Read what a host of 450 riders had to say about their weekends in San Diego.
Eli Tomac: “It was an outstanding race for us. To get a win was so special, and to get it done in the full 20-minute main event was a huge deal for me and a testament that we’ve been getting stronger and faster. Throughout the off-season, with the training and the racing, we’ve been working to improve areas where we thought we were a little bit weak, and now it’s showing. It’s just so cool to get this win tonight and to do it by making passes and having to really work our way to the front.”
Jett Lawrence: “A lot of improvement over last weekend, so I’m super happy. The bike is getting better and better. I felt good through the night; I just made the one little mistake of going back to the inside in the sand and Tomac getting me, but we’re looking forward to the next rounds to come up. I’m feeling more familiar with the bike each weekend. I’m looking forward to it; we’re going to go home, just log some laps in and hopefully get a better result next weekend.”
Cooper Webb: “It was a much better day today. I was fourth in qualifying, and then the main event went well overall. I was second off the start, which was really good, and led about half the race. I was just a little under the weather, so it was tough and about halfway, that was all I had. That being said, Eli and Jett were hauling butt. They were on it tonight, so I’m happy with the podium. We’ll get back to work.”
Ken Roczen: “I think my race overall was really good. I was happy with it. Of course, there are always things you want to work on and try to get better. I’m staying in California this week and we’re going to work on a couple little things. We are in a good spot, we had a really good race and I am happy with the fourth place.”
Hunter Lawrence: “I had been struggling with my throat a bit during the week, and I thought it was more from the ashes and stuff from the fires [in Southern California]. I thought I was coming good, and then Friday night, it just got so bad. It was a really tough day. I’m feeling pretty sick and I have no energy, so I’m pretty happy to come out fifth. I did what I needed to do to make my night a little easier. It was a tough day at the office, but I’m just looking to get back to 100% as soon as I can.”
Chase Sexton: “It was a chaotic night for me. I fell on the first lap and had to do a lot of work to catch back up. I felt like my riding was really good and the bike felt good, so honestly, we just need to work on our starts and get ready for Anaheim 2. I feel pretty confident with where I’m at, so I’m excited.”
Malcolm Stewart: “San Diego was a good rebound from what happened to me at A1. I felt pretty good in practice and my Heat race was solid. Then in the Main, I didn’t get the best start, but I kind of made it work going into the first turn and I was sitting inside the top five. During the race there were times I felt like, ‘Alright, let’s go’, but I made a few mistakes and felt a little flat. I’m not sure if it’s because I was a little stiff, but at the end of the day we finished seventh and we can keep building from here. Even though I’m not riding to my full potential, I was still able to land inside the top 10.”
Justin Barcia: “It was a better day, for sure. We started off qualifying P7, which was good, as I’ve struggled in practice a bit so far this year. The bike was working well though! My Heat race was good, but I needed a better start, and it was the same in the Main Event. I needed to fight really hard to eighth place, so it wasn’t the result we wanted, but we did a lot of good stuff today and we’re extremely excited to fix a few little things this week and come out swinging at A2.”
Jorge Prado: “I think there are positives to take from the weekend besides the result. I was riding well in the heat race, made good moves on the first lap, and then around lap three I went down with another rider, so I was pretty far behind. I almost made my way up to a transfer spot, but I just couldn’t make the pass. Then I went to the LCQ, got the holeshot, and won that race. The gate pick for the main event was not ideal, so it was a long way for me to get to the inside. I started towards the back out of the first corner and made some good passes. I had a good rhythm and felt good, but still have a lot of work to do. Right now it is all about learning and getting more comfortable, but my riding was better than last week and in seven days I look to improve my results again.”
Jason Anderson: “My day was not the greatest, but I ended up qualifying sixth, which was pretty average. I finished third in my heat race, which was better than I expected since I am under the weather. I did not have a great start and then had some other issues in the main event. I am happy to have made it out healthy and I’m looking forward to being healthier for next weekend.”
Image:@empiresportsphotos – Chris Schulte
