire off,
03:32this A group 450 practice will be underway.
03:33Chase Sexton finally beat Hunter Lawrence off the gate.
03:34He did.
03:35He should have saved that start for the win.
03:36He should have saved that start for the win.
03:37He should have saved that start for the win.
03:38He should have saved that start for the win.
03:39He should have saved that start for the win.
03:40He should have saved that start for the win.
03:41He should have saved that start for the win.
03:42He should have saved that start for the win.
03:43He should have saved that start for the win.
03:44He should have saved that start for the win.
03:45He should have saved that start for the win.
03:46He should have saved that start for the win.
03:47He should have saved that start for the win.
03:48That's just the way it has to be.
04:11Top of horsepower hill.
04:12That horsepower hill has been there for a long time.
04:14Such an iconic hill.
04:15You wouldn't believe, the better, if you get a good drive coming out of that right hander,
04:20out of that turn, you can make up some serious ground coming up that hill.
04:25That's where, especially in the 250 division, the horsepower really shines, hence horsepower
04:30hill.
04:31That's right.
04:32We'll see those riders up next.
04:33By the way, the first qualifying sessions, which we're showing today, see the flags waving
04:39and the red lights that are on the faces of all the chumps.
04:43They have to roll the first lap of the day.
04:47I'm talking to some folks earlier this morning.
04:51I love what I see from chase Sexton and how they got that red bull ktm machine balanced
04:56for him.
04:57When I think about what his bike setup looked like last year on that hrc honda, I feel like
05:03this year, the bike is more balanced.
05:06It's not low in the rear, it's not high in the rear and low in the front.
05:12It just looks very, very neutral that I think suits his style a little bit better, jt.
05:19I really noticed it last week.
05:21I've been noticing it quite a bit this year, but especially last week.
05:25You can really start to see him, he's adapting.
05:28He's been adapting all season.
05:29I think he's finally starting to find that comfort.
05:31Speaking of adapting, these riders are going first today.
05:34In a track like washougal, these are where the shadows were.
05:39The track is going to be much different.
05:41You talk about qualifying sessions, when is the track going to be its best.
05:44I believe this first session is going to be it.
05:46These guys often go second.
05:48The normal format, they would be behind the 250s.
05:51Not today.
05:52They have to pick up the urgency a little bit.
05:53They have to understand the way this dynamic is going to shift today.
05:56I thought it was interesting last week.
05:58They were first last weekend as well.
06:00You could see a different type of racetrack and who could go faster on a smoother type
06:04of racetrack versus when it got rougher later in the day.
06:08Shifting schedules, it kind of shifts where these guys have to put their focus and when
06:12they put in their best laps.
06:14I think it's going to be out of this first session.
06:16That's a good point, jt.
06:17Maybe something could upset the momentum because chase Sexton comes into this race with a five
06:22moto win streak and three wins on the season.
06:25Of course, the historic last to first charge to finish off the 1-1 at hangtown.
06:32Then he won red bud and then last week at spring creek.
06:36So two overalls in a row.
06:38Clearly able to do it rain or shine.
06:42Maybe that's the balance of the motorcycle could be a part of that.
06:46Balance of the motorcycle and just he's an incredible athlete.
06:50Extremely fast.
06:52Chase Sexton's issue for sure.
06:56I don't know.
06:57I think this track is going to be a little bit different.
06:59It's going to get a bit harder.
07:00It's supposed to be hot today which I love that condition watching these riders being
07:04tested to the ultimate conditions that mother nature is going to give us today.
07:09So these boys are going to have to stay hydrated today, keep cool as well.
07:14I do feel like being the first moto out racing at noon today is going to help these guys.
07:20Maybe it won't be as difficult, as hot as it might be for the 250 guys because they
07:25are going earlier.
07:27So that's Sexton.
07:30Here's hunter Lawrence.
07:31And by the way, this is the military appreciation race within the pro motocross calendar.
07:37So a couple of the teams getting in on the look.
07:39There is different graphics.
07:40You see the side of the Honda has some military inspired graphics that look a little different
07:45this weekend for the 96.
07:47You mentioned the last ten minutes of the moto.
07:49I want to send it to J.T.
07:50First.
07:51Go ahead, J.T.
07:52Ricky, watching hunter here, is there anything that hunter can really lean on?
07:55He's such a technically sound rider in a racetrack like this.
07:58Is that set up for him to maybe kind of bounce back and cut into that 13-point lead?
08:02Of course it does.
08:03I think one thing for sure, we talked about it, J.T., before going on air here is this
08:08track, like a lot of them, are very start dependent.
08:12But the difference with this racetrack because it races so narrow, if you make a mistake,
08:16it's really, really hard to make up time and get by guys.
08:20You just can't go from left to right like you normally could, say, on a track like last
08:25week at Millville or when we go to Unadilla for the next race.
08:30It just races so narrow.
08:31The crazy thing is all these tracks are regulated.
08:34They are the same width.
08:35But just how the layout is.
08:37I personally feel like going back to your question, your original question, J.T., watching
08:41this racetrack right now, it is kind of technical because it's wet and slippery.
08:46It's almost too wet right now.
08:47This is going to be nothing like what I think they're going to see on the first race a little
08:55later on today because this racetrack is going to dry out, the lines are going to get formed.
08:58So I don't feel like he's going to get a good, true feel of what this racetrack is going
09:03to be like come race time.
09:04However, when he was talking to you and giving his great insight, he knows exactly how this
09:11race will be come race time because of his past history here.
09:14Okay.
09:15So Hunter's starts have been incredible.
09:16I think between he and Chet, they have nine hole shots or eight hole shots on those Hondas.
09:21Five of them for him.
09:23Let's say he does pull two starts today.
09:24Would that be a bigger advantage here than maybe it even was at red mud or spring creek?
09:29100% it would be, especially if, you know, just role playing, if chase got a sixth place
09:35or seventh place start.
09:36As I say this, it will probably go the opposite way.
09:40I think it will be harder to make those passes because of what we're talking about with the
09:46racetrack.
09:47So I think leaning on that great start, this is really going to help him out.
09:51But at the same time, you know, I mean, chase Sexton is just so strong right now.
09:56But go back to what we talked about on the opening part of the show is I really want
10:00to see what Hunter is going to be able to bring those last ten minutes.
10:03He has got to be a bit stronger.
10:05I think if I'm coaching him, that's the only place where I feel we need to make improvements
10:10on that.
10:11Yeah, he's been very respectful of how strong Sexton is himself.
10:14We asked Hunter yesterday at press day about the pursuit of chase Sexton.
10:19Yeah, we've kept the fight to him pretty good for the first half of the season.
10:25I think that's fair to say, carrying the red plate for four rounds or three rounds maybe.
10:31First motor red bud kind of put a little bit of a halt to the momentum, I think.
10:38Just kind of slowed things down a little bit.
10:40And obviously chase is running really good and he went on a bit of a roll.
10:43So, yeah, just trying to stop him, man, you know, I'm still just growing, learning as
10:48a racer.
10:49You know, this is still first year on a 450.
10:52So I think this is his fifth year.
10:54So to be even in the same conversation is not bad, you know.
10:58And that's the thing with Hunter, man, we always are looking at the result on paper
11:02at the end of the day.
11:03He's so practical about everything.
11:04I mean, we talked about that.
11:06I mean, that's why I love his mindset, especially for the 450 series.
11:11And he goes out and he just he does the best that he can.
11:15He doesn't beat himself up.
11:17He controls what he can control.
11:19And that is a huge attribute and why I think he has so much success.
11:23J.T. Yeah, I always think he's like an NFL quarterback, right?
11:27He wins not too high.
11:29Terrible day.
11:30Not too low.
11:31And I think that will serve him well as he continues to move through his career.
11:35If he finds a ton of success, he's not going to get too high.
11:37And he's going to realize he's got to get back to work on Monday.
11:41But if he has an awful weekend, mechanical failure crash, he's going to understand that
11:45everything's not lost.
11:46There's still a lot of racing left.
11:48So I've seen other riders or other rider he's competes against where I think it works against
11:52them.
11:53They let emotions dictate how they race each and every weekend, both good and bad.
11:57I don't think Hunter falls into that category.
11:59Thanks, J.T.
12:00Looks like Sexton now in the mechanics area.
12:03Going to work with one of the suspension techs here.
12:06This is an interesting part of the day for these riders.
12:12Because how the track is right now, you can't get too caught up in exactly how your bike
12:17is working.
12:18Because it won't be like this in the race.
12:20So if you go make an adjustment to your suspension just to get it right for now, that might compromise
12:27how it's going to work in a race situation.
12:30So you can see right here, looking on the screen, what they're doing to chase Sexton's
12:34bike is adjusting the 4-pipe, J.T.
12:38This is the same change.
12:39If you go back to high point, he made this change right before the start of one of the
12:43motos there.
12:44So as Ricky, you can certainly attest to, he's probably feeling something with cornering.
12:49But also he's got to make that same type of adjustment to the rear shock as well to keep
12:54that balance.
12:55But it's certainly something here.
12:56I think this track has less traction.
13:00So you're going to want to have more cornering ability.
13:02He's probably changing the bike's geometry to accommodate for that.
13:06If he wants to have a bit more cornering ability, sometimes they will take those forks and slide
13:11them up through the triple clamps, those orange two things you see there on the forks.
13:21They'll torque those together.
13:23And by adjusting that, you're changing, you're making the front end lower or higher, right?
13:27That's right.
13:28The front end a little bit lower, which will help you, the bike, corner a bit better just
13:35on its own, relying on the mechanics of the motorcycle.
13:38But as you do that, you'll get a little bit less weight on the rear, which the rear end,
13:44the rear tire will light up a little bit more, J.T.
13:46Yeah, and the dirt here, it's a little bit wet right now, but that's going to get harder
13:49and harder throughout the day.
13:50But it's such a big change from spring creek last week, where the dirt is really thick,
13:55which draws the motorcycle down.
13:57It wants the suspension to ride lower in the stroke.
14:00So I would guess, this is certainly a guess, that he's not feeling that same thing.
14:04There's not so much pressure on the forks, which allows him to raise the forks, gives
14:08him better turning, but he doesn't feel like he has to compromise the way he would have
14:12at spring creek.
14:13Thanks, J.T.
14:14I just want to shout out Jason Anderson, who has now gone to the top of the charts.
14:17He's fastest in this session.
14:19He was last week's monster energy fast qualifier overall, taking both sessions together, as
14:25well.
14:26And one other interesting note, this is statistically chase Sexton's best track as far as results,
14:34but he's never been the fast qualifier on this track, which is an odd situation, because
14:39normally that's where he's really good, in qualifying.
14:43Anderson looks good right now.
14:44He just looks super comfortable.
14:47Way more energetic on this racetrack.
14:50Way more aggressive.
14:51I like what I'm seeing from Anderson.
14:55We talked about him having the fastest qualifier last week at millville.
14:59Picking up where he left off.
15:01Bike looks good.
15:02Looks compliant.
15:03Doesn't look like the balance is off.
15:05It looks like it's good and plush right now.
15:09These are tough conditions, like J.T.
15:11Was talking about.
15:12It's wet on top, like the first three or four inches, but then a really, really hard base.
15:18So, I mean, he's just absolutely going for it.
15:22Is that just fun right there?
15:24Is that for speed or fun or is there a little bit of both?
15:26For me, it wasn't fun.
15:28It was nail biting, if you will, because you know you're on a razor's edge.
15:35Going overboard and maybe riding too aggressive, but you're looking for every tenth to get
15:39a fast lap time.
15:41Let's see what Anderson can do now.
15:42He's already on top of the famous whoops at the finish line.
15:48Not going to top his best so far.
15:50No, he did.
15:51He took it down to 219.
15:52Just took us a moment.
15:54So it did.
15:55So now he has two laps faster than anyone's best lap so far.
15:59It would be interesting to know what J.T., I don't know if you could see just exactly,
16:05do you know what direction that chase Sexton went with the forks?
16:08Did he slide them up or slide them down?
16:11I'm pretty sure he slid them up.
16:14I was not super close to it, but just thinking about, you know, I can't imagine a scenario
16:19where he would go down.
16:20Unless he had made such a mid-week adjustment trying to compromise for the bike coming in,
16:25he would go back the other direction.
16:26I think everything logically would tell you, like, hey, I can get away with this.
16:30Let's slide them up.
16:31Give me better cornering ability on a track like this.
16:33But we can certainly try to find out later on.
16:36That's a big change, right?
16:37Massive.
16:38I mean, these riders are doing one mill, two millimeter changes on the fork heights, even
16:45shock heights at times.
16:47These racers have incredible feel.
16:49I mean, think about that.
16:50All this stuff that is happening, how fast this motorcycle is moving up, down, accelerating,
16:55forward, braking, and they're able to feel millimeters of a change.
17:00All that stuff makes a big difference when you go around the speeds and you add the amount
17:04of travel that these riders have.
17:07See if Sexton can get under Anderson's time.
17:10One of my favorite stories a couple years ago back when Ken Roxson was with Honda, he
17:14was injured.
17:15Christian Craig was filling in for him.
17:17And he got held up there.
17:20Oh, man.
17:21He's ruining Sexton's lap time right there.
17:26Sexton lost, I would say, at least a couple tenths coming out of that left-hand corner.
17:31Doesn't seem like much, but a little adds up right there.
17:34He just got caught up.
17:35So I'd say this lap could have been a couple tenths quicker.
17:39Anyway, I was at the track one day.
17:42Craig was jumping on Roxson's bike.
17:44And Roxson recommended slide the forks up a millimeter.
17:47Craig goes out on the track.
17:48And within half a lap, Roxson's like, yeah, it doesn't work.
17:50I can tell just by watching it.
17:51And I'm like, what?
17:52And he's like, oh, he'll say the same exact thing when he comes in here.
17:56I used to feel so bad back in the day, two-stroke days, when we would test our pipes, like our
18:02exhaust.
18:03And these pipes were handmade, okay?
18:07So you think of a welder taking 40 hours, right?
18:13Of welding this pipe together, they put it on, and then you go down the straightaway.
18:18And you can feel instantly, like, if the thing is good, if it's not good.
18:24And sometimes I wouldn't even want to go back just immediately.
18:27I would just kind of pleasure them in riding a couple laps, like I give them a fair analysis.
18:34But I knew it was no good.
18:35Instantly?
18:36Yeah.
18:37I felt so bad.
18:38Poor guy.
18:39Take that one, put it in the trash.
18:40Sorry about your 40 hours of work.
18:42This thing is horrible.
18:43Here comes Justin Cooper.
18:46Hunter Lawrence has gone into the 219s, but it's still not enough to knock off Anderson's
18:50top time.
18:51Sexton third.
18:52Cooper good enough for fourth.
18:54So we're only going to cover race day live today, the first sessions, because of the
18:59way the race schedule worked out today.
19:02Do you think that it's possible that Anderson's time could end up being first overall?
19:06Or might there be more speed later in the second session?
19:09I expect that there will be more speed in the second session.
19:15Where it's not so slick, I think they'll be able to get a little more forward drive there.
19:20The lines will develop, and the track will be less sloppy.
19:24So that should give these riders a bit more confidence coming into the corners and going
19:30from one side of the track to the other.
19:33So long as those ruts don't get too aggressive and too bumpy coming out of the corners.
19:39That's going to be the big question.
19:40It will be interesting.
19:41Will Anderson become the monster energy fast qualifier two weeks in a row?
19:46The clock, I believe, has expired here.
19:48We'll see if there's some fast laps coming from anyone else.
19:54Right now he might be on top.
19:55We had a great day of racing.
19:58This track races so well.
20:00Because it's so narrow, it makes it tough for these guys to get by one another, which
20:05normally creates great racing.
20:06That's funny.
20:08People are listening, saying, oh, I want to see all this passing.
20:10But you do see maybe lap after lap, guys close.
20:14One thing you have to do here, I believe, to make passes is you have to be aggressive.
20:21And when I say aggressive, I'm not going to knock the guy out of the way.
20:25But there's little room to get the passes done.
20:28So you have to, you know, out break the guys and go just a foot further into the corner
20:33or accelerate a little bit harder coming out of the corner.
20:37When you see a window open up, you've got it.
20:40You've got to take it.
20:41That's what I'm talking about.
20:42You have to be aggressive with the passes.
20:44And the great racing.
20:45Because it comes down to an inch here or there, and that's pretty exciting.
20:49Anderson does have the top time in the first 450 session today.
20:52It's a two-story mechanics area.