Andrea's Angle: Birmingham
March 14, 2024
Welcome back to Andrea's Angle, a column showcasing my perspective as a newbie to Supercross. Let's talk about Birmingham, the first new stadium of the Supercross circuit so far!
Welcome to Birmingham
Since Supercross is new to Birmingham, there was more of an focus put on the city itself. Some members of the local media came to the press conference, and asked riders how they enjoyed being in the city for the first time. Seems like all the riders had nothing but positive things to say. I think it's great that the series is exploring new venues.
Rain, Rain, Go Away
Rain at Supercross destinations continue! It absolutely dounpoured on Thursday, but luckily DirtWurx (the team that builds the track) prepared for that and covered it. Due to the rain and in an attempt to preserve the track, press day and free practice were also cancelled. It still ended up being soft and rutted, which seems to be a continuing struggle this season. The whoops section was also turned into rollers, since whoops break down easily when the track is soft and thus don't make for good racing. All that said, DirtWurx did a great job maintaining the track, and many riders said it was still quite technical post-race.
A Series of Unfortunate Events for Haiden Deegan
250 rider Haiden Deegan had several bumbles over the course of the night... all adding up to a real hit to his image.
It started with him and Hammacker coming together in the first turn of the heat race. Fans were split
on whether it was a racing incident or not, but regardless, Deegan took it over the line when he stormed
over to the Kawasaki truck after the race to yell at random employees. It made him come across as an entitled/spoiled teenager.
Then, he cut the track significantly in the main event, and was subsequently docked two positions, which further hurt his reputability as a fair racer (in my eyes).
The final cherry on top was when he took out Cody Schock in the last corner of the main event, a crash that fully
broke Schock's already fractured collarbone. Again, not necessarily a dirty pass, but he was going for 9th place and
the aggression did not look great tacked onto the previous incidents. What added insult to injury was the fact that
Schock is an underdog in the class and was riding the best season of his career so far, even just winning the heat race earlier that evening.
I think the problem is that he's acting like he's the next Jett Lawrence, without having much to show for it. The
cockiness with only one win to his name really turns people off. The added air of entitlement, barging over to Kawi's truck,
certaintly doesn't win him any favors. I think the kid needs to approach the sport with more humility, and perhaps being humbled a bit will help him grow.
The 30 Second Board Incident
Another major incident of the evening was the "30 Second Board Girl" (a Monster Energy employee) accidentally walking out onto the track just as riders were coming around that same turn. Cooper Webb ended up coming into contact with her, but luckily the board took the brunt of the impact and left her uninjured. Certainly not a good look for Monster Energy, but I really didn't appreciate seeing a lot of sexist bashing of the woman on social media, with stereotypes thrown around about "blonde hair" and intelligence. At the end of the day she's a human being who made a mistake, and I'm glad she's okay. I also asked Webb about the incident during the press conference, and he stated that it didn't really impact his race at all minus the general shock of it all.
Press Conference Reflections
The other 450 riders seem to be coming to terms a little bit with Jett Lawrence's dominant speed and skill. From my perspective, Cooper Webb seemed a bit defeated at the press conference, stating that he essentially gave the race all he had.
As for the 250s, I was very impressed with Cameron McAdoo's answers. Nick Still from Moto Online asked him if there's been a change in his mental state, since he seems more thankful for his opportunity this year. McAdoo said that he used to have a lot of anger at things that were out of his control, but after his shoulder injury last year, "...it made me realize I had so much to be grateful for. I know that doing this is ... a very short part of my life, and it's pretty special, even down to the travel Thursday through Sunday. Going to dinner with my wife on a Friday in a different city every weekend [while] I'm in my mid 20s - that's pretty rad. Just trying to take it in and enjoy the position I'm in, because it's not something I'm going to have forever."
That really resonated with me because Scott and I are in a similar situation (travelwise), and it's one of the first times I've heard a rider talk about that aspect of the sport. I appreciate how honest and reflective he was, and would love more outward introspection from the riders in general, as it makes them more relatable.
All in all, the season is shaping up but still has plenty of room to change in both classes. Looking forward to the Indianapolis Triple Crown this weekend!
Until next week,
Andrea Ruggiero
