LAST RACE OF THE MONTH ALREADY? Once the season starts, it seems to fly by in the blink of an eye. Words: Mike Bonacci of ClubMX
It is important to reflect on the accomplishments of all the athletes as they test themselves against the ferocity of the sport we call Supercross. In just two rounds there is already some attrition to the field as rookies and veterans alike are reminded just how difficult this sport is. With two rounds in the books, our team is still building. Off-season training was the best it has ever been at our facility, but there is absolutely no substitute for race day. You can practice, you can simulate race conditions, you can even race locally – but it all comes down to which version of the racer shows up on Saturday. Coty (the veteran) and Jett (the rookie) each have their own goals and help each other accomplish them. It is refreshing to see that it is actually possible to have a team environment where crew and riders alike work together for the betterment of the team. With two races left before the break, it is time to show what they are capable of.
COTY SCHOCK #37: In San Diego, Coty struggled through the first qualifying session landing in the thirteenth position. Not typical of his normal first session. The crew took his input and made a few adjustments to the bike. In the second session, he fought his way up to ninth position and started to have a good feel for the track. A bit of a rough start in the heat race brought home a sub-par seventh place and that is where things get interesting. Back in the pit area it was all hands-on deck to figure out what was needed and all indicators pointed to “stop trying so hard”. Seems odd with all the technology on the bike, film review, suspension changes and tire combinations possible that it all comes down to changing the channel on the radio at the rig. We can laugh about it, but we know full well that when the gate drops on the main event, Coty will show up and that is exactly what he did. He finished with a respectable sixth place and maintained his sixth-place overall position in the points. His race craft shows his experience as a veteran and that skill will continue to bring him consistent results as the season wears on.
Going into Anaheim 2, we expect modest improvements. Although the facility was blanketed in snow this week, Coty still found time to work on his starts. The Yamaha has so much power this season, he needed to work more on harnessing it with a new start map and some slight adjustments. That will be something to watch this weekend.
JETT REYNOLDS #54: Jett has nine points!! For anyone reading this, you would wonder why it is even mentioned. The simple answer is that was one of his goals that was checked off the list in San Diego. We consider Jett a rookie this season and with that comes some nerves and anticipation of racing under the spotlight. He qualified well with a twelfth-place spot. In his heat race he hit another goal by getting the holeshot and leading the race. It was cool to hear Leigh Diffey make the call on national television “Jett Reynolds gets the holeshot for the Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX team”. With the green leader lights glowing on his front forks, it became an image we could all get used to in the future. Exciting as that was, his start in the main event was not great. With thoughts of a second turn crash at A1 still in his head, he backed off and started the main event near the rear of the field. Knowing he could do better, he fought his way forward and landed in the thirteenth place on the night, scoring some points. Jett was fighting off a cold in San Diego and decided to stay in his hometown of Bakersfield, California for the week to recover. Now with two rounds under his belt and back to full heath AND knowing he can get his Yamaha up front, the expectations continue to increase along with his confidence. Anaheim 2 should be a much better result as we look forward to him starting to stack points.
NOTE: I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the overall success of the event attendance and viewership during the first two rounds. The sport continues to grow at a rapid pace and we are proud to be a part of it. The addition of the Spanish and French broadcast teams along with the increased streaming capacity makes for an amazing fan experience. Keep up the good work, we will continue to do our part as well.
We have continued the production of our popular video series. Please share it as it shows some very cool “behind the scenes” things that most people never see. This one is cool because it has some one-on-one interviews built into it.
Check out the team’s latest YouTube Video too:
Image: @empiresportsphotos – Chris Schulte
