My thoughts on Thunder Valley

tblazier wrote:

My thoughts on Thunder Valley  Jett may not have been 100%, but 80-90% of him is still clearly better than 100% of everyone else. Moto 1 was...

My thoughts on Thunder Valley 

 

• Jett may not have been 100%, but 80-90% of him is still clearly better than 100% of everyone else. Moto 1 was an absolute clinic — he absorbed constant pressure from Hunter, Haiden, and Lucas Coenen while hitting his lines perfectly. Lucas made it interesting on the last lap, but Jett looked like he was cruising and could’ve gone faster if needed. The battle was exciting, but the outcome never felt in doubt.
• In the second moto, the race was over ten feet out of the gate as Jett ripped another amazing start. Once Hunter went down, the excitement was pretty much over for me. There was a chance Lucas could have pulled a Jeffrey Herlings and run away from Jett for the win, but I never felt that was a realistic possibility. Jett was his usual unbeatable self, but this redemptive series for Hunter is starting to look like another frustrating close, but no cigar. It is, of course, far from over, but unless Jett forgets how to get starts and Hunter comes up with a realistic plan to beat him, he may not be able to regain that red plate from his brother. We have all seen this movie before, and unfortunately for Hunter, it seems to end up with him in second.
• The most exciting part of that first moto for me was watching Haiden Deegan riding the wheels off that YZF in an attempt to pass the champ. He was hauling ass for sure, but he was also picking some questionable lines that definitely skirted the rules and clearly gave him a substantial advantage. I wondered for a bit if they might black-flag him if he kept cutting inside the markers, but they ended up docking him seven spots instead. I’m not sure I believe his post-race interview that he did not see the markers, but either way, it was a pretty stiff and deserved penalty. I still think Haiden gets a few wins this summer, but it is clear that it is going to take him riding really fast and maybe catching a few brakes to beat the Lawrence brothers.
•  The surprise of the day for many was probably the performance of the Coenen brothers. The two GP points leaders showed impressive speed all day, and Lucas even looked like he was going to make a run at Jett in moto 1. As someone who does not watch many of the GPs, I was not sure what to expect, but I was not shocked at their speed. The days of the US riders whipping up on the GP guys are long over, and anyone who thinks the Europeans are a step behind our guys is delusional. I can’t wait to see what he can do at Southwick.
• As a huge Hunter fan, I was incredibly bummed with Thunder Valley. He was not able to make a pass stick on his brother and got dropped and then docked a position in the first moto. A fall on the first lap of moto 2 sealed his fate and the departure of the red plate from his Honda. He is 8 points back now, and I am feeling quite concerned that he does not seem to have an answer for his brother’s speed. I really want Hunter to win this title, but man, it really feels like Jett has already got all these guys covered.
• Really nice ride for Garret Marchbanks. He got a bit lucky with the first moto penalties, but a fourth overall is still a fourth overall. With Sexton out, Garrett will need to keep riding well to keep some green at the front.
• On the Sexton front, that was an ugly crash on press day. It looked like his Kawasaki died in the air, and I am sure that does not help the situation under the green tent. Hopefully, he is ok and will be back soon.
• After round one, I thought it might be Prado giving the Lawrence boys a run for this title, but I think his title chances are pretty much cooked after three rounds. He really needed a bounce back after Hangtown, and instead, he let his interloping GP teammate make him look bad on the same bike. He is over a full race back of the leader and looks to have a really long summer ahead of him.
•  In the 250 class, chaos reigned once again. If the Kawasaki boys could only stop crashing in the first turn, they would be running away with this title, but they are keeping everyone else in it by throwing away points every other moto. Both Levi and Seth have shown elite speed, but having to come through the pack every weekend is bound to catch up with them eventually. I really would love to see one of Mitch’s guys win this title, but they need to find a way to stay out of first-turn pileups. One of these times, their bike or body will not be up to the task, and it will open the door for someone else to take the championship lead. Seth and Levi are tied for the red plate, but I feel they may be running out of mulligans.
• This week’s benefactor of the Pro Circuit crash roulette was Joe Shimoda, who got the overall with a consistent 3-2. I don’t think Joe has shown his 2025 speed at any race this year, but he is only 6 points back of the Kawasaki boys. If he gets his starts figured out and picks up the pace just a bit, he could make good on my prediction that he will be the 2026 250 Motocross champ.
• Sacha Coenen was just as promised, with tons of speed but also lots of inconsistency. He did not get a chance to show his best in moto 1, but he was flat gone in moto 2. If he and his brother decide to make the jump over here, there will be no lack of teams bidding on their talents. I love his style, and he is really fun to watch. Watch out for Team Belgium in this year’s MXoN.
• Damn impressive ride by Nick Romano for third overall. This is one of the best stories of the season so far - he was actually in contention for the overall win for a while. He has been consistently up front every weekend so far, and if the cards fall his way he could absolutely steal a win. I love seeing guys get a legitimate second chance and make the most of it. I am officially a Nick Romano fan right now