Troy Dog
He’s Not Real. Jett Goes Undefeated
I finally know who that chick on the airplane was pointing to and telling everyone that somebody wasn’t real. She was obviously pointing at Jett. It makes perfect sense now. I haven’t been to an outdoor race this season, but Ironman is close to home. A big reason I wanted to go was because I wanted to see how good Jett really is in person. TV never does this sport any justice. Well, after a staggering revelation, Jett is better than I thought that he would be. His staggering pace, almost matched by Sexton, was enough to almost lap into the top ten in each moto. He would go by us, then we’d get to the edge of the top ten, and he’d be back around again. This outdoor season will go down as one of the most memorable seasons in history all because of a 19/20 year old rookie.
Phil Impresses
One rider that stuck out to me all day at Ironman was Phil Nicoletti. From first practice, to the motos, Phil was clearly on a mission out there. He went 12-7 for 9th, but that second moto was impressive. He started up there and stayed there until the finish. It was his best outdoor moto finish since 2018 at this very track of all places. Not bad for a 34-year-old. He came into the series late and raced his way back into the top ten pace where he has belonged. All of the injuries and setbacks don’t matter today.
Deegs and His Fans
I think we’ve reached a point where the only people coming to the races are only there for Haiden Deegan. Of course I’m kidding, but the amount of fans that are there for him is incredible. You know where Deegs is on the track all of the time because people are yelling, screaming, and watching his every move. It’s a cool vibe and he must feel invincible out there. I know I would with all of that support. Deegan said on his Instagram that he was sick and he actually couldn’t sign autographs at Ironman because of it. Yet, he still went out and dug deep for second overall. He even launched the finish line that I’ve never seen anyone huck since the track was built. I always wondered who would try it and it was Deegs, it was huge, and the crowd loved it.
Shimoda’s Redemption
The word is that Ironman is the last outdoor round for Jo Shimoda on a Pro Circuit bike. So, what did he do? He went out and awarded them with a 1-1 performance. The first 1-1 of his career. It was a very impressive showing by Jo, who actually started his venture with Pro Circuit as a fill-in rider a couple of years ago after GEICO Honda folded. He earned his stripes with the team and made sure that Kawasaki wasn’t shut out with moto wins in 2023. The streak of Kawi winning at least one moto per year is still alive since the mid 80s thanks to Jo.
Hunta
After all of the setbacks, injuries, worries, and hardships that Hunter Lawrence has been through in his life this 250MX championship has got to feel absolutely incredible. He’s swept his titles this season and the job still isn’t finished. He wants that SMX Playoff money too. It’s crazy to think that two DNFs could not stop this title from happening.
Photo Courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing /Align Media
