Panic Button for Chase/Kawi?

erik_94COBRA
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5/3/2026 5:43am

Anybody know when/where Chase said the bike won’t turn and wants it low in the rear?  Maybe a JT podcast?

It’s interesting that a rider could be of this caliber and not know much about bike setup. 
High in the rear (I.e. less sag) = turns

Low in the rear = doesn’t turn 

Getting the bike to turn while low in the rear means the front has to be divey (not much holdup) which will lead to tucking the front. Just like he did on the Honda and on the KTM. 

I thought he looked the best overall on the KTM.  

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Indy mxer
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5/3/2026 6:05am
LUCKY! Lucky 5th! He was Gifted that with those late race crashes.

He looked good in qualifiers and the heat. Terrible start in the main.

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prozach
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5/3/2026 7:14am
LUCKY! Lucky 5th! He was Gifted that with those late race crashes.
Indy mxer wrote:

He looked good in qualifiers and the heat. Terrible start in the main.

He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.   But he needs to figure out how to start.  He was 2nd off the start in his heat, then 17th in the second turn in his main again.  🤷‍♀️

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The Shop

ando
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5/3/2026 7:28am
prozach wrote:
He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.  ...

He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.   But he needs to figure out how to start.  He was 2nd off the start in his heat, then 17th in the second turn in his main again.  🤷‍♀️

He was gifted two spots by JCoop and Webb taking each other out late in the main event.  Also his fastest lap was over two seconds slower than Hunter’s.

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5/3/2026 7:59am
prozach wrote:
He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.  ...

He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.   But he needs to figure out how to start.  He was 2nd off the start in his heat, then 17th in the second turn in his main again.  🤷‍♀️

ando wrote:
He was gifted two spots by JCoop and Webb taking each other out late in the main event.  Also his fastest lap was over two seconds...

He was gifted two spots by JCoop and Webb taking each other out late in the main event.  Also his fastest lap was over two seconds slower than Hunter’s.

yeah, he was a total non-participant until riders started whacking one another. He SHOULD have finished 8th-10th.

In other news, the comment from team manager refusing to confirm/deny his participation in the Nats is a giant giant red flag. Things are NOT good for Chase.

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DonM
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5/3/2026 8:04am
prozach wrote:
He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.  ...

He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.   But he needs to figure out how to start.  He was 2nd off the start in his heat, then 17th in the second turn in his main again.  🤷‍♀️

ando wrote:
He was gifted two spots by JCoop and Webb taking each other out late in the main event.  Also his fastest lap was over two seconds...

He was gifted two spots by JCoop and Webb taking each other out late in the main event.  Also his fastest lap was over two seconds slower than Hunter’s.

yeah, he was a total non-participant until riders started whacking one another. He SHOULD have finished 8th-10th.In other news, the comment from team manager refusing to...

yeah, he was a total non-participant until riders started whacking one another. He SHOULD have finished 8th-10th.

In other news, the comment from team manager refusing to confirm/deny his participation in the Nats is a giant giant red flag. Things are NOT good for Chase.

https://pulpmx.com/app/uploads/2026/05/2026-denver-Fahie.mp3

You may want to listen to this…Chase is racing outdoors…

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Zycki11
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5/3/2026 8:47am

The bike had a hiccup in the middle of corners. Every time I see Chase ride his bike looks soft and moves a lot compared to other top guys. He clearly likes a lot of front end feel.  When you watch his forks they compress quickly and rebound quickly in the first 3-5 inches of the stroke and then progressively ramps up the stiffness. The rear has a ton of wallowing and the bike doesn’t look neutral at all. 

We all know Chase has issues with the front end tucking, but multiple teams now appear to say he wants what can not physically happen. A soft front end that holds up, without putting unreal pressure on the shock without fading. Someone will have to put the big boy pants on and tell him. The dude is an unreal athlete and when he is on, he is really on. 

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chasetwo79
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5/3/2026 9:58am
prozach wrote:
He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.  ...

He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.   But he needs to figure out how to start.  He was 2nd off the start in his heat, then 17th in the second turn in his main again.  🤷‍♀️

ando wrote:
He was gifted two spots by JCoop and Webb taking each other out late in the main event.  Also his fastest lap was over two seconds...

He was gifted two spots by JCoop and Webb taking each other out late in the main event.  Also his fastest lap was over two seconds slower than Hunter’s.

yeah, he was a total non-participant until riders started whacking one another. He SHOULD have finished 8th-10th.In other news, the comment from team manager refusing to...

yeah, he was a total non-participant until riders started whacking one another. He SHOULD have finished 8th-10th.

In other news, the comment from team manager refusing to confirm/deny his participation in the Nats is a giant giant red flag. Things are NOT good for Chase.

He confirmed both riders will be there on pulpcasts 

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The Wolf Man
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5/3/2026 12:20pm
Spoonguy wrote:

Is there any real accounts of Chase's dad being difficult, or is it just speculation?

Well, due to our moto 'media' pretty much everything is speculation beyond what comes out in press releases. But there is always a lot of 'speculation' from said 'media' about Chase's dad. 

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The Wolf Man
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5/3/2026 12:22pm Edited Date/Time 5/3/2026 10:01pm
Why Mitch? I like the guy, I like PC & I like his team, but…… He hasnt had spades of success in these past few years… So why do...

Why Mitch? 

I like the guy, I like PC & I like his team, but…… 

He hasnt had spades of success in these past few years… 

So why do you think Mitch should run the 450 programme? 

DonM wrote:
Well one reason is that he has been their partner for 25+yrs running their factory 250 program…who do you have that could do a better job...

Well one reason is that he has been their partner for 25+yrs running their factory 250 program…who do you have that could do a better job or is more qualified?

I’d understand if his 250 program was having successes. But it isn’t. Why would KHI want to put their faltering 450 effort in the hands of the...

I’d understand if his 250 program was having successes. But it isn’t. 

Why would KHI want to put their faltering 450 effort in the hands of the manager of a similarly faltering 250 effort? It doesn’t make sense. 

I don’t know WHO would do better. But until Mitch can put the 250 on the top step consistently again, it ain’t him. 

Maybe it will take some KHI top brass to take a year living in the US overseeing a newly appointed manager- Lars made a great improvement from Betley, maybe Kawasaki can find someone in their company who can do the same thing? 

Mitch hasn't won a regional SX championship since Justin 'Cheech 'n' Chong' Hill in 2017 and AC outdoors in 2019. Meanwhile Star has been cleaning up...

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BossWool2800
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5/3/2026 12:28pm

Garrett Marchbanks 7th btw

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5/3/2026 1:05pm
DonM wrote:
Well one reason is that he has been their partner for 25+yrs running their factory 250 program…who do you have that could do a better job...

Well one reason is that he has been their partner for 25+yrs running their factory 250 program…who do you have that could do a better job or is more qualified?

I’d understand if his 250 program was having successes. But it isn’t. Why would KHI want to put their faltering 450 effort in the hands of the...

I’d understand if his 250 program was having successes. But it isn’t. 

Why would KHI want to put their faltering 450 effort in the hands of the manager of a similarly faltering 250 effort? It doesn’t make sense. 

I don’t know WHO would do better. But until Mitch can put the 250 on the top step consistently again, it ain’t him. 

Maybe it will take some KHI top brass to take a year living in the US overseeing a newly appointed manager- Lars made a great improvement from Betley, maybe Kawasaki can find someone in their company who can do the same thing? 

Mitch hasn't won a regional SX championship since Justin 'Cheech 'n' Chong' Hill in 2017 and AC outdoors in 2019. Meanwhile Star has been cleaning up...

AC won an outdoor one in 2019 if that counts. 

5/3/2026 1:20pm
LUCKY! Lucky 5th! He was Gifted that with those late race crashes.
Indy mxer wrote:

He looked good in qualifiers and the heat. Terrible start in the main.

prozach wrote:
He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.  ...

He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.   But he needs to figure out how to start.  He was 2nd off the start in his heat, then 17th in the second turn in his main again.  🤷‍♀️

You saw him ride up to 5th whilst several riders were on the ground… 

They racecourse been an 8th at best for Chase. 

Those other guys threw it away.

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5/3/2026 1:22pm
DonM wrote:
Well one reason is that he has been their partner for 25+yrs running their factory 250 program…who do you have that could do a better job...

Well one reason is that he has been their partner for 25+yrs running their factory 250 program…who do you have that could do a better job or is more qualified?

I’d understand if his 250 program was having successes. But it isn’t. Why would KHI want to put their faltering 450 effort in the hands of the...

I’d understand if his 250 program was having successes. But it isn’t. 

Why would KHI want to put their faltering 450 effort in the hands of the manager of a similarly faltering 250 effort? It doesn’t make sense. 

I don’t know WHO would do better. But until Mitch can put the 250 on the top step consistently again, it ain’t him. 

Maybe it will take some KHI top brass to take a year living in the US overseeing a newly appointed manager- Lars made a great improvement from Betley, maybe Kawasaki can find someone in their company who can do the same thing? 

Mitch hasn't won a regional SX championship since Justin 'Cheech 'n' Chong' Hill in 2017 and AC outdoors in 2019. Meanwhile Star has been cleaning up...

Is it as long ago as that…? 

Mitch sounds just the candidate to deliver a 450 championship in 2027 then… 

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DonM
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5/3/2026 1:35pm
I’d understand if his 250 program was having successes. But it isn’t. Why would KHI want to put their faltering 450 effort in the hands of the...

I’d understand if his 250 program was having successes. But it isn’t. 

Why would KHI want to put their faltering 450 effort in the hands of the manager of a similarly faltering 250 effort? It doesn’t make sense. 

I don’t know WHO would do better. But until Mitch can put the 250 on the top step consistently again, it ain’t him. 

Maybe it will take some KHI top brass to take a year living in the US overseeing a newly appointed manager- Lars made a great improvement from Betley, maybe Kawasaki can find someone in their company who can do the same thing? 

Mitch hasn't won a regional SX championship since Justin 'Cheech 'n' Chong' Hill in 2017 and AC outdoors in 2019. Meanwhile Star has been cleaning up...

Is it as long ago as that…? 

Mitch sounds just the candidate to deliver a 450 championship in 2027 then… 

Still waiting for you to name a better candidate …. Mitch’s issue is more of a rider issue than a management issue….they are by far the 2nd best team behind Star who has a much larger budget than Pro Circuit. 

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soggy
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5/3/2026 1:43pm

Mitch hasn't won a regional SX championship since Justin 'Cheech 'n' Chong' Hill in 2017 and AC outdoors in 2019. Meanwhile Star has been cleaning up...

Is it as long ago as that…? 

Mitch sounds just the candidate to deliver a 450 championship in 2027 then… 

DonM wrote:
Still waiting for you to name a better candidate …. Mitch’s issue is more of a rider issue than a management issue….they are by far the...

Still waiting for you to name a better candidate …. Mitch’s issue is more of a rider issue than a management issue….they are by far the 2nd best team behind Star who has a much larger budget than Pro Circuit. 

They aren’t better then HRC over the last couple years. 

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5/3/2026 1:49pm
I’d understand if his 250 program was having successes. But it isn’t. Why would KHI want to put their faltering 450 effort in the hands of the...

I’d understand if his 250 program was having successes. But it isn’t. 

Why would KHI want to put their faltering 450 effort in the hands of the manager of a similarly faltering 250 effort? It doesn’t make sense. 

I don’t know WHO would do better. But until Mitch can put the 250 on the top step consistently again, it ain’t him. 

Maybe it will take some KHI top brass to take a year living in the US overseeing a newly appointed manager- Lars made a great improvement from Betley, maybe Kawasaki can find someone in their company who can do the same thing? 

Mitch hasn't won a regional SX championship since Justin 'Cheech 'n' Chong' Hill in 2017 and AC outdoors in 2019. Meanwhile Star has been cleaning up...

AC won an outdoor one in 2019 if that counts. 

Its the most important 250 championship, of course it counts

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gt80rider
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5/3/2026 2:53pm

Good god kawi is a chit show... if chase doesn't race for them at the nats.. or more so, the next two yrs as well... they need to fire everyone... top to bottom... team green to the 450 rig... geeeezusssss fricknnn invisible sky daddy.... 

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gt80rider
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5/3/2026 3:03pm
DonM wrote:
The 250 team is way more competitive than the 450 team…they need to clean house Bruce and Dan need to go and Mitch has more knowledge...

The 250 team is way more competitive than the 450 team…they need to clean house Bruce and Dan need to go and Mitch has more knowledge in his pinky than those two fools…like I said you can’t name anyone better than Mitch other than a maybe they can find someone in the company…I don’t know man…

When was the last time kawi won a 250 championship?? 

Your definition of competitive means losers??? 

And they keep losing the talent that they've paid for since they were young kids via amateur program to other teams... kawi foots the bill to get the kids fast, then the other teams hore them away... it's sickening... 

Kawi is f'ed top to bottom period... and that goes for the pc 250 program perhaps most of all... 

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5/3/2026 3:17pm

Mitch hasn't won a regional SX championship since Justin 'Cheech 'n' Chong' Hill in 2017 and AC outdoors in 2019. Meanwhile Star has been cleaning up...

Every year the Moto media labels Kitchen a championship contender. 

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Zycki11
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5/3/2026 3:55pm

Mitch hasn't won a regional SX championship since Justin 'Cheech 'n' Chong' Hill in 2017 and AC outdoors in 2019. Meanwhile Star has been cleaning up...

Every year the Moto media labels Kitchen a championship contender. 

He isn’t ready for a championship from a mental standpoint to a physical point of view. I honestly  could see Ryder D make that jump before kitchen. 

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Tyler D
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5/3/2026 7:25pm

re press conference, mann fahie is a shifty looking dude.  #JacknCokeJakewasRight

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Motofinne
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5/3/2026 11:58pm
LUCKY! Lucky 5th! He was Gifted that with those late race crashes.
Indy mxer wrote:

He looked good in qualifiers and the heat. Terrible start in the main.

prozach wrote:
He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.  ...

He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.   But he needs to figure out how to start.  He was 2nd off the start in his heat, then 17th in the second turn in his main again.  🤷‍♀️

Lol stop it.

You two make it sound like he was dead last and was matching the leaders pace while coming through the pack. He was yet again riding within his means at 90%, being very average and nowhere near the level he is capable of and has to be on if he wants to be a consistent threat for wins. Then things happened in the field that enabled him to turn a 8-10th place finish to a 5th place finish. A very distant 5th place finish.

I'll give you that the qualification was decent and so was the heat. But have we completely forgot that Sexton is a one lap master? Him being 3rd isn't amazing, especially in a field without Jett. 

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5/4/2026 12:06am

Mitch hasn't won a regional SX championship since Justin 'Cheech 'n' Chong' Hill in 2017 and AC outdoors in 2019. Meanwhile Star has been cleaning up...

Is it as long ago as that…? 

Mitch sounds just the candidate to deliver a 450 championship in 2027 then… 

DonM wrote:
Still waiting for you to name a better candidate …. Mitch’s issue is more of a rider issue than a management issue….they are by far the...

Still waiting for you to name a better candidate …. Mitch’s issue is more of a rider issue than a management issue….they are by far the 2nd best team behind Star who has a much larger budget than Pro Circuit. 

Who knows where the next top manager is coming from, but let’s not forget Lars joined Honda as a shop boy twenty five years ago and has worked his way up. 

There’s no reason why Kawasaki hasn’t got someone like that waiting in the wings, and don’t overlook the possibility of plucking someone from another manufacturer- Jordan Troxall could be ready for a big step up from a 450 crew chief to Team manager. (Following Lars’ trajectory) 

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jaun
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5/4/2026 1:02am

Is it as long ago as that…? 

Mitch sounds just the candidate to deliver a 450 championship in 2027 then… 

DonM wrote:
Still waiting for you to name a better candidate …. Mitch’s issue is more of a rider issue than a management issue….they are by far the...

Still waiting for you to name a better candidate …. Mitch’s issue is more of a rider issue than a management issue….they are by far the 2nd best team behind Star who has a much larger budget than Pro Circuit. 

Who knows where the next top manager is coming from, but let’s not forget Lars joined Honda as a shop boy twenty five years ago and...

Who knows where the next top manager is coming from, but let’s not forget Lars joined Honda as a shop boy twenty five years ago and has worked his way up. 

There’s no reason why Kawasaki hasn’t got someone like that waiting in the wings, and don’t overlook the possibility of plucking someone from another manufacturer- Jordan Troxall could be ready for a big step up from a 450 crew chief to Team manager. (Following Lars’ trajectory) 

Where is Mike Williams these days?

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5/4/2026 2:24am
prozach wrote:
He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.  ...

He went pretty much last to 5th in the main again.  I don't really see him riding all that poorly, I see him starting horribly.   But he needs to figure out how to start.  He was 2nd off the start in his heat, then 17th in the second turn in his main again.  🤷‍♀️

ando wrote:
He was gifted two spots by JCoop and Webb taking each other out late in the main event.  Also his fastest lap was over two seconds...

He was gifted two spots by JCoop and Webb taking each other out late in the main event.  Also his fastest lap was over two seconds slower than Hunter’s.

More than two spots. Cooper and Ferrandis, then Webb and Prado. He did pass Prado, but only because of that incident with Webb. That's 4 riders. He would have been 9th. Barely beat Marchbanks. I mean 5th sounds decent on paper but that was not a good ride for someone like him. He was faster than all of these guys last year

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ando
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5/4/2026 3:21am
crusty_xx wrote:
More than two spots. Cooper and Ferrandis, then Webb and Prado. He did pass Prado, but only because of that incident with Webb. That's 4 riders...

More than two spots. Cooper and Ferrandis, then Webb and Prado. He did pass Prado, but only because of that incident with Webb. That's 4 riders. He would have been 9th. Barely beat Marchbanks. I mean 5th sounds decent on paper but that was not a good ride for someone like him. He was faster than all of these guys last year

You’re right I just rewatched it.  Initially on the replay I thought it was JCoop and Webb in the sand.

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5/4/2026 3:31am
DonM wrote:
Still waiting for you to name a better candidate …. Mitch’s issue is more of a rider issue than a management issue….they are by far the...

Still waiting for you to name a better candidate …. Mitch’s issue is more of a rider issue than a management issue….they are by far the 2nd best team behind Star who has a much larger budget than Pro Circuit. 

Who knows where the next top manager is coming from, but let’s not forget Lars joined Honda as a shop boy twenty five years ago and...

Who knows where the next top manager is coming from, but let’s not forget Lars joined Honda as a shop boy twenty five years ago and has worked his way up. 

There’s no reason why Kawasaki hasn’t got someone like that waiting in the wings, and don’t overlook the possibility of plucking someone from another manufacturer- Jordan Troxall could be ready for a big step up from a 450 crew chief to Team manager. (Following Lars’ trajectory) 

jaun wrote:

Where is Mike Williams these days?

Working for his rich father in law last I knew.

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BossWool2800
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5/4/2026 3:29pm

What are the possibilities of Chase going to Suzuki? Maybe a Roczen teammate?

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