I was in Florida last week, but got the hell out of there just in time to write Daytime Program! 🙂 Here are some thoughts from the place where the series starts?! Don’t know if that is a question or a statement? Anyhow, read on, folks…
Jett Lawrence: We start A LOT of these Daytime articles with this dude don’t we? It doesn’t matter the condition or if he’s fastest in qualifying or not, he simply gets it done in the main. His starts are severely underrated as he is consistently up near the top at starts and if he’s not that great around the first corner, he makes it happen within a couple laps to be within striking distance. Yes, he makes the occasional mistakes but it’s few and far between in the grand scheme of series points. I don’t know what else to say about this kid. He is simply changing the way others ride their motorcycles and is turning over a new way to get it done without over exaggerating posture on the bike. He is now ten points up and growing. Uh oh!
Eli Tomac: I like that Eli takes the blame on himself and shows us that after the race. He admitted not jumping that quad in the long rhythm hurt him and that he just simply didn’t have it. What? A rider admitting weakness in an area! HOLY CRAP! What a concept! Thanks, Eli for being a real dude! I do know that the “not the beast like he once was” comment got him fired up so I am looking forward to next weekend already. I think we have a fired up Eli that likes his bike once again so look for THE BEAST to emerge once again.Â
Chase Sexton: Anyone else catch the new fork that Chase is running over on Vital’s Instagram? Yep! Looks like some new internals inside those WP outers but I am not here to say (or do I know for sure) what that is quite yet. KTM says it’s a WP test piece and Michael Lindsay claims it’s a KYB internal. Will we ever find out what EXACTLY it is? Probably not, but it looked like Chase was a lot more comfy on that orange machine. Regardless, Sexton looked good and KTM seems to be a little more lenient on what their riders can try/test. I still stand by that the new FE frame is better for us mere mortals and I am excited to get back on the FE here in a couple weeks!Â
Benny Bloss: A top ten for BB and Beta! That is A LOT OF B’s! Benny used consistency to get his first top ten of the season and show that this motorcycle is getting better as time goes on. I don’t think we are giving enough love to the brand and hopefully we can get Colt Nichols in here next weekend! To have two Betas in the top ten would be mind blowing but it looks like they are here to stay and I for one look forward to riding this machine in a couple weeks!
Dylan Ferrandis: “Ferr Baby” (yes, that is what we were calling him all night, don’t ask) was on it but had a spill that relegated him back to 8th. Dylan was climbing up all night and looked comfortable in the nasty conditions. His bike set up looked as good, if not better than the factory Hondas and to me, his season on paper doesn’t reflect hw well he is riding. I honestly think there is a podium inside this dude before the season ends.
Tom Vialle: Even though this was Vialle’s first win, it seems like it wasn’t right? I kind of expected this at Daytona from a MXGP rider. Soft conditions, wet, rutty, it just felt MXGP’ish. Not a surprise that a french rider is smooth and looks effortless but to have enough speed to gap guys like Mac and Deegan is something else. Do I think this rolls over into stadiums? Not quite yet, but I think this gives the French rider some confidence to not get pushed around moving forward.
Seth Hammaker: Hammy is an underrated rider. Nothing flashy here to see, but the kid is tough! He came back from more than few crashes that would have left most out of the series but he continues to come back and run up front. He stayed on two wheels and made the podium so having two Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders up there in Daytona has to make Mitch Payton at least crack a smile. I remember Tedesco telling me (when he was training him) that this kid is very disciplined and can withstand some abuse. It shows!
Coty Schock: Four points out of the lead three rounds in! If you would of said that to Coty or anyone else for that matter, they probably would have laughed. However, this is where we are at now and from watching number 69 ride, it’s easier to believe. He is a top five rider! To think that Coty almost didn’t have a ride coming into 2024 proves that there is talent out there that needs to be tapped into. This dude was one of them. From the time I rode with him up in the high dez, I could tell he had something special. The dude has insane bike handling skills and has raw speed that you’re seeing now. The Club MX team took a chance on him and it’s paying off! Look for this kid to be consistently in the mix as he gets more confidence as the year progresses. He is on a SX only deal but to me, if Club is going outdoors, then they need this kid on their team.
Marshall Weltin: From racing Arenacross and nearly blowing up his bike to a top ten in the main event, Marsh rode excellent considering how he felt. Racing the night before on a sand track that took its toll on his YZ250F engine made for a long night for his team. The team swapped engines and got the bike ready around 3AM. Sometimes trying to make money racing dirt bikes means that your performance may not be at its peak when it comes time to race. Constintly running yourself into the ground racing and not getting a full night sleep can affect one’s performance but when you’re a privateer you do what you have to in order to make some money. A ninth place finish at Daytona is pretty damn good for a rider who got around three hours sleep the night before.
The Fans: WHAT THAT ACTUAL EFFFF DID WE SEE? From fans ripping goggles off of riders heads to storming the trak like Normandy, this is crazy. Do we as a society just not give a shit anymore? It seems like that at times. I think it’s awesome that the fans get to be up on the podium like the outdoor nationals, but just like everything else in life, we (the human race) might have just screwed ourselves again from getting to do something cool. See you later podium in 2025! Hello, behind the fences in 2025!