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Thunder Valley - Rider Comments

Thunder Valley - Rider Comments

Jun 9

  • Interview

Jett Lawrence: “Going into that second moto my legs were shot, but I dug deep and just kept telling myself to stay there [with the leaders]. I capitalized on a mistake by Hunter [Lawrence] and kept going after JCoop [Cooper]. I didn't necessarily expect to be up here [in first], but it feels awesome after last weekend.”

Hunter Lawrence: “That little [expletive] got me [laughs]. It was a good run. It was cool to go down to the wire. We made a big change over the week and I think it paid off for both of us [Jett and I].”

Justin Cooper: “It was an awesome day. I got both holeshots and led for 25 minutes. I tried my best, but they [the Lawrences] were riding too good. I gave it everything I had and I’m really happy with today’s performance.”

Haiden Deegan: “I got a good start [in Moto 2] but Chance [Hymas] was ripping. I had to look at the big picture. We had the overall and now we have three [wins] in a row. The hard work is paying off.”

Chance Hymas: “I’m speechless right now. I went over the finish line and just broke down. There was a point in time where I didn’t think this was possible. I’m just grateful to be here.”

Tom Vialle: “Overall the speed was good. Just too many mistakes today. Sometimes that’s racing. The track was really good today and I’m looking forward to next weekend.

Julien Beaumer: "Really good riding for me today, but bad starts and early crashes slowed my results down. I'm happy with the progress we made this weekend, so now we'll get ready for High Point!"

Chase Sexton: "It was nice to have the red plate today, and I felt like we had speed on our side, but it just didn't come together in the motos. Considering the results, we're still right there in the championship, so look forward to rebounding at High Point next weekend."

Aaron Plessinger: "Thunder Valley was kind of a struggle in practice, and then I felt better in the first moto. I got a really good start, but fell back and wasn't really gelling that much until I started clicking off some good laps around halfway and through to the end, so ended up fifth. In the second moto, I royally messed up the start, so that cost me and I paid for it. I came from around 20th place, which in conditions like that being hard and slick, it's tough to come through the pack. I've just gotta put myself in better positions early on and we'll move on to High Point."

Justin Barcia: "Thunder Valley was a pretty good day! I qualified decent in the top 10, which I wasn't thrilled about, but it was okay. I got off to two good starts, charged really hard all day, and the bike was really good. We made a change after the second practice and it was really consistent, so I was able to adapt to different lines today and felt comfortable. We came away with a solid fourth, so it's good. We want more, so we're going to keep pushing, and we'll get there soon!"

Pierce Brown: "It was another mediocre day on paper, but we made some steps forward, riding-wise. In the first moto I ended up sixth, then second moto I was near last and came back to ninth. It felt good, but obviously not where we need to be, and we need a start. I feel like everything else is coming together, so I'm excited to see what we can do at High Point next week."

Ryder DiFrancesco: "This weekend was okay. I fell in the first turn of Moto 1 and came back to 18th, and then in the second moto I got a better start, ran eighth for around 20 minutes, and then went backward from there. It was better than Hangtown, so we'll keep improving and get ready for next weekend."

Malcolm Stewart: "Thunder Valley treated me well. Practice was okay considering it's been 10 years since I've been here – I'm probably going to keep saying that for my next few quotes until we get to Unadilla! – and I'm having a good time so far. We went 7-7 for eighth overall, so at the end of the day, all we can do is keep moving forward. I felt like I was in some good battles between sixth to eighth, so we'll try to be in with those guys and moving forward. I honestly feel like we're in a good spot and I'm stoked with the team – we made some changes for that second moto and they made the right decisions to help me feel more comfortable again. We're here to race hard and have fun, then we'll see where the results are towards the end of the season."

Christian Craig: "Today was a positive day. I didn't have the best qualifying result, but felt pretty confident with my bike and set-up. First moto, I made some quick passes into the top 10 and was battling with my teammate for much of the moto to finish ninth – my best of the season so far. Second moto was similar, I was in ninth for most of it until I was passed toward the end, but overall my speed was better and strength is slowly coming around in my elbow. We'll keep doing this and improving each week."

Casey Cochran: "I struggled all day, really, and never got too comfortable with the track. Never being here before and learning it, that kind of showed, so we're going to keep our heads high and get ready for next weekend at High Point. We'll make some progress and come out swinging."

Jalek Swoll: “We’re inching closer and closer to where I know we should be. We didn’t know what to expect coming here with the bike being all-new, but the Triumph TF 250-X delivered and passed the first test of what we knew would be a hard start to the outdoor season. I’m looking forward to heading back east and getting some bigger points on the board.”

Joey Savatgy: “Honestly, I’m just frustrated, disappointed and a bit spun out. My speed is good. My fitness is good. I just can’t get off the gate and there’s just too many good guys in the line-up for me to be starting back where I am. I’ve always been a good starter in my career and my Triumph TF 250-X feels good - that’s not holding me back. It’s when I get away mid pack, I spend so much time passing people and then it’s hard to get into a rhythm. I know I have the speed, I just need to be able to showcase it. Believe me, the work won’t stop until I’m where I should be.”

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