Daytime Program: A2

Today at 11:11 PM

Three rounds, three different winners. This is the type of season I think we are going to have. One weekend we will have Tomac win a round and then the next weekend we can see him get a sixth or seventh. Yes, this can happen to Jett as we have soon. Heading into Phoenix we have a lot of anticipation but before we get to the Grand Canyon state let's break down some things that went down from A2. 

Jett Lawrence:

I like how some people think that Honda is not going to figure out the bike for Jett. Yes, the bike is (on paper) stiffer than the 2024 machine. What does that mean for the feel of the bike on the track? It means that under heavy loads (think g-outs, transitions of rhythms, whoops) this frame will have more comfort. Why? If a frame is too soft in these areas it could flex more under loads and then nap back which (for rider feel) can cause harshness or even a hunt and peck/non planted feel. However, the downside to this is all of the small imperfections of a SX track like chop inside of a rut, square edge through whoops, flat corners and hard pack dirt. When we see Jett go back east to softer dirt, look for a better handling Honda. If we are going to see any major "issues" it will be here out west and especially on some dirt as hard as Phoenix. Instead of talking about how Jett is not winning, most should be talking about how he is adapting to a bike that is different feeling in SX than in past years. The team went to work on some suspension changes and the kid bounces back to win. I like how Jett also knows how it isn't the same as last year so he is taking his time with making passes. He was really "nice" when trying to get around Anderson as he knows he didn't want to poke the bear. If I was Tomac or Chase I would be starting next to Jett or maybe pay Friese (when he comes back) to come over a little off the start in order to block him from getting a top five start. 

Ken Roczen:

Kenny is not great in qualifying then podiums. This is what K-Roc does. Unassuming and then slaps you across the face with a great ride. Also, it should be noted that Ken is on REP suspension this year and I may know a thing or two about how Mark at REP operates. Mark is like a beautiful mind as he stares into your soul when you download him information on what your suspension is doing. Kenny and Mark (to me) are very similar in a lot of ways so the two working together makes sense to me. Kenny is very particular with his set up from week to week and Mark is very particular with how he goes about valving so getting the HEP Suzuki dialed for these types of west coast tracks isn't surprising to me. Kenny's bike looks compliant and also looks like it has a lot of rear wheel traction. Kenny went back to a shock this weekend that Mark and him felt familiar/comfortable with and it showed. I wouldn't be surprised if Ken wins Phoenix. Hard pack and Ken go together like PB&J.

Eli Tomac:

Eli lit up the Yamaha dragster off the start and that killed his hopes of a win at A2. This track also wasn't Eli's cup of tea so getting back to seventh was a better ride than I think most would give him. Of course Eli can win on hard pack but he has to start in the front if he wants to do so. San Diego had more traction than A2 but I still feel like Eli can use a better engine character delivery when it comes to slippery type tracks. He likes A LOT of power and that doesn't mix well when it's wet slick. Dry slick is different and can be managed by the rider, but in wet slick conditions sometimes you will have to protect the rider from himself. Even if he wants A LOT of power, maybe the team should tone down the power just a bit for nights like these. Next weekend will be a different story as the State Farm Stadium floor is bigger and usually has a faster Tomac style flow.

Jason Anderson:

What a ride by 21! If you playback the race a little you will see that Anderson is great at staying low and rolling his corners. While others are blasting the top of the fluff (on the berms), JA is staying lower and rolling his corners so efficiently. It's beautiful to watch! Anderson is great at getting traction where there isn't any and coming from a guy who rode the desert a lot growing up I can see why he is this way. Riding the New Mexico desert tracks as a kid has shaped this dude into what he is as a professional. It really is pretty to watch! Yes, I said "pretty". 

Kevin Moranz:

Two out of three main events is great for a true privateer in this series. Driving his van all the way across the states to come race these rounds is not an easy thing to do but Moranz and his own team have done this. Running your own race team and then being the best on the team (so far) is hard work. Moranz starts have been saving him a lot but also his willingness to hang in there when the LCQ gets tight has also been one of his strong points. I will give a shout out to his whoop speed as well. Kevin is not scared to send it into the whoops! 

Deegs:

He's back! I saw Deegs and his team out at Fox Raceway this week working on some chassis/suspension settings. When I asked Christian Craig why they would be out at Fox Raceway instead of the Yamaha track he said that they needed to get better when the track got rough. The bike was a little too stiff for the tracks out west so going to a little softer set up needed to happen. I also think his start saved his ass this weekend. I feel like his starts are the thing that he's been missing so to get a good start is paramount. If Deegs starts up front, no one is beating him.

Ju Ju:

I would have bet a lot of money that Julien would have hit Deegs harder than he tried to do at the beginning of the main event. After a little love tap in the heat race that put 23 down, I would have thought that Ju Ju would have punted him. I would have thought about at least putting Deegs down ASAP so I had clear sailing for the rest of the main event, but honestly it was smart to not get into the "tit for tat" games with 38. This is why Ju Ju is a title threat. He can win, is good in the whoops, is a good starter and doesn't play the games. This is a direct reflection of Davi Millsaps. 

Cole Davies:

I will admit (and maybe that's why I am not Daniel Blair) that I never saw that "IT" factor in Cole when he was racing futures. Yes, I still call it FUTURES! In 2023 he was a little underwhelming and didn't perform that well but a year later in 2024 he was great! Fast forward to 2025 and the kid is winning heat races and podiums main events. WOW! I don't think it's the Star Racing Yamaha effect, more of a solid group of people around him that have guided him in the right direction. Aden and I saw him last year at the Loretta Lynn's Area Qualifier in Mesquite (last February) and he wasn’t great. He was just an average pro. Now the kid is doing things that a 17 year old usually doesn't do. Most of this is race craft. His race craft is really good! INSANE! 

Jordan Smith:

I may have jinxed Jordan a bit last night. As he was going through the whoops, I could see his rear end not tracking but Jordan was still giving her hell so I kinda knew this was a ticking time bomb. Sometimes riders are too DGAF when it comes to feeling what their bike is doing during a race because they want that extra position. However, I think salvaging a third last night would have been great for Jordan and the team. I do understand that sometimes you just got to let it hang out, but the rear of that Triumph wasn't liking those edges (in the whoops) as much as the KTM in front of him was. Even though Jordan was faster through the whoops than Ju Ju, the KTM allowed more room for error than the Triumph did. The team and Jordan have been great this year and that is a direct reflection of the hard work the team has put into this bike into the offseason. Just wait until the 450 gets here!