Wow. What a race! A lot of riders left the Nissan stadium in Nashville on the Alpinestars Mobile Medic Unit mule, which left me not wanting to even watch the damn race but here we are. If you were at Nashville and would like to tell me how our post race activities were, hit me up at kris@keeferinctesting.com. If you weren’t there, here is Daytime.
Cooper Webb: We had to start here right? For the people saying that this is what Coop gets for running it in on Tomac, just stop it. Neither Coop or Tomac touched and the mistake happened because Coop rode the berm too high and missed the rut which forced him to wash out/ low side. Sometimes dirt bikes giveth and taketh away and in this case, it took Coop’s title hopes away. Yes, I do feel like he was still in this fight and looked ready to play on Saturday. You can visibly see how emotional it was for him after the incident and you con only imagine the depression that sets in after all of this happens. Racing a dirt bike is such an emotional roller coaster that the physical injuries sometimes aren’t the hardest part of healing. It’s mentally healing from all that you put into your job and to have something like this happen, really screws your head up.
Eli Tomac: That’s a wrap! Number 1 is going into preservation mode which is get a good start and ride to the podium. With Webb most likely gone as well as Barcia, it looks like a podium could be a somewhat easy feat to achieve for the next two weeks.
Colt Nichols: Colt is hanging in and was rewarded with a fourth in Nashville. Colt has an underrated riding style and it reminds me a lot of Canard when I watch him ride. I am sure the two have rode together growing up in Oklahoma but it is very eerie similar to me. I really hope Honda keeps him around as I do think Colt has something to offer the brand for 2024. Look for a World SX announcement for Colt coming soon.
Justin Hill: You could see this coming! Justin has been riding great and has been progressively getting better as the season goes. Not to mention he is a strong SOB physically so having a set of tough whoops helps this dude! Does this kind of ride open the door for him to get another factory ride? Probably not, but it shows that this kid has a ton of talent and is a threat for top 5s when he’s in good enough racing shape for a 20 plus 1.
Chiz: Another top ten on another colored bike! I really don’t know what or how to put this into a text. Being in this game (racing dirt bikes) for this long takes a special kind of person. Chiz is a special kind of rider/person. It will be a sad day when we lose him. It is going to be a long time until we see another Kyle Chisholm in our sport.
Starling: Justin is similar to a Chiz, but not quite there. He has been a journeyman racer, putting his own money/program out there and also is an underrated talent. It’s strange to me how some riders are so good at SX but decide they are not going for it in MX so they don’t race outdoors. Look, I know there is no money, I get it, but I think it’s crazy how special of an art/talent riding SX is. Justin has proven he can ride some SX and I would think is making a decent living doing a winter/spring schedule only. Maybe that is why? Duh…
Hunter Lawrence: Congrats to Hunter on making it look easy AF! I understand it isn’t but holy hell man, can you make riding a tough, baked track any easier? Kudos to the Honda team for making a great 2023 race machine as this bike was an absolute weapon. The only other bike that can keep up with the Star Yamahas off the start was the factory Honda. A huge team effort and I can’t wait to ride the bike! I heard Lars said we could. I don’t care if it was 2:00 AM in Nashville. Verbal is binding!
Jo Shimoda: If Jo can stay healthy he has go to be the guy to win a regional 250 title in 2024. I thought he would be the bridesmaid again this year, but I still feel like Mitch has a champion on his hands! Also, no I didn’t listen to the Pulp Show where they talk about Jo running a Fatbar but it is odd that he is allowed to. I also agree with the choice, as the Fatbar has so much more flex than the TW!
Jordan Smith: I don’t know what to say. J-Smith has the speed to win but doesn’t have the 15 plus 1 in him to stay there right now. Concentration? Maybe! It seems like he’s fit enough to go the distance but the mental fortitude it takes to hold that lead for 15 plus 1 is tough and it might take Jordan until next year (which he does have a contact for next year) to get another win. It is nice to see Star not just bail on him after the up and down year he has had. I am sure the Jordan Smith camp will say it is a successful year, but I am sure the team thinks it was up and down. More upside than downside so we will stick with Jordan for 24!
