Jeff Simpson
Think Clueless but a bit more insightful.
Jo Shimoda is clutch. I’m talking Ray Allen Game 6 clutch. I can’t applaud his second moto ride enough. He looked visibly bummed getting back on the bike after going down in moto 1. Then he goes out, holeshots and just sends it for the full 30+2. He has cemented himself into the title talks for not only SX, but also outdoors.
That said, Hunta is ready to kick the door in on the 250 class as well, looking like his old self this season. Couple that with the whispers of Jettson taking the Sexton route in ’23 getting louder confirmed, that leaves the door for the next champion.
Hunter, Jo and who tho? Who will step up next season? Will it be Vohland? Could RJ go anti-RJ and do what we all know he is capable of? J-Coops is right there with him in that regard. But outside of that, it leaves the door for someone like Thrasher, Hammaker or Kitchen to level up. The future is bright folks.
Bloss finally got some new gear! Btw how many KTM “supported” teams are out there?! Maybe not our standard 6-9 but half of that, easy. Why is that? I know you can “purchase” KTM factory bits but are they the only ones to offer it? Is their contingency that good? Either way. Love to see the pits full.
How impressive was it to see Deegan just go out there, work his way into 11th in his first pro race coming straight out of the B class, and then crashes himself into another dimension. THEN lines up for moto 2. F*ck the hype, the kids got heart and that’s all you can ask of him.
It will never cease to amaze me seeing these dudes go mach 12 in a full on war, for like 18th. It is gnarly out there folks, no matter the track position.
Thrasher’s early first moto speed was 💨💨💨
With the utmost respect, Kenny is this generations KDub. Dude will lead laps and hold on til the end. Unfortunately, like KDub he has his hands full with a pair of dudes that are other worldly at the moment.
Speaking of Rick, let’s talk Rick. Can we pull a stat line showing how often RJ crashes in practice but still manages to nearly end up on the podium. I think his mechanic needs to loosen a side plate and just let that thing dangle off because he seems to thrive in chaos. So let the chaos play out.
Ok, how insane is this Chase and Eli battle royale they have going til the bitter end. Now, is it the same or better than Stew/Carmichael? I wasn’t around those days so I don’t have a measuring stick but I’d say it’s pretty damn close. Potato jokes aside, what Eli is doing right now is nothing short of remarkable as he attempts to close this title out in (potentially) his last season racing outdoors. Sexton on the other hand has risen to the challenge in only his third full 450 outdoor szn. What is crazy is that he finished 5th in points in each of the first two seasons. These two have made motocross exciting again and that is something we should all be thankful for.
Meeting adjourned.
Image: @mikevizerphoto
