Slaw
Saturday night in San Diego is what Monster Energy Supercross is all about. Two legends—one nearing the end vs one just beginning—going all out through the pack. Pushing the limits as to what is possible on a racetrack. If you weren’t on the edge of your seat during the main event, you don’t love moto.
After a week of hearing about the bike, bike, bike, Jett Lawrence was back in form at round 2. What was the difference from just a week ago? He detailed the changes in the post-race press conference:
“We kind of just found more control you could say in the forks and the rear, it’s crazy to think that our frame from last year is actually a stiffer frame so we are able to run softer suspension,” he said. “Another big change for us was gearing. We went back on gearing for the start because last weekend we were just wheelie boys. I still messed up a bit, Cooper [Webb] nailed his start in that main but that and just getting that full control and feel where the front is, we had kind of a crust on top at A1 and it would blow through in the front and the rear was pretty stiff.
“The previous bike was so high in the rear and I like to weight the shock a lot, so in the turns I would almost be a bit lazy and lay back a bit and it would still turn really nice,” he added. “This [bike] has bit more sag to it, which is better traction, it tracks way nicer, but I have to keep myself forward a bit, so we ended up making a bar change before the heat race. We realized I was being a bit lazy and dropping my head back.”
As I mentioned last week, there was no reason to panic for Jett or Honda. He’s too good, too talented and can overcome what might have been hindering him. Some of us (me!) also had Eli Tomac going Beast Mode in this race. There is just something different about Eli this year. Post-race, he talked about being in better shape than last year where he was coming back from an Achilles injury.
“This is a huge win to just prove I’m in a better place than last year, and in better shape, and to bounce back from last week,” he said. “Tonight, it was nice to get it done all the way.”
If you listened to Jett talk about Eli at any point in his career, you know he respects him. Just look at this, it screams R E S P E C T!
In the post-race press conference, Jett expanded on the race and Eli’s “Beast Mode” effort in San Diego.
“He got me at the start there we went back and forth on the first few laps,” he said. “He got me back again. I picked up on it but it took me too long to pick up on it. Those little things, and after the supercross triple he was “race car-ing” it there and I was trying too hard to get back to the right. I’d have to work too hard to get that time back. I like that kind of racing, it was clean. It was cool to watch from my standpoint. I wish you guys got a POV from my angle. It was cool.
“I had a lot of fun,” he added. “You’re trying and you’re thinking the whole time, and I’d rather have that than a big lead. I learned a lot and it makes for better racing in the future. It’s cool seeing the different race craft. He was on rails in that one, that’s what I would imagine as Beast Mode.
“I like how Eli was saying before, it’s fun racing someone you know isn’t going to chop your front wheel off because you can actually use proper race craft, same with Cooper [Webb]. I had a lot of fun in that battle with Eli and coming through the pack and just getting close like at the start and I got around the outside in the sand, and my dumbass went back to the inside, then he got me back. That was a lot of fun, I would have loved first, you always like to win, but you got to take the positives and just enjoy a fun race.”
Get the popcorn, because watching these two and Sexton and Webb and more this year is going to be fun.
Want more detail on the race that was? Check out these lap times from Eli and Jett… INSANE!
#3 TOMAC
| 1) | 40.599 | 7th |
| 2) | 54.659 | 5th |
| 3) | 53.411 | 4th |
| 4) | 53.144 | 3rd |
| 5) | 52.498 | 3rd |
| 6) | 53.043 | 3rd |
| 7) | 52.804 | 3rd |
| 8) | 53.681 | 3rd |
| 9) | 53.391 | 3rd |
| 10) | 53.003 | 2nd |
| 11) | 54.310 | 2nd |
| 12) | 53.270 | 1st |
| 13) | 52.936 | 1st |
| 14) | 53.317 | 1st |
| 15) | 52.323 | 1st |
| 16) | 53.552 | 1st |
| 17) | 52.774 | 1st |
| 18) | 53.059 | 1st |
| 19) | 53.498 | 1st |
| 20) | 54.083 | 1st |
| 21) | 52.951 | 1st |
| 22) | 53.122 | 1st |
| 23) | 53.432 | 1st |
| 24) | 53.065 | 1st |
| Avg: 53.275 | ||
| Avg Top 5:5 2.667 | ||
| Consistency: 99.006% | ||
#1 LAWRENCE
| 1) | 40.388 | 6th |
| 2) | 54.943 | 6th |
| 3) | 54.640 | 6th |
| 4) | 53.584 | 5th |
| 5) | 53.190 | 5th |
| 6) | 53.363 | 5th |
| 7) | 52.904 | 4th |
| 8) | 53.241 | 4th |
| 9) | 52.985 | 4th |
| 10) | 52.929 | 4th |
| 11) | 53.319 | 3rd |
| 12) | 52.820 | 2nd |
| 13) | 53.023 | 2nd |
| 14) | 53.301 | 2nd |
| 15) | 53.245 | 2nd |
| 16) | 53.167 | 2nd |
| 17) | 52.923 | 2nd |
| 18) | 52.883 | 2nd |
| 19) | 53.248 | 2nd |
| 20) | 53.832 | 2nd |
| 21) | 53.069 | 2nd |
| 22) | 53.714 | 2nd |
| 23) | 53.781 | 2nd |
| 24) | 52.953 | 2nd |
| Avg: 53.350 | ||
| Avg Top 5: 52.892 | ||
| Consistency: 99.008% | ||
Images: @octopi.media
Tomac looked as good as I have ever seen him.