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They clearly need to hit rock bottom to force any meaningful change. I'm wishing Chase well but that team needs to blow up and start over
Most pressure?
Kawasaki upper management.
Jett - undefeated is always top tier pressure
Deegan - but I feel like this is anticipation not pressure (dread of failure to expectations). Whatever his results, I feel like he can't wait to come out swinging. Despite all the hype, no matter where he finishes it's not a disaster he has a long career ahead of him and can build on whatever results.
Prado - same, but as a 4x world champion he doesn't get many more mulligans. It is go time.
Sexton - just don't throw away the season in moto 1 Pala. Or moto 2. Build, find your happy place on whatever it is underneath you and just finish each race and find out how to get the bike to where it needs to be.
Eli? Not really. He just seems to be a happy dad now and can win anytime. But will his peak be above Jett/Hunter/Deegan/Prado regularly?
Hunter - no pressure. Cool as a cucumber in 450SX finale, super mature in defeat. Deadly, quietly fast. Pressure don't matter.
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Mcadoo. Marchbanks. Lil red dog. Two thirds of the Yamaha 250 squad.
Ate we talking real pay your mortgage and feed your kids pressure, or the type which fans and media artificially create?
If we are talking the former over the latter, I'm saying Forkner and Smith, because there's a lot of guys looking at Triumph for employment in 27.
They're all going to play it cool for the first round, just wanting to leave with at top 5, including Prado, except for Deegan and Jett.
Jett's never been beaten there on a 450 - that's crazy and I imagine if he's anywhere near 100% he'll want to let everyone know daddy's back.
But Deegan grew up so close to this place it would take you longer to get out of the parking lot than to drive from Pala to Temecula. Deegan is looking to come in and make a statement right away.
If Deegan cant hang with Jcoop on a softer track where he can go full out with his aggressive style and unlimited traction available, I have a hard time seeing him going that fast on a track where you need finess and control. He was almost 4 sec slower than Jett and 3 sec of Tomac in second moto last year, when track is hammered.
Maybe, HD taking more risk could put him somewhat ahead of everyone else just try to survive round 1. HD got nothing to lose, first season if he throws it away no one would care. Just a 450 learning year. No one else in 450 class has that room.
Everything is relative.
You want to say that Deegan is better than Jett because he has more wins but more wins but he also has more starts so he should....in fact he should have even more wins then he does if he is equal or better than Jett.
Stewart still has the best numbers out of everyone so we all need to stop crapping on about Deegan and Jett, that's just the facts.
Vital old guys. The mental gymnastics about to be done because of Deegs going top 3 will be certainly something.
Who exactly is deegan even beating that’s accomplished lol. Davies is the only one that isn’t going to be in the 250 class his entire career and Davies has given diaper boy the work multiple times.
I have a feeling chase can podium every race while only feeling 75% comfortable on the bike and if he stops worrying about the bike and the current situation at kawi.
So I think he feels pressure but does not need to in a way because hes just that good
26
Chase for sure.
With the year that Eli’s had? I think he’s gonna go to Pala and jus’ lay down his laps.
Prado. He knows this is the opportunity to show the 2025 results were a fluke. And that he is fit, fast, and capable of being a champion again.
He really has no excuses left to not perform.
I feel like prado has already proved himself this year, just me?
Davies. Too early in his career to be a supercross only guy, but already touted to take the crown when he moves up.
Anybody employed by the U.S. Kawasaki race team. Looking at you Dan Fahie !
Pit Row
I'd be surprised if Davies doesn't win the championship.
He did, but he still needs to do the herlings ironman thing
Not just you.
I don't really get why people think the most pressure would be on him after the SX season he just had. And according to reports he signed a 2 year extension with the team a couple of weeks ago, there are lots of other riders that will enter Pala with more pressure to perform.
Stew on that 125 is just immortal. Unfortunately I have never had the chance to see that live. It must have been surreal. The true beauty of this sport captured. There is just something about the way a 125 needs to be ridden that just didn’t translate to 4 strokes. Maybe I am just nostalgic.
I agree. 125/250/lites -> Stewart is the man!
No disregard to Jett or Haiden. As you said it’s just facts…
I really hope Forkner will have a good season, maybe he has already signed with Triumph to extend his contract, but if not, doesn't he have some big pressure on his shoulders? Would be fantastic to see Forkner have a good season.
This is SX only. In MX Jett has one more win. So they both literally ahve the same amout of wins and titles combined. Unless I'm missing something.
It's actually insane how close their stats are.
And for some reason Deegan fans still constantly have to bring up the 250 stats or point out how he apparently had such a much more dominant 250 career when they are pretty much even everywhere. The only real difference is that Deegan had a more consistent rookie year in SX and MX (that's where the more starts come from) while also looking more durable so far. Deegan had some pretty big get offs but was always able to avoid injury, he is one tough MF.
Also for the bed bugs that constantly bring up the 250 nonsense.. Jett currently has a win percentage of 89% in 450 MX, winning 24 out of 27 overalls, out of the 3 overalls he lost one was his Hangtown crash and another one was when he got a moto from him scrapped at Ironman for the gate shenanigans. He legitimately got beat once for an overall by Sexton last year at Washougal. Do you guys know how insane that stat even is and some truly believe Deegan can dominate that guy all of the sudden because he has similar 250 stats? 😂😂
And I'm Australian so I should be bias that way.
But I have never watched another rider like Stewart, he would do stuff that nobody could do.
Jettt just has this unbelievably smooth riding style and so efficient on the bike, he's the most beautiful rider to watch ever.
Then Carmichael was just a freak, he looked horrible on the bike but insane determination.
The 18 has the most, another SX season watching from the sidelines and some new competition. He will rise up and make it happen like he always does.
I think the 4 may be a quiet achiever this year. No one has any expectations that are positive, maybe this is what he needs to get his head in the right position to build a season and collect points for the first few rounds
I think you have it reversed, they are tied in MX and Deegs has one more SX win I think?
But like it’s been said we are really arguing who the 4th/5th best small bike riders were, because Stew/RC/Barnett and probably RV are ahead of Jett and Deegan in the small bike category.
It’s also a totally normal thing to compare small bike careers when that is all we have to compare, why did RC move back down in 01? Why was it a big deal for James to break that record? It’s all a part of their body of work. For James, his 125 career really props up his career as a whole. For RC, it was just a sign of things to come.
Jett fans get defensive at this topic for some reason, no one is detracting from his insane 450 outdoor stats. I think some thought he’d have 3 perfect seasons and 32 supercross wins by now and maybe that is some of the issue? Idk, I’m pumped for Pala.
I can’t see that ever happening again. Not Lucas either
I think Jett has 1 more MX win. But not sure, doesnt really matter.
I just think it's crazy how close their numbers are. And I don't love Deegan calling himself the best 250 rider in history. He may edge out Jett if you consider podium % or whatever number to break the tie, but he ain't anywhere near RV.
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