450 MOTO 1 Ironman Motocross AMA National
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Short filmTranscript
00:00The way hunter lawrence has ridden the first motos as of late, he could hold that off to
00:08the final moto.
00:09I would think it's getting nervous time at that point if you're sexton.
00:13It's getting nervous time until they hand you that number one plate.
00:16Hunter lawrence, I think he's a little bit more start dependent than chase.
00:19Chase has been showing he can come up through the pack.
00:24Hunter lawrence has been strong in these first motos lately since he's been on the 25.
00:28We'll see if he gets the start, see what he can do with it.
00:30Don't forget those outside gates.
00:32That's jordan smith's spot.
00:34Nearly hole shot the first 250 moto.
00:36Can eli tomac do it from the outside of the number three?
00:40Kyle chisholm out there as well.
00:43Eli's back.
00:45So happy.
00:49Not often do we go into a season finale with this type of drama.
00:53It's just on the line for sexton to win this title.
00:56The likes of plessiger, lawrence, justin cooper haven't gotten wins this year overall.
01:01Could today be the day?
01:03Revs are up.
01:05Gates down.
01:06Oh!
01:07Big pileup.
01:08Is that verandas?
01:09Yeah, verandas.
01:10Oh, that was big.
01:11He went flipping.
01:12Phil micheletti, a good start.
01:13Hunter lawrence to the lead again.
01:14Hunter lawrence, as I said, he's got the lead.
01:15He's got the lead.
01:16He's got the lead.
01:17He's got the lead.
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02:00He's got the lead.
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03:00He's got the lead.
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03:11He's got the lead.
03:12He's got the lead.
03:14I had one OK finish, which was that fourth, and then the second moto there, it was tough.
03:20That's when reality sets in.
03:22You're coming off this injury.
03:24You're on a new motorcycle.
03:26It sounds like a handful of excuses, but it's reality, and you've got to really figure out
03:32how to improve yourself, and I'm hoping that I will improve myself.
03:39It's tough coming back this period.
03:43It was also two years since my last motocross race.
03:48There were so many things going on, but one thing for sure is it felt good to be back
03:52on the motocross track.
03:54There's a lot of things going on right now.
03:56How about that pass from Aaron Plessner?
03:58That was a nice pass.
03:59You start going in the woods, and Aaron Plessner comes out.
04:04It's a battle inside of a battle.
04:07They're still trying to pick the motocross nation's team, and Aaron Plessner, and I'm
04:10sure Eli is probably one of the guys they're thinking about as we watch Dylan get up.
04:15It's good to see him get off the track, but Aaron wants to get one of these things.
04:20I called about my show.
04:21I said, man, let's win one of these.
04:24Maybe today is the day that number seven becomes number one in one of these motos.
04:28It looks good.
04:30You make a great point.
04:32First of all, listen to this crowd.
04:36They love Aaron Plessner anywhere you go, and he's putting on a show right now.
04:41Hunter is probably like, another KTM?
04:44I thought I had to deal with one of them.
04:46Yeah, with Aaron, you've got to believe he's had the pace.
04:51Last weekend he was right there with Hunter, and then his teammate came storming past.
04:56Aaron has got some good memories here.
04:59As you mentioned earlier, AP might be today.
05:03Yeah, then you mentioned the woods.
05:05That's what he was raised doing, that type of cross country racing, and that's the area
05:09where he made the pass.
05:11Aaron's dad, an AMA hall of famer for his off-road racing in the woods exploits, multi-time
05:17AMA national champ and GNCC champ, and Aaron grew up racing that series, grew up on this
05:22track, and it's showing right now.
05:25Show you the pass.
05:28Aaron here, now he's working on this pass for a couple corners.
05:32This is going down the start straight.
05:35He goes in, and he goes to the inside here, which puts him on the outside on this next
05:39corner, which puts him back on the inside, and he just gets next to Hunter, and at this
05:44point, he's going to be on the inside, and he just power moves through Hunter.
05:49Hunter knew he kind of had him beat, but Aaron Plessner, this new wood section, nice little
05:54hop over to his jump.
05:57Now, I feel like with him, kind of like what we get that confidence going.
06:03Katie?
06:04Yeah, there's definitely a little confidence in AP right now, and I actually asked him,
06:07how does all the hubbub around KTM and chase Sexton, your teammate, help you or enhance
06:12you?
06:13He said, it doesn't change a thing.
06:14I had a good week, and I'm out here to win.
06:17That's one thing you can keep your eyes set on.
06:20AP is getting stronger and stronger, and his approach to racing, along with his physical
06:25and mental strength, it's all coming together for him.
06:27J.T.?
06:28Well, the one thing that could help for AP is he could be situationally set up here.
06:33Start thinking about where chase Sexton's head is.
06:35He's going to want to lock this championship up.
06:37He's going to be a little bit more risk averse than he would be here in this first moto.
06:41So if AP could put in some great laps and build up a lead, I don't really think chase
06:45Sexton's going to put himself in a spot where he's going to risk going all out to chase
06:49AP down late.
06:50So if I'm AP, I want to get going right now, build up a gap so when chase Sexton looks
06:55up, he's like, nah, it's not going to happen in this moto.
06:57So this could be a chance for AP to finally get that moto win.
07:01Yeah, and normally I would say, look, Sexton just sits back here behind Hunter.
07:05He would still wrap up the title, but Sexton, there's a spoiler in the mix.
07:09James Stewart, Eli Tomac is hanging.
07:12Yeah, what I was going to mention about Aaron, the same thing with Eli, is that what we saw
07:17with Jordan Smith in that 250 class, being up front, it's going to, every lap they're
07:22here, they're going to get more confidence, especially with Eli.
07:25If he's able to stay here with chase, it's going to allow him, like, okay, I've still
07:28got this speed as chase is starting to pound on Hunter.
07:33Oh, chase made this happen.
07:35He's on the outside, though.
07:36Can he hold it?
07:38Going to be wheel-to-wheel over the finish line jump down this straight, and the 4 has
07:41taken the second-place spot.
07:43Yeah, I think Hunter kind of knew chase was coming because he could have popped out of
07:46that rut and slowed chase down, but nonetheless, that was a strong move by chase Sexton.
07:51But just like Aaron Plessinger, being out front is going to give him confidence.
07:54We saw Jordan Smith wrap this thing off.
07:56Eli Tomac, if he's able to stay with these guys, don't be surprised if he comes back
08:00up in this battle.
08:02But Hunter's got to slow things down.
08:04Two laps in a row, he's gotten past by the 7 and the number 4.
08:08Still right here as early in this race, Jason.
08:10And look at the points as they run.
08:11The lower left, that is the magic number.
08:13Sexton needs only a 25-point lead to wrap the title.
08:17It would now be 30 if it ended like this.
08:20But that goes all the way back to J.T.'s question.
08:22Now, does Sexton set sail after his teammate, or is he happy to just be in championship
08:29clinching position?
08:33Can't back off too much, though, because Hunter staying close.
08:36Tomac there at fourth.
08:38Actually, all three of those guys made a mistake in that corner.
08:41It looked like Hunter lost the most time.
08:43But yeah, you saw Hunter get a little bit more aggressive, but yeah, he lost that time,
08:48Katie.
08:49Okay, Stu, I have a question.
08:51If we know AP and chase Sexton are great teammates, the camaraderie between them has been nothing
08:56but positive for what we've heard, right?
08:59So just out of curiosity, would Sexton ever let AP win this thing to get his first moto
09:05overall here maybe today?
09:07Or do you think that Sexton wants to go out in style and get this thing done?
09:10Yeah, if I was AP, I'd tell Chase, look, man, you are a great teammate.
09:14I like you a lot, but I'm here to win this race.
09:17And then same thing with Chase Sexton.
09:19The good thing with him, Chase, he doesn't have to win this race to wrap this championship up.
09:23I think if Aaron wins it, Chase is going to try to go out and win it.
09:28I don't think Chase is going to let him win anything if he has a choice.
09:32Man, I just watched Plessiger jump in and out of what they call the Hoosier hole there
09:36under that bridge.
09:38He went for a wild ride and practice almost crashed.
09:41He is on the edge right now.
09:42It almost happened again.
09:43Yeah, well, I told him he had to step up, try to get one of these wins.
09:47I mean, I didn't say at all cost, but...
09:50Is that Tomek?
09:52Yeah, he's challenging Hunter now.
09:54Yeah, and if Eli gets around him, as I was mentioning, just that confidence.
09:58And Eli knows how to win these races.
10:00And last time we were here, he won this race with a great battle with Chase Sexton.
10:04So good feeling for him.
10:06Hopefully he can continue that momentum up.
10:08Two battles to watch.
10:10Plessiger versus Sexton.
10:11Lawrence versus Tomek.
10:13Send it back to Jason Thomas.
10:15Well, the most critical aspect of AP's race here didn't come to fruition.
10:19He really needed to build out that gap.
10:21And Chase Sexton simply didn't let him go.
10:23You saw him make the pass, and he's already closed this gap down.
10:26A big mistake from Sexton, and that's what he's got to guard against.
10:29When I was talking about him being risk-averse,
10:31he's not going to want to take big chances.
10:33And I thought AP's best option or best opportunity there was to build a gap.
10:38Now with Sexton sitting right behind him.
10:40And to Katie's question, listen, bonuses to win races like this are in the six-figure range.
10:45So not only that, Chase Sexton has an opportunity to win the race
10:48and the championship in front of his home crowd.
10:50So there's a lot of emotion and a lot of probably push-pull for Chase Sexton in this photo.
10:55Yeah, absolutely.
10:56And if I'm Aaron, I got to keep Chase behind me.
10:58I don't want him to get in front because just as quickly as he caught me, he'll pull away.
11:03And he's been known to do that.
11:05So if he can keep doing, like if he can hold Chase off,
11:08maybe Chase makes a couple of those mistakes that we've just witnessed,
11:11and maybe he'll go into championship mode.
11:13Uh-oh, not right now.
11:15Sexton to the inside.
11:17I said your best chance was to hold him off.
11:21They can listen, but it's hard to put that into motion.
11:24Plus they're riding hard, but Chase Sexton now has the lead.
11:27Well, Chase Sexton, as I mentioned at the top of the show, he is a different rider.
11:31He's just making things happen.
11:33And so Aaron didn't do anything wrong.
11:35It was what Chase decided to make happen.
11:37And these guys better watch out because that number four will run off from him really quick,
11:41as he has in the past.
11:43Yeah, and as J.T. Made the point,
11:45it's a rough estimate of what the teams usually pay for wins.
11:48Probably around $100,000 for a win and $50,000 for seconds.
11:52So it's too much money on the line, I think, for Sexton to say,
11:55you can have it today.
11:57Also, I got to wonder, is part of Sexton going to say,
11:59look, I feel safer if I'm just riding by myself and not dicing with people?
12:03Yeah, we talked about this a couple weeks ago at Unadilla,
12:06and J.T. Mentioned it, that Chase feels like he talked to somebody.
12:09He's a different rider out front.
12:11So this is probably where he feels the most comfortable,
12:13and this is where I would say, if you're Chase Sexton and the rest of the guys,
12:18they don't feel like they have much of a chance when he's out front.
12:21So this is probably the safest position for Chase to be in, most comfortable,
12:25and the less likely these guys are going to feel like they're going to come up and pass him after this.
12:29Hey, nice job by Hunter Lawrence to recover here.
12:32He actually was quicker than Pleszinger the last time around,
12:35and stretching it a bit on Tomac, who a lap ago was all over him.
12:40Aaron's doing a good job at keeping the pressure on Chase,
12:43and maybe if he can keep this up, at some point,
12:47Chase is going to start thinking about the championship and just kind of get nerves of it.
12:51So if Aaron's on him, then Chase might start going backwards,
12:55because this is the first time he's ever been in this position.
12:57If he gets that gap, then he'll be able to ride this thing out.
13:00This track's tough. These bikes are bouncing around everywhere.
13:03Everybody's kind of making mistakes.
13:05But as you mentioned, that 96 is closing up.
13:08It's a tug of war.
13:10It is. Every time someone has a good couple of turns, and they make a mistake,
13:14the other guy cuts into that gap.
13:16Yeah, it's a weird racetrack.
13:17When you make a mistake, it seems like you lose a lot of time on this racetrack,
13:21and as quickly as you lose it, you can gain it back.
13:23So I'm interested to watch how this thing plays out throughout the day as this track gets rougher.
13:30It's the monster launch there.
13:32Uphill triple for Sexton.
13:34You can see the SMX track view, and you can see Tomac not too far on the 3 for the 96 of Lawrence.
13:41Chase is crushing those guys before that big tabletop.
13:44He's going outside and cutting across the jump on the inside,
13:47and what he's doing is making that whole section like one continuous arc.
13:52So no stop and go, and you can see him pulling away there.
13:56Great line.
13:58Can Plessinger keep his teammate in sight?
14:05I think they sold some noisemakers today.
14:07This crowd is going nuts.
14:08That's because the hometown boys out front, and then you've got the president and AP.
14:12They're all APing out there.
14:14Everybody's happy.
14:15Yeah, Sexton, he can't say he grew up riding this track,
14:18because it's only been open for about 11 years.
14:21So in his younger days, his track wasn't here, but he is from Illinois.
14:24We're in Indiana.
14:25So I'm sure a lot of people that watched him grow up at other tracks when he was young
14:28are here watching today.
14:30I'm sure they're pumped to see Tomac up there as well.
14:32Yeah, I was just about to mention, I'm interested to see how this number 3 plays this race,
14:36because, you know, listening to him on the start, he said he wanted to have two solid motos.
14:42So having that kind of mindset makes you think that he probably wouldn't be putting all this effort
14:47into this first one, but now he's closer to the front.
14:49Maybe he will, JT.
14:51Yeah, and I was thinking about it.
14:53Yeah, and I was thinking about Eli Tomac during the first 250 moto where R.J. Hampshire,
14:57that was a huge improvement over Bloodstreet getting fourth in that first moto,
15:01and you're kind of seeing the same thing from Tomac.
15:03It's always interesting to see how fast these guys recover after their first race back.
15:08Their body gets that muscle memory, starts to remember, oh, yeah, this is how we do this.
15:12And I think you're seeing both R.J. and Eli getting back to form.
15:15Yeah, absolutely.
15:16And Eli, especially with him, you know, he's out here to compete.
15:21You know, he doesn't want to be in the fifth, tenth place.
15:24You know, he knows he knows how to ride a motorcycle.
15:26His biggest thing is obviously to get ready for the playoff,
15:28but when you win these championships, you know, fourth isn't good.
15:32So him being close to these guys, he wants to have every opportunity to be able to win,
15:36and I think he would feel better going like winning one moto and getting 20th
15:40than having two fifth places in this moto and both motos.
15:45Hey, Hunter is back here, James, catching Lessinger again.
15:49Yeah, I wonder, is it just part of what we saw with Levi Kitchen?
15:53You know, the way this track is, maybe it's a little bit more difficult being closer to the guys
15:57because it seems like when they get close to each other, they make mistakes.
16:00So maybe it's the vision.
16:02But what we saw with Levi looked like he was starting to go backwards
16:05in the mid-moto, he started catching form.
16:07So maybe that's what Hunter is doing as well.
16:11Halfway through this one, brought to you by Monster Energy.
16:15It's available now at Kroger.
16:18Yeah, a little row reversal.
16:20Hunter doing his best work from the front this year with the great starts,
16:24but now he's the one charging, trying to catch Lessinger,
16:27and that number three won't go away.
16:30Yeah, you see how much chase gets away from these guys in this part of the race,
16:35the racetrack, that tabletop.
16:38Down to Jason Thomas with the team manager for the KTM squad.
16:42Well, Aaron Harrison, this is a big moment on the precipice of winning
16:46the first 450 Pro Motocross Championship since Ryan Dungey in 2015.
16:50Can you talk a little bit about the work it's taking to get back here
16:53and what it means for the entire Red Bull KTM crew?
16:56Yeah, you're right. It has been a little while.
16:58And we started off this year a little shaky,
17:00but we've definitely made progress through the year,
17:03and not only with chase but with Aaron too.
17:06And, yeah, it's exciting.
17:08So a few more laps here and we'll see what will happen.
17:11Nerves are high down here, but looking good so far.
17:15And KTM has not won this championship since 2015,
17:18but Ryan Dungey saw Dungey this morning.
17:21He is on hand, hanging out with KTM folks.
17:24Got a lot to watch right now.
17:26Yeah, they got a lot going for them.
17:28Hunter is really quick on this part of the racetrack as he closes back in on Aaron.
17:31It seems like he loses it right by the finish line,
17:34so he's able to get around, close in on Aaron,
17:37get around, pull away from Eli.
17:40And let's see what happens on the second half of this racetrack.
17:48Dropping downhill.
17:52And still Tomac in the shot.
17:55Not quite in the battle, but close enough.
17:57Yeah, that exchange better for the 7. He pulled away a little bit.
18:00Yeah, and maybe Aaron picked up on some of Chase's lines over here,
18:05because this is where Chase is really good, as you can see.
18:08Chase has pulled out of his shot.
18:13Now, because Chase hasn't really pulled away from these guys
18:16like he has been able to in the second moto,
18:18I'm sure it's given these guys confidence to be able to be like,
18:21okay, maybe he is thinking about the championship
18:23and might have an opportunity to close back in.
18:25Because normally we've seen Jason, like,
18:27when Chase gets on the roll and he gets around these guys,
18:30next thing they know, they look up and they're seeing no one.
18:33That number 4 is gone.
18:35The fact is, they can still see him.
18:37And that number 3 is still lurking in the background.
18:39Yeah, we were talking this week also with J.T.
18:41about last year, the way Jet Lawrence was winning races.
18:44He was just maintaining that 2- to 3-second gap.
18:46Sexton has been much more of the traditional,
18:49just keeps pulling away, pulling away.
18:51But there it is, between that 2- and 3-second mark.
18:54Right now, as you watch the Thor battle box,
18:56show you some of the riders in that bubble battle for the playoffs.
19:00Harry Kulas, Grant Harlan.
19:03Yeah, he's got his heart back there, too.
19:05Yeah, everybody has their own little battles
19:07and trying to seeding points, getting this playoff.
19:09But people, watch out.
19:11Got a feeling that the number 3 is starting to wake up back there.
19:14Oh, really?
19:15I just got that feeling.
19:16I see the head leaning.
19:18Yeah.
19:19That's if Tomek gets on the podium.
19:21Crowd's going to be going crazy.
19:23Yeah.
19:24And Eli was the fastest ride on the racetrack.
19:27Last lap at 2.14.
19:28Really close.
19:29Chase was second.
19:31Hunter was...
19:32Or, actually, Aaron was third.
19:34Also, shout-out, Marshall Welton is in that battle.
19:37Welton, see?
19:38Look at that bubble right there.
19:40So, Welton is a 19th-place spot guaranteed into the motos
19:42if he can bring the 75 home.
19:44Kyle Chisholm has the last spot guaranteed into the playoff motos.
19:48Dean Wilson showed up today.
19:51But he's just gotten into the top 20 now.
19:54Wilson is 20th, and Chisholm is in 17th.
19:58Wilson needs to make up a bunch of ground on Chisholm today.
20:02And Wilson saying this will be his last pro motocross race.
20:05Although then he joked, I said that two years ago.
20:07And here I am, racing him to try to make the playoffs.
20:10Yeah, we can't leave it.
20:11We love it too much.
20:13It's too much fun out here.
20:15Well, this is fun, a battle, at least, to watch.
20:17I'm not sure about being in it.
20:19Hunter Lawrence will not let Aaron Plesinger go.
20:22And they're closing back in on Chase, so I don't know if Chase got caught up,
20:26but he didn't pull away from those guys in this section like he did before.
20:31Top four within about four seconds.
20:34Yeah, and it seems like Eli's really quick on this side of the racetrack.
20:39So it'll be interesting to see if he's able to close in and possibly get around the 96.
20:43These guys are playing this tug-of-war, cat-and-mouse game.
20:46And I can tell you one thing.
20:48If that number three gets around the 96, he's going to try to go to the front for sure.
20:52J.T.
20:54Well, we have not seen Eli Tomac ride like this in pro motocross since 2012.
21:00Yes, he came back last week.
21:02We all knew he was just trying to get his feet wet back into this series.
21:05And we haven't seen beast mode from Eli Tomac, not since the St. Louis round of Monster Energy Supercross.
21:10So if he is ready to uncork one here and really show us what it's all about,
21:14Weedj, I am here for it.
21:17Everybody is. Go ahead, Katie.
21:19Yeah, J.T., the pit board for Eli Tomac right now has been quickest on track,
21:24followed up by quick moves.
21:26And Josh Ellingson, his mechanic, is throwing that thing around,
21:29letting him know that it's go time for Eli Tomac.
21:32It's toe-smacking time. It's Eli Tomac.
21:35Well, J.T. mentioned if he was getting his feet wet last weekend,
21:38well, they might be soaked at the end of this moto.
21:41He is ready to go.
21:43Oh, he's diving in this week.
21:46And the good news for Tomac fans, what did you see there?
21:49Oh, that was close. I don't know if he hit some braking bumps,
21:52but he almost fell off the back of the motorcycle right there.
21:55Looked like he hit the bumps and got the little whiskey throttle.
21:59Oh, that was a rough ride through those woods as well.
22:02I was going to say, the good news, if Tomac puts in a charge,
22:04it's two riders he can challenge because Hunter Lawrence is still right there.
22:09Man, the time gained and lost in any given section of this track,
22:14you really can't tell what's going to happen next.
22:16Yeah, and it seems like it's in that new section these guys are trying to figure out.
22:20So I wonder, is that part of it, the shadows and stuff?
22:24Even on the racetrack, on the other parts, it seems like these guys lose the time
22:27is where they get in the shadows and stuff.
22:29So they'll probably go between motors and realize,
22:33if I don't lose so much time in this one section,
22:35I might actually be able to win one of these things
22:37because they're all riding pretty good.
22:39Jason Anderson has moved to fifth ahead of Justin Cooper.
22:43Malcolm Stewart, seventh. Nicoletti, eighth.
22:45Norton and Craig, top ten. Back to Katie.
22:48Hunter Lawrence earlier today was not super comfortable on the bike.
22:52He's been making adjustments after each practice,
22:54and of course, I'm sure we'll make one after this moto as well.
22:57But you imagine, he's trying to be catching up with AP and making some moves,
23:01knowing that Tomac is behind him as well on a bike
23:04that's not entirely all that comfortable for him right now.
23:06We know that 2025 has been good to him over the course of this little part of the season,
23:11but he's not yet there in the comfort today.
23:15But still could be in contention for the podium,
23:17and they're all building toward this, the SMX playoffs.
23:20And don't forget FanFest, which is two days at the SMX playoff races,
23:24Friday and also racing on Saturday.
23:27You can watch practice, a live press conference in the morning,
23:30and our podcast mashup.
23:32James Stewart, Mother's World, we'll have Ricky Carmichael, title 24,
23:36Jason Gypsy Tails, myself and Jason Thomas.
23:39I'm not sure if we're going to have anybody else.
23:41I might be leaving out a name.
23:43Steve Matheson, Pulp Amex.
23:45We'll all be there on stage, hanging with the fans,
23:47Friday nights at the playoff races.
23:49So get your two-day ticket.
23:51And, you know, this goes back to...
23:55Was it at Unadilly you said, no, maybe while Schuble...
23:57Around that time of year, I remember you and RC saying,
24:00you don't often see this type of action late in the year.
24:03No, I was just thinking that in my head,
24:05listening to you, that you got the top four.
24:08Everybody's got their own agenda out here,
24:10but they're all trying to win.
24:12You know, chase X, the easiest way to wrap this championship up
24:15is to go out here and win.
24:17I think that's the only way he knows how to race,
24:19and that's what he's been doing.
24:21Then you got Aaron Plessin trying to get his first ever moto win.
24:24Hunter Lawrence trying to get another overall, his first one,
24:27and to stop chase X from winning his title.
24:29And then you got the four-time champion, Eli Tomac,
24:31just trying to get his feet wet,
24:33and looking pretty wet to me.
24:35So everybody's out here racing,
24:37and that's all because there's still more to look for.
24:39There's still reasons to go out here and compete,
24:41and that's what you're witnessing.
24:43Yeah, the final round of pro motocross,
24:46you have had some years where one or two riders
24:48just wallop the field.
24:50You don't often get a four-pack this close.
24:53That's because we're tired.
24:55We're tired.
24:57Well, they found a little wing in the sails
24:59with the playoffs coming up.
25:01Man, Hunter made a mistake.
25:03Eli got close.
25:05Now Eli's almost two seconds behind Hunter,
25:07and that all happened in about a quarter of a lap.
25:10Yeah, the scary part for these guys is that,
25:12look at that lead.
25:15As these guys made a mistake, Chase Exton's pulling out,
25:18so they're in the danger zone if he keeps going.
25:21And there's Plessiger in second,
25:23familiar ground for him.
25:25Like I said, he has a background in the type of woods racing
25:28that was where Ironman first made its name
25:30as a race facility.
25:32Here's Aaron on that.
25:34It's just changed so much, and to see it come this far
25:37and have this place be, you know,
25:39the last round of the pro motocross series
25:42is really, really awesome.
25:44And I actually got to race this track
25:47when it was first being built in, I think it was 2014,
25:51and we did a Loretta Lens Regional here.
25:55And then my first ever pro race here
26:00is the first overall I got in 2015 as my rookie year.
26:05And I've done really, really well here,
26:08and I think it's just a good place.
26:16Well, certainly is right now for him
26:19because he's a little bit further ahead,
26:21finally putting some distance between himself and Hunter Lawrence.
26:26But nope, as I say, that Hunter closes back in.
26:29Yeah, they all have their sections on there,
26:32but everybody's, you know, putting in some fast laps.
26:35I mean, Chase Sexton ran a 2.13, and then Hunter,
26:38I mean, blessed to run the 2.14 the last lap, JT.
26:41Yeah, and you start to see these guys spreading out a little bit.
26:44Tomex falling off the back just a touch.
26:46It is so much more humid than you would think.
26:49Now, the temperature's not going to jump off the screen at you,
26:51but these guys are certainly feeling it late,
26:53and I think that's kind of why the battles slowed up a bit
26:56is these guys are just feeling the heat and humidity
26:58weight in this moto.
27:00That's because Chase Sexton's got a hot pace out front,
27:03making everything hot, so...
27:05But Aaron's still doing a good job,
27:07because normally in this time of motos,
27:09when Chase is rolling like this, he's gone,
27:11and they don't look like they're, you know,
27:13laboring a little bit at all to me.
27:15Aaron still looks like he's aggressive,
27:17like he was the first lap.
27:19Same thing with Hunter.
27:21Just unfortunate they're losing time somewhere,
27:23which is a lot happening, Katie.
27:25Yeah, I can agree with JT.
27:27It is humid for people like Aaron Plessinger,
27:29who have long hair, and myself.
27:32But one thing to keep in mind here
27:34is there's also a championship podium hunt
27:36for Aaron Plessinger.
27:38Remember, he and Justin Cooper
27:40had been battling for that third-place podium spot
27:42in the championship.
27:44A very important thing for someone like Aaron Plessinger
27:47to make sure he finishes and finishes strong
27:49and way above Justin Cooper,
27:51who is actually dealing with a bit of a shoulder injury
27:53after last weekend.
27:55Knows that he is battling.
27:57What's at stake?
27:59Something that you could really respond to a little bit
28:01is what is at stake for these guys
28:03for that second, third, fourth place in the championship?
28:05Yeah, as I mentioned,
28:07you know, all these guys,
28:09and especially with Aaron,
28:11he's trying to get his first-ever win,
28:13and his teammates out here winning this championship
28:15and possibly going to wrap this championship up.
28:17So the bike is good.
28:19Aaron's been riding great all year long.
28:21So not only he wants to get that third place,
28:23but he also wants to solidify that spot
28:25on Team USA as well.
28:27That's what he's fighting to fight for.
28:29Aaron's doing a great job.
28:31All these guys are, too,
28:33because they still look racy to me,
28:35and I like to see that.
28:37Even the number three does, too.
28:39Yeah, that's critical,
28:41is that AMA tries to make the decision
28:43on who will represent the United States
28:45at Motocross of Nations.
28:47There's Hunter Lawrence going by.
28:49I think he's a shoe-in for Team Australia, by the way.
28:51No problems there.
28:53Let's give you the Monster Energy running order.
28:55Banged up a little bit from last week's
28:57crash off the start of Moto 1,
28:59and then Ferrandez is out
29:01with that brutal crash
29:03in Turn 1.
29:05So Tomac's certainly under consideration
29:07for Team USA as well.
29:09I believe they have to announce
29:11or at least submit the entries for the team
29:13by September 3rd, so this is really going to be
29:15the last chance for them to see
29:17what these riders have.
29:19We asked Eli, would he be willing
29:21to ride for Team USA if he is asked?
29:25Yes, and that's if I earn
29:27the position.
29:29In my mind, I believe it's
29:31Plessinger in that position for points right now.
29:33So he has every right to go.
29:35The only way I would
29:37want to take that position is if
29:39I made a way stronger showing
29:41and then obviously the team does pick me.
29:43But I would be willing to go.
29:45Tough call there
29:47between the potential of Tomac,
29:49the history of Tomac, and how well
29:51Plessinger's riding right now. What do you think?
29:53I agree with Eli.
29:55If Aaron
29:57wasn't riding as good as he is,
29:59absolutely, then Eli would
30:01fill that position. Not only that,
30:03you got Justin Cooper as well as another good one.
30:05At this moment,
30:07that's why I said they all got something to race for.
30:09I think Aaron Plessinger, the way he's been riding,
30:11he deserves to go.
30:13It doesn't mean Eli doesn't,
30:15but Aaron's been here all
30:17week, all year, and I think Eli
30:19would agree with him. Until he goes out there
30:21and beats him, you got to go with the number
30:23seven right now, Captain America.
30:25Yeah, the sliding scale is that the race
30:27is October 6th, so it's like a
30:29guessing game of, all right, Tomac's just coming back.
30:31That's a month
30:33and a half from now. How much better
30:35can he get? I'll tell you what, the fans
30:37would love it either way because they're two of the most
30:39popular, maybe the two most popular
30:41riders out here. Yeah,
30:43and I do think, Eli, this is important.
30:45One of the reasons he's coming back, one,
30:47for the playoffs, but also this might be
30:49his last chance to race the Motocross
30:51of Nations. You know,
30:53you got to think next year, everybody will continue
30:55getting better. I mean, he will,
30:57so it's only going to get tougher for him.
30:59If he has an opportunity to go, he definitely would
31:01this year.
31:05Seems like if Eli would
31:07just come in, jump out over that,
31:09this roller on the inside,
31:11I noticed that Chase was doing that earlier.
31:13It seems like they get in there,
31:15and they're really cautious, and they roll
31:17that roller, and it just slows their momentum down,
31:19so maybe that's why they're losing time instead of just kind of
31:21getting in that inside, just jumping
31:23over those potholes, but it also
31:25carries momentum. Maybe that'll help them,
31:27but it's obviously a lot tougher than it looks.
31:29Is that Hunter Lawrence still up
31:31ahead? Yeah, and Aaron Plessett
31:33is right in front of him, so that's why
31:35I said I don't see
31:37these guys laboring.
31:39Chase is just riding really good
31:41as they all are.
31:43And Chase Sexton now,
31:45two and a half laps away
31:47from a moto win that would lock up
31:49the pro moto cross championship
31:51for 2024.
31:53He's got to hold on to it.
31:55Tomac still digging for third.
31:59Yeah, Eli's riding really good,
32:01and as we think that Hunter's closing in
32:03on Aaron, and as we mentioned
32:05earlier, this whole show,
32:07it's just that back and forth,
32:09these guys just lose so much time,
32:11and it definitely seems like he gets in these tighter
32:13parts of the racetrack.
32:15Some of these corners with these hooks on the end,
32:17they make a mistake. They lose a lot of time.
32:19Oh, this is going to be a
32:21battle for the podium
32:23with two to go.
32:25This could be a possible moto cross the nation
32:27battle in a couple months
32:29if Eli's on the team or
32:31even with Aaron in front of him.
32:33Yeah, the Australian team expect to get
32:35Jett Lawrence back.
32:37They're going to be tough as well.
32:39And by the way,
32:41halftime after this moto, we did talk
32:43to Jett Lawrence this morning
32:45about his prospects and returning
32:47for the playoffs in SMX,
32:49so stick around with us in between
32:51the motos. Halftime, we'll have that
32:53Jett Lawrence interview.
32:55Spoiler alert, he was in really good spirit.
32:57Yeah, and he's sure his brother's
32:59running second in a championship,
33:01riding good a rookie year.
33:03Unfortunately for him, Eli Tomac, he smells
33:05Vegemite. He's going to take a bite out of
33:07that sandwich right now.
33:09That's a good sign
33:11for Tomac, who's also building
33:13not just playoffs or moto cross the nations
33:15or today. He did announce he's back
33:17all season long next year.
33:19And
33:21he admitted yesterday in the press conference
33:23he probably wasn't as ready as he would have
33:25liked to have been for the 2024 season.
33:27All right, you see that right there?
33:29You see how much time the hunter was able to pull away?
33:31And what I was mentioning a lot before,
33:33just jumping out a little bit
33:35over that single
33:37single, allows him to carry his momentum.
33:39And you can see what Eli didn't do that in all that time
33:41he lost. But as quickly as that,
33:43Eli's quick, obviously pretty
33:45fast somewhere else, and he's able to close back in.
33:47But I wonder if Eli started that.
33:49How much time would he be able to get around Hunter?
33:51Or how much time would he be able to gain on Hunter?
33:53So is that something he could see and adjust?
33:55Yeah, I mean, he would probably
33:57do it in between races.
33:59I'm sure they'll probably tell him. And especially since
34:01Hunter just did it in front of him, they'll go back
34:03and watch it. Or maybe Eli
34:05do it because he just saw it happen right in front of him.
34:07Losing
34:09a lot of time right there. And it seems like
34:11it's a lot more energy that he's wasting
34:13by having to fight.
34:17Yeah, that's what I was alluding to
34:19before, by the way. For Eli,
34:21every one of these laps, every gate drop
34:23between now and next year
34:25is just building blocks.
34:27He only got on a bike two months before the Anaheim
34:29opener of Supercross
34:31this year. And maybe he wasn't quite
34:33the Eli towback of old.
34:35He wants to rectify that.
34:37Yeah, and
34:39same thing that's happening with my brother
34:41and any of these guys is riding outdoors.
34:43Racing outdoors is going to help Eli
34:45for Supercross next year.
34:47So whether the results say
34:49he's getting better, a lot
34:51better out here racing, and will be
34:53better in 25 because he's coming out here
34:55and finishing these four motos out and then into
34:57the playoffs. Well, here it is, James.
34:59Last lap. Chase Sexton
35:01in control of the moto and
35:03in control of the title, and what a
35:05journey it has been.
35:07And it will conclude,
35:09it appears, at Ironman
35:11Raceway. And last
35:13year, the disappointment gave it everything
35:15he had, but Jet Lawrence completed
35:17the perfect season right here at this
35:19track. So
35:21for Ironman, I'll quote some
35:23lyrics from that famous Black Sabbath song.
35:25While
35:27Jet was celebrating, I heard
35:29Chase Sexton just went back to the Honda truck.
35:31It's like the lyrics to the song. He just stares
35:33at the world, planning his vengeance
35:35that he will unfurl. It didn't look
35:37good when he first got on this KTM
35:39and Monster Energy Supercross.
35:41But here we are, a year
35:43after that bitter defeat,
35:45and he is looking at the
35:47Pro Moto Cross Championship.
35:49I almost
35:51don't want to say anything after that beautiful
35:53win. That was beautiful,
35:55Jay. That was nice on there, but yeah,
35:57we were here calling the race, and I
35:59actually mentioned to you, I'm like, man, he actually
36:01seemed mad after that race.
36:03So, yeah, that was a great
36:05discussion and point
36:07right there. The vengeance.
36:09Shout out to Ozzy Osbourne for the lyrics.
36:11Shout out to you for bringing it up.
36:13So Ironman Raceway
36:15is, if he holds on, going to be
36:17where he is crowned. But again, go back
36:19to what we heard in the off season when he first got on this bike.
36:21Even Chase himself wasn't
36:23being, you know, a lot of times riders
36:25are way unrealistically positive when
36:27they first got on a new motorcycle. I'm going to
36:29say he was being real.
36:31Yeah, yeah. Chase
36:33is way better. I mean, as he's starting to celebrate
36:35right now, but he can't help but
36:37to win. Once I said he starts going
36:39fast, he's going to be able to do it, and now that's
36:41what you're seeing. And what we're
36:43seeing is this. Another big step
36:45for the career of Chase
36:47Sexton, already a
36:49450 champion in Supercross.
36:51And now
36:53the 450 ProMoto
36:55champion, Chase Sexton!
36:57āŖāŖ
36:59āŖāŖ
37:01āŖāŖ
37:03āŖāŖ
37:05āŖāŖ
37:07āŖāŖ
37:09āŖāŖ
37:11And the first person
37:13to congratulate him, his
37:15chief competitor this year, this summer,
37:17Hunter Lawrence. They've been
37:19very respectful to each other
37:21throughout this championship campaign.
37:23āŖāŖ
37:25āŖāŖ
37:27āŖāŖ
37:29āŖāŖ
37:31āŖāŖ
37:33āŖāŖ
37:35āŖāŖ
37:37āŖāŖ
37:39āŖāŖ
37:41āŖāŖ
37:43āŖāŖ
37:45āŖāŖ
37:47There's his agent, Chris
37:49Scott.
37:51āŖāŖ
37:53āŖāŖ
37:55Of course, one motor to go, but this is
37:57enough
37:59to lock it.