Did you watch or did you just tune out?
If I didn’t have my brother and Chance [Hymas] racing, I probably wouldn’t have tuned in! [Laughs] But because of those guys, I watched, and I’m pretty sure after every time I watched, even if I did training before I watched, I went and did more training after! Because it just would get me so motivated and so pissed off that I would have to go do more training! I just had to get the anger out, of missing out because of a silly mistake on my behalf and it’s cost me a lot of money, a lot of wins, a lot of fun races. And yeah, it sucks. You know, that’s what we live for. So, yeah, a lot of times I would watch the race and then go do more training after because I was just pissed. [Laughs]
Hey, as far as having Hunter in the title fight, did you become a bit of a, like a pseudo coach? A little bit? If you were watching the races, would you then download with him Sunday, Monday or go to the track with him during the week?
Sadly, I would have loved to do that, but a lot of the time I was in California just getting my thumb therapy. I got to come back for the week of testing and got to kind of put my two cents in but Hunter already kinda knows what he needs to do. I mean, there’s not a lot I can give to him, any extra that’s gonna make him go immensly faster, you know? So, it’s just gonna take some more time. That extra speed, you know, Chase [Sexton] has that bit of extra speed right now. But I think this new bike will help it a lot. With the ’24 [bike] we were struggling a lot with confidence and stuff like that, especially myself, too, with us trying to commit to some things. I think I have a little bit more of a dumber brain. [laughs] So, I just kind of go with it and just try to adapt where Hunter is more methodical with it.
So, I think this new bike helps, like as you can see as soon as he hopped on it, he ended up getting a win at Unadilla. Rode unbelievable there. Battled with Chase. So, I think the more races he spends on that bike, the better and better he’ll go. So, it’s good to see as a brother…but he’s gonna make my life hell as well going back on the bike! But no, I’m glad I get to chase him now. You know, I’ve been kind of leading the past year or so. So, now that I’m going back riding again, I was complaining all this week. I’m like, “Gosh, damn it. He just rides away from me. What am I doing wrong? Like I feel like I’m going fast.” But no, I’m excited for him. I didn’t give him too many tips. Gotta leave some in the back pocket maybe! [laughs]. Just kidding. He rides unbelievably well, so I was sure once he got a good flow, got a nice setting, he would do good.
Yeah, that’s my last thing for you. You are going to get as close to 100 percent as you can. But I’m sure you’re not going to know until we get to Charlotte, maybe when you’re in the race, how good you’re really going to feel. But last year Charlotte was a bit of a struggle for you, also. The standard that you set is very high. We expect you to win and battle up front every time you line up. Is there a part of you that is like, “This might be a building process” at least round one of SMX like last year?
I haven’t thought it yet. My thinking process, I think is a little different from most. I always try and set my standard up high. I mean, I’ve been telling my dad and my staff that I wanna come back and I wanna win every single SMX! Is that gonna happen? If the stars align, maybe. But I mean, Chase is looking really good, and I could lose a lot. I may even lose the SMX [title]. But I am already gonna lose SMX if I come in already thinking that, you know? So I gotta make sure I think confidently. I’ve been working hard. I feel strong and fit. We just gotta get the bike side there again and hopefully we’ll
- be good.
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