A2 WAS DRY!!!! It was a triple crown! Let’s talk about it!
Cooper Webb: Here he comes! Is it the Gilly effect? Ricki Gilmour (KYB Suspension Tech) has been doing Coop’s suspension since he started with the Star Racing Yamaha team. Coop insisted on Gilly and wouldn’t come to the team unless Gilly would be his guy. Eli already had Gilly but they both agreed to share him and so far it has been working. Cooper has been fast, loose and to me his corner speed is much better than it was last year. When I watched some tape from last year, I can tell he is able to cut down from the berms much easier with the Yamaha than the KTM and it shows in his results. If Coop has a “W” already before we head east, then it’s going to be a good series. I am not going to say he is going to win it, but you can make damn sure he will be in it until the end. Let’s not have AC run over his head and he will be fine.
Eli Tomac: I will be honest here. It has been weird seeing Tomac get passed in these main events. Tomac has been slow rolling his series a bit, but he’s only 10 points out of the lead leaving A2. If Tomac gets a start (holeshot) it will be hard pressed to have anyone get by him, but since the field is so deep, if he starts eighth then he might finish eighth. Tomac walked away with the last main event of the night and looked to have some of that “outdoor Tomac” in him that last moto. Fun Fact: Tomac’s fork spec is softer than anyone’s on the team. He loves a high rear end and a softer front end feel so he can corner better. That showed the last moto.
Jason Anderson: Damn. This dude is on rails. The Monster Energy Kawasaki looks to be balanced and set up well for the whoops as well as the corners. Kudos to Kaipo Chung (Kawasaki’s/Showa Suspension Tech) for getting JA a set up he likes! Also, shout out to Broc Tickle for busting his ass on the 24 KX450 platform to in order to get JA some base settings. From what I am told Jason is actually a good test rider and can feel his way around the bike pretty damn good. JA got a penalty last moto that knocked him down to fourth place on the night but from what I can see this 2024 Anderson looks to be here to play and bust out some rhythms that some others will not do. That triple out passed the mechanics area looked gnarly and he was one of only three to do it consistently all night long. That shows us fans that a rider is comfy.
Jett Lawrence: HE IS HUMAN! Not a great night for the little Lawrence but I still think there needs to be no panic yet. I do think that the Jason Vs. Jett has hurt some of his favoritism from the crowd as the boos came in heavy at opening ceremonies. This is all kind of odd to me though. I have been vocal about the media cramming Jett down our throats and I think it is finally catching up with all of us at this time. Jett is a nice kid. But he’s a kid! He is going to make mistakes and do dumb shit from time to time. My kid does dumb shit all the time, but he has a good heart. I look at this the same. Unreal talent. Has got thrown into all of this limelight and sometimes you mess up. It’s life. His mistakes on the track have been odd as he has been a little impatient which is unlike him. I thought he would of bounced back this weekend but I will say Jett takes Detroit right now.
Chase Sexton: People are asking me why Chase let Jett by that last moto. Look, Chase may have been not feeling his setting and he knew dropping one position that last moto wasn’t going to hurt his overall that much as Jett had screwed himself a little so I assume Chase knew that he was clear for decent overall.
Levi Kitchen: Levi looks better on the Kawasaki. His starts have been better as well. I think at times when you have all of that Star Yamaha power, it can actually hurt you off the gate. Wheelspin, wheelies, etc. looked to be the problem last year for Levi. This year, the PC Kawasaki might have a little less hit/low end pull and it is actually driving out of the gate. His body positioning off the gate looks tighter as well. Levi also has more fitness to me this year and looks less loose towards the end of mains. Yes, they were shorter than normal but you can see in the last moto that he was playing it smart and holding himself back. He sprinted with Thrasher and then chilled. That is a championship mindset.
Jo Shimoda: I don’t know, man! New bike maybe hard to get used to? I did a walk around Friday on Joe’s bike and the team said he’s getting used to the bike in race conditions and I think his starts have hurt him as well. He comes up through the pack but either crashes or bad starts have hurt the likable Japanese rider. With a week off from the west, I think we see a new Jo come Phoenix. Hard pack and a smooth style like Jo’s will be a recipe for success. Pick him for fantasy!
Anthony Bourdon: The Bar X guys told me at the 11th hour that this guy was legit and he has been! The 2020 MX2 French SX champ has been consistent and a little less “french looking” on the bike. He is not the smoothest rider out there (which is very Un-French like), but he makes up for it in late moto strength. His sixth place at A2 moved him into fifth place in the series ahead of Shimoda. WOW! Nice find, bar X Suzuki!
Billy Laninovich: 40 years old! I saw Billy at a local race I was doing last year and he genuinely looked interested in riding again. Fast forward six months and he made a 250 Main Event! Pretty freaking cool! I wish I could take off as long as Billy did and come back to get into a main event! WOW!
