That's What HE Said

Catch all the chatter from Indy, and the MXGP in Spain.

450 Class

Marvin Musquin (1st)

"To be honest, I've been waiting for that win for a long time. The last win was at Anaheim I and I felt like I was riding better and better after I got used to the dislocated shoulder. I feel like I'm definitely capable of winning but you have to put everything together, and that's not easy, but today it was good. We got the bike better this weekend and in the last practice I was riding really smooth and I was the fastest, so I was really happy. I knew I needed a good start and to race my own race and I was able to do that tonight, it's good to be back on top."

Dean Wilson (2nd overall)

"The Main result was awesome today," said Wilson. "Qualifying went well, but I came into the heat race and got a bad start and ended up eighth. I got a good start in the Main then made quick passes. The middle to the end of the race was tough but it's awesome to get a second. I'm stoked."

Jason Anderson (4th)

"My weekend turned out to be good," said Anderson. "I went into the pileup in the first turn in the Main Event, but I worked as hard as I could to make it to fourth. It was good."

Broc Tickle (5th)

"I'm really happy with my riding tonight. I felt like I had 2nd wrapped up but I crashed by myself and put myself into a situation where I got into it with another rider and ended up going back to 6th. Overall, I'm really happy with the progress and I'm building confidence in the right direction to end the season strong. I'm looking forward to these last five rounds to snag some podiums."

Malcolm Stewart (6th)

"I'm getting better every week. I still have to improve my fitness, but I am happy to finish the night in sixth place. It was my best career 450 result so far, so I'll take the positives from that. I feel like I'm heading in the right direction. There are five more Supercross races to go, and I'm going to make the most of them."

Cooper Webb (7th)

"Indy was a good weekend for me, it was nice to be back at the races again. I was happy with seventh in qualifying, it was a decent result after not riding for two weeks. The heat race wasn't so great, I was in third and got taken out unfortunately. In the Main, I had a good start going into the first turn and ended up getting hit from behind and had a crash that had me stuck under my bike. It took me a while to get back going but I put my head down and was able to charge back to seventh, which I was happy with. I wanted a better result, for sure, and I felt like with a good start I could have been on the podium again. I was happy with my riding and we get a weekend off to be ready for Seattle."

Tyler Bowers (11th)

"We're making progress," said Bowers. "Coming out from the heat race, I was feeling really good and obviously hoped for a better finish in the main, but I am proud of the way I fought back and never gave up. We'll keep pushing and I'm looking forward to keeping the momentum going."

 Eli Tomac (15th)

"That was a rough one," said Tomac. "I'm grateful I was able to recover from my crash tonight in order to salvage some points though. I fought hard to power back, but the track was so tacky I just wasn't able to make up the gap in time. We've been through worse and I've got a great team behind me so we'll take the week to shake it off and get back out there."

Christian Craig  (16th)

"I'm really disappointed in how tonight went. I just didn't ride like myself at all and it's so frustrating because I've been working so hard, both physically and mentally. I got a terrible start, which put me in a bad position from the beginning, then I crashed twice. This is not the result that I wanted for myself or the team, so I'm going to learn from today, try to stay positive, and go into Seattle with a clear mind."

Weston Peick (22nd)

"The day was tough. I struggled, because the track was super tacky and rutted. I was trying to find comfort. We went into the heat race with a major change, and the track was very rutted. Then we went back to how we were in practice. I rode well in the main, but was making a lot of mistakes. I had a couple of close calls. I was hitting this quad in the center of the track, and one lap I hit it from the opposite side. The face was a bit smaller, and I came up short on the landing and went into an endo. I got pretty banged up, and that was my night. I'm sore, but I have some time off to get ready for Seattle."

250 Class

Jeremy Martin (1st)

"I got the holeshot and rode good for a little bit. Then I saw the boys behind me!" said Martin. "The track was pretty tricky. I'm not going to lie. I had a couple sketchy moments out there. I saw Luke [Renzland] was in second. I kind of looked around. I kind of just was trying to maintain it. I had a couple close calls out there. But we were able to lead from start to finish and have a good race."

(Regarding the penalty for jumping on a medic flag that resulted in a seven-point penalty.) "From my perspective I came around the turn and I didn't see the medic flag waving," Martin said. "I saw the lights on the triple. I'm like, ‘I think those are red.' So I rolled the face of it, and then I looked and saw that the area was clear and there was no medic flags after that, and then I doubled it. It was an honest mistake. There's not much to say other than that."

Adam Cianciarulo (2nd)

"That was fun!" said Cianciarulo. "There were a lot of great riders from both east and west coasts out on the track tonight, so to finish second makes it that much sweeter. We continued to improve throughout the night and I fought hard to get on that podium."

"Everyone was bringing up my string of crashes in practice and I just looked at it as something in the past," said Cianciarulo. "It's something I have to learn from and be able to put out of my mind as we go into the night race. I won the heat and pushed really hard in the main event to get that second place. I have a great team of people behind me, always helping me see failure - like the crashes - as something that can motivate me to do better. I can't wait to be back in a few weeks."

Luke Renzland (3rd)

"I really wasn't expecting this [to be on the podium] at this one. With the east and west combined, this is obviously the most stacked the field has been all year for us. So honestly all I've been working on during the week is just doing start after start – it's been my Achilles heel this year. Finally, I executed what we've been working on from the far outside gate and got out in front and made one quick pass early and really tried to ride my own race."

Jordon Smith (4th)

"It would have been nice to collect a few extra points in third, but to keep chipping away is a positive that we'll take tonight," said Smith. "It's not over until it's over and I will do everything I can to make my team proud. We get a few weeks off to regroup but I'm ready to get back out there in Minneapolis and try to close up the points gap."

Austin Forkner (6th)

"I didn't get the start I wanted to in the main and that hurt me getting to the front and challenging for the win," said Forkner. "The track was tough and there were a lot of fast guys out there in front of me. It wasn't where I wanted to finish, but it's time to get a few weeks off and come back fresh and ready to battle for some wins."

Zach Osborne (7th)

"It was a decent day," said Osborne. "I had good times in practice and got second in my heat race. I went down in the first turn in the main, was dead last, then came back to seventh. It was definitely damage control and I only lost one point in the championship. I'm happy to go into this break and come back charging."

Kyle Peters (8th)

"I felt good in practice, but I didn't have the intensity when the night show came around. I was flat. I had a good start in the heat race and my shift points were good, but I rode tight in the heat race. For whatever reason I felt fatigued going into the main event. The team worked really hard, and we made progress. The shootout deal was cool, because I never get to race the West guys. As far as the points go, it could make for a big swing either way. I'm sixth in points and want to climb the ladder."

Phil Nicoletti (9th)

"I don't know what happened with my start in the main event. There were a few bumps in front of my gate, and I lined up to the inside in the hopes of getting a good jump and controlling from there. I saw quite a few riders going deep into the first turn, so I hit the brakes. Some of those riders got tangled up, and I went around them. I had my work cut out for me, but I made quick passes. I came up to ninth place, which was decent. I rode better in the main event than I did in practice."

"It was interesting racing other 250 class riders, but it doesn't really matter. The track was really brutal, but my Suzuki RM-Z250 handled well and I got inside the top ten for the shootout."

Mitchell Harrison (11th)

"Riding was better today," said Harrison. I got a good start in the Main and pulled it together a little bit. I just have to go back and work on some things and come back strong."

Joey Savatgy (10th)

"That's just the name of the game," said Savatgy. "I was feeling confident after qualifying with the fastest time out of both regions combined. The team and I did everything we could tonight, but sometimes the results don't show the all of the hard work. We'll work on the mistakes and be ready to go for the next race."

Kyle Chisholm (12th)

"I was really excited to get back on the 250," said Chisholm. "I felt good all day and was pumped to put in a Top 10 practice time. I had that transfer in the Heat, but ended up getting taken out which was kind of a bummer. My body got pretty beat up but I was still able to get it done in the LCQ. That was my first 250 LCQ win and it's awesome to get that done for the team. I was consistent in the Main and held it down with a bunch of the factory boys. Overall, I'm pretty satisfied and excited to keep moving forward."

Shane McElrath (13th)

"I really wanted to capitalize on tonight's showdown format, but after getting pushed out on the start it was an uphill battle," said McElrath. "The track was pretty tough, as we expected, but there weren't as many passing opportunities as I'd hoped. It's been a long time waiting to come back and then have a showdown race made it pretty interesting. We'll be ready for Seattle, no matter what the weather tends to throw at us."

Sean Cantrell (20th)

"This is a tough year to be a rookie with the triple crown formats and the showdown races, but I'm trying to use every opportunity to learn something new," said Cantrell. "We get a few weeks off and I still have a goal to keep it inside the top 10 for the final few rounds."

Chase Sexton (21st)

"Indy was a bit of a roller coaster," said Sexton. "Felt good all of practice and was ready to bring it to the night show. I got a bad start in the heat but worked my way through the pack to fifth. In the main I got another bad start and was close to last. As I was making my way through, I kept making mistakes and actually went down twice. I ended up messing up my front brake. We tried to fix it mid race but it kept locking up so I wasn't able to finish. Really bummed on how the night went since I felt so good during the day but that's racing. Ready to make Seattle a good one!"

Hayden Mellross (DNF)

"Tonight wasn't exactly the night I had in mind," Mellross mentioned after the race. "Unfortunately, in the main I got kicked hard in the whoops and the bike got totally sideways. I didn't go down but my shoulder ended up popping out of the socket. There's no way I could've kept going and I'm very grateful for the medical team for their help."

Michael Mosiman (DNQ)

"I woke up this morning to snow," said Mosiman. "That was cool. I actually rode better than I have in a long time. I made it through qualifying pretty well. At one point I tested out the net. I felt really comfortable today and was getting through the whoops better. There was progression. I got off to a great start in the heat race with a fourth, then I got a kicker the second turn coming into the whoops. I was expected the whoops to be similar to practice, and they were not at all. I crashed and guys ran into me and it put me in the LCQ. I was way back in the LCQ because I had last gate pick. I got off to a good start but then ran into someone's back tire and went down. It stings, but it lights a fire under me. It hurts to miss a Main Event, but there's some part of me that feels like this is the building of something bigger."

Team Personnel

Erik Kehoe Team Honda HRC Team Manager

"Tonight was another learning experience for Christian. Starts are so important because it's hectic back in the pack and there's a lot of stuff going on. His start wasn't great and he made a mistake early on, causing him to go down. He had a hard time getting going after that. He did make his way up to 14th and was catching the group in front of him before going down again. I think after that, he got mentally discouraged."

Oscar Wirdeman (Christian Craig Mechanic)

"Christian struggled tonight. The track was tough, so staying consistent and not making mistakes was key, and unfortunately, he had two crashes that made it hard for him to work forward. He's having a hard time finding the right settings on the bike, so we'll do some testing over the next two weeks and try to get him more comfortable. This will be my last race with Christian because Ken [Roczen] is going to start riding soon after the break, and Rich will be taking back over and finishing out the rest of the season with him."

Jeremy Albrecht (Autotrader/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing Team Team Manager)

"I was happy with Stewart, because he gave everything he had. He was moving through the pack well. He could have possibly earned a podium, but he tightened up with five laps to go. He will be able to work on that intensity throughout the week and finish off the series strong. Peick was riding better once we got into the night program. He made a mistake in a big rhythm and crashed. He is banged up, but that won't stop him from coming back strong after the off-weekend."

"Peters rode great all day. He wasn't flowing in the main like he was earlier in the day. Regardless, he was steady. Nicoletti saved his best racing for the main event. It was a bummer that Hill couldn't ride, because that track would have suited his style with being so technical and challenging. He was hoping to feel better all day, but we had to make the call that he wasn't going to be able to race." 

"In my years of racing I have seen snow on the ground in Indianapolis before, but it never fell all day long like it did on Saturday. Every time we came out of the truck there was another half of an inch of snow on the ground. Peick was doing donuts in the snow on his RM-Z450, and his mechanic did some in the Textron Stampede. Everyone made the best of the situation since the pits were closed to fans, which was a bummer."

Jim Perry (Monster Energy/Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager)

"Tonight, we salvaged a solid finish. Cooper Webb came into the event with his shoulder in question but the hard work, therapy and rehabilitation that he's done on his shoulder all week seemed to pay off. He started out in practice a little rusty and got better as the night went on. It was a good night. He'll spend the next two weeks working on his shoulder, doing rehab and coming back in Seattle looking to challenge for a podium finish."

MXGP of La Comunitat Valenciana

MXGP Class

Antonio Cairoli (1st overall)

"I'm really happy about the weekend. We made some changes to the bike for improvement and I was very pleased to get back from a bad start to second on the first lap of the first moto. I struggled a bit to pass Romain. I had the better speed but took a while to make it happen. It was good to win. A holeshot in the second moto and Paulin was aggressive and with a good rhythm but I could pass him and control the situation. I knew Jeffrey was coming back strong but we could respond with some good lap-times. Everything went well and I'm really happy to win here in Spain. It is my 84th win; it's really nice and the season is going good. I'm happy to fight with Jeffrey and the other guys. The red plate doesn't matter too much at the moment. It is about trying to improve and we are trying different things but we have a good set-up."

Jeffrey Herlings (2nd)

"It wasn't a good weekend and I came to this track aiming to win but I messed up both starts; the second one wasn't too bad but I crashed on the first lap and had to come back from somewhere around fifteenth and was still able to fight my way up to Tony. The bike we have is really solid but we might have some new parts to try for the starts and hopefully we can improve with that. Once the starts are better – and I also need to look at what I am doing on the bike - then we'll be able to put ourselves in a much better position. The competition is strong here and it is tough to come through the pack; every weekend has been like this and I either barely make it or run out of time. I have a great team behind me and we'll be working on it in the coming weeks."

Clement Desalle (3rd overall)

"It's positive to get this podium, as yesterday the feeling was not so good. We changed our strategy for today and that helped me a lot, especially for the starts; if you don't get a good start it's difficult to get a good result as the class is really competitive. I'm happy as I got a good start in race one and I was fighting all race to finish in fourth place; my second start was not quite so good but I had a good feeling and made many strong passes during the first two laps to come back to third. I again finished fourth; I had a strong battle with Febvre for most of the race but he couldn't pass me and it's good to have a second podium since the beginning of the season. Now we will continue to work hard; third is good but my goal is to win."

Romain Febvre (4th overall)

"Overall, I had a good weekend. I was only just off the podium, which is good. I know my speed is good, my starts were also good. I just need to be a little bit better."

Gautier Paulin (5th overall)

"Overall, I am pretty happy with how things went at this GP. The team have been doing an awesome job with the development of my FC 450 and it all pays off at the races. In the opening moto I got a good start and was battling for the top three but a crash dropped me further back. I got up pretty quick and managed to put myself back into the top five, but after a second small crash I finished the race in seventh place. My second moto was a lot better and it felt great to lead for the first few laps. If it wasn't for my crashes in the opening moto, the overall podium was well within our reach this weekend."

Tim Gajser (6th overall)

"I would say today was not so bad. It has definitely been an improvement from Valkenswaard; the riding was better and so was the feeling, although obviously we're still not where we'd like to be – but we take this sixth place. I want to thank the team because the bike was amazing, now it's up to me to work hard to get back to the level I know I can ride at. I think together we can soon get some great results. Now I look forward to Arco, where I'm sure there'll be a lot of support from my home fans - who always get there in great numbers."

Julien Lieber (7th overall)

"It was a good weekend for me, even if my second race wasn't as good as the first one as another rider pushed me out of the track during the first lap. I crashed and had to recover from fourteenth to ninth but I again had a great feeling on the bike. My first race was really good; I was seventh for most of the race but in the last few laps I passed two riders to finish fifth, my best result since the beginning of the season. It's great to finish both races in the top ten, I must say that today I had a really good feeling with the track after we worked successfully with the team to find bike settings which suit me even better."

Glenn Coldenhoff (8th overall)

"Definitely a better second moto! I made some mistakes in the first: I started to wheelie, pulled the clutch and had too much wheelspin. Coming through - like I had to do on Saturday also - was really tough. The second moto was better and I could run with the top guys and it was where I needed to be. Eighth overall and I think sixth in the standings so we are looking quite good."

Jeremy Van Horebeek (9th overall)

"I did the most I could do this weekend. I suffered all week from a lot of pain, and all through the weekend as well. I would say this was some of the worst pain I have ever raced with, because it was coming from my wrist and my neck as well. When it comes from two places, it is really difficult. I gave my all, and I am taking home some important points, so that is a good point."

Jeremy Seewer (11th overall)

"Although it ended up on a negative, overall I am happy with most of the weekend. I am happy with my speed, and the steps I am making in the MXGP class. I got an awesome start in the first race and just focused on my laps, and I finished sixth which is very good because I was so close to the top guys. I still need to improve in some spots, but otherwise it's very good. I had big crash in the second race over one of the jumps, because when you are in a group of riders near the back you never know if the guys will jump the jumps or not. I decided to jump and then I collided with another rider, and it cost me the whole race. I lost my front-brake, but I fought hard and managed to finish fifteenth. I am still very positive, it is a shame we lost some important points, but this year is a learning year and I am happy with the progress I am making."

Arminas Jasikonis (12th overall)

We're definitely getting better step by step. Each weekend we're setting up the bike better and it feels good to be improving as I work through the races. Yesterday was pretty good, we had some ups and downs but we were still in the top 15 which is what we're aiming for. Then today in the first moto I just wasn't feeling quite right, I was struggling to get the passes done. In the second moto I made a stupid mistake on the start but I had decent speed, I came through the pack from dead last to 10th is pretty good and I'm happy. I go home happy with a top 10 and looking forward improving even further.

Shaun Simpson (18th overall)

"Frustrating weekend. I felt like my speed was there yesterday and I was feeling positive coming into today. I felt like the start position didn't really matter, so I tried to cut inside on the start but it didn't work and I got totally boxed in and had a small technical issue in the race and I couldn't continue. In the second race, I ended up on my ear after I mis-timed the start. I got back up and cracked on, but I just wasn't there. I didn't feel like myself. I felt heavy on the bike, and didn't feel like I was on it at all. But, 2-weeks now until Trentino. We have some ground work to do, and from here the only way is up."

Max Anstie (DNS)

"The feeling was good coming into this GP. I was comfortable with the track and my pace was good in the qualifying race. I was looking forward for the final motos but a crash during warm up on Sunday morning changed it all. I was lucky to avoid injury but I did bang myself up pretty well. Following the crash I felt stiff so together with the team we took the decision for me not to race the final motos. We might have lost the chance to collect some points, but this championship is still long. We now have a small break in the series and I will do my best to get back stronger in Italy."

MX2 Class

Pauls Jonass (1st overall)

"It is nice to start the season with six wins from six motos but motocross is never easy! Many people at home have been saying ‘that looked like an easy race for you…' but every moto is difficult. You need to stay focused. This weekend was not easy because Jorge was there in the first moto all the time and in the second Darian, Jorge and Thomas were close! I tried not to make any big mistakes and stayed calm to control the race. I enjoyed the track today."

Jorge Prado (2nd overall)

"It was a good weekend and I am happy with my second place. The first moto was good, the second I struggled a bit but we've been working hard so I'm pleased. For sure everybody wants to win here and Pauls is difficult to beat! Lately he has been riding even better than usual. So we'll keep trying!"

Thomas Kjer-Olsen (3rd overall)

"There are lots of positives to take from this GP and I'm happy with the progress we've made. I felt good all weekend here in Spain. I didn't get the best of starts in the opening moto and this made everything harder for me. Fortunately, my start was a lot better in moto two and I could really show my speed. I am a little bit disappointed I went down while I was running second. I was in a very good position to push Jonass for the lead. Overall, my speed was really good this weekend and my fitness as well. We continue working hard and I'm looking forward to the following round in Italy now."

Darian Sanayei (4th overall)

"The whole weekend went pretty good for me, I had the fastest lap time in every practice and every race ! My start was not so good in the first race; I was around twentieth and had to work really hard to come back to sixth with good lap times and just kept pushing my hardest. I got a lot better start in the second race and was around sixth at the first corner. I could immediately move forward to fourth position, but then I was a little too patient in following the leaders; when Olsen made a mistake I passed him and Prado to take over second. The gap to Jonass was four seconds, but I pushed to catch him and tried to pass him; in a couple of spots I was really close, but then I made a few mistakes and finished second. It's a little frustrating to miss the podium by just one point."

Jed Beaton (7th overall)

"The weekend started pretty slow on Saturday but I enjoyed racing the long motos. I didn't really get great start which didn't help me but all in all it was a decent weekend. I never gave up and charged hard during the first few laps each time to come back into the leading group; it was pretty easy to pass during the first couple of laps when everyone was close together, but later there was mainly one good line and that make it difficult to make more passes. I'm happy to finish once more in the top ten; that's my goal and we'll keep on working to be closer to the top five."

Hunter Lawrence (5th overall)

"I was feeling a bit better than at Valkenswaard despite the track being so fast and wide open. It seems to be a bit of a weakness of mine, these type of tracks, but after struggling in timed qualifying we made some improvements and I thought were much better for the races. I don't think I'm back to 100% yet and I'm still lacking those explosive bursts that I need to challenge the top guys but I'll keep working and the next round in Italy should be good."

Calvin Vlaanderen (8th overall)

"Overall I can say that I'm pretty satisfied with today's results after having been very sick for the last two weeks – and therefore being unable to ride the bike as much I would have liked to. We had two good starts and two solid motos, with consistent lap-times and good speed. I think it's a good weekend to build on: we learned a lot about the bike and gelled even more as a team, so I'm looking forward to working hard so I can be ready for Arco in two weeks."

Thomas Covington (19th overall)

"It just hasn't been a good weekend for me. I struggled to get a good race pace. The track here in Spain was super fast, which kind of made it hard to make passes. I struggled with my starts in both motos and that didn't help get good results. In the second moto I also had a small crash which made things worse. It is what it is and we will continue working hard. We now have a small break and I'm looking forward to returning home to continue working. We have our eyes set on round four now in Italy hoping for some improved results there."

Marshal Weltin (24th overall)

"In qualifying I was way down the leaderboard. I got more comfortable and  faster as the weekend went a long though. I just need to find my groove a little faster. The results are obviously quite frustrating when you're hovering just outside the points like we did this weekend! I'm going to reassess and keep plugging away. Luckily I'm healthy and fit. It's a long season so we have time to turn things around. On a more positive note: the track was cool, I had fun riding and my bike worked well."

Team Personnel

Pit Beirer (KTM Motorsports Director)

"I am definitely proud of this fantastic team because they put in some incredible work but the outcome is amazing; I've never seen a motocross team on this level. Having two riders who are so strong fighting for the win every weekend and for the points lead in both classes is outstanding. I hope we can keep these boys healthy and go through the season. For sure there will be some up and downs but we have to enjoy these moments. It was another incredible weekend and we cannot forget that Marvin Musquin won in Indianapolis [AMA 450SX] so it was a clean sweep for us across the world."

Marcus Pereira de Freitas (Honda HRC General Manager MXGP)

Tim (Gajser) did a good job today by finishing sixth in race two, after the coming together with another rider in race one that cost him a couple of places. Let's not forget this was his second race day of the year – and the second of two back-to-back rounds – so this was surely an encouraging performance in every aspect. Now he has some more time for training ahead of the next Grand Prix, where I'm sure we'll see another step forward from him.

It has been a positive day for Calvin (Vlaanderen). He felt good with the bike and had good starts in both races. As I already mentioned, this is a very fast track where it's hard to overtake, so it takes time, a lot of speed and a perfect manoeuvre to get past your opponents here. Eighth overall is not a bad result all things considered, so we now look forward to the next race in Italy.

0 comments

The Latest