Andrea's Angle: Foxborough
April 18, 2024
Welcome back to Andrea's Angle, a column showcasing my perspective as a newbie to Supercross. Here are my takeaways from Foxborough!
Starts Matter
Both Eli Tomac and Jett Lawrence had subpar starts in the 450 Main, further made difficult by Eli tipping over in
the straightaway and losing even more positions. They both made their way through the pack, with Jett eventually
passing Eli. However, neither podiumed since the track was difficult to pass on, and there simply wasn't enough time to
charge all the way to the front.
Riders had to find the slightest advantages to make passes - like being faster in the whoops, or entering the sand section
using a certain line. Other than that, most riders were riding similar lines on the rest of the track, making it difficult to gain time.
Haiden Deegan had the holeshot in the 250 Main, and says he feels way more comfortable out front - able to
just focus on the riding and putting in good laps.
All in all, starts matter. They may be (just speculating here) the single most important factor in winning a race.
Webb is Nothing if not Consistent
This is a classic case of the tortise beating the hare. Webb is consistent and always minimizes points loss. Everyone kind of counted him out originally, with Jett demonstrating dominant speed. However, Jett had two off races, and all of a sudden, the championship points are tied with four rounds left. In rare form, Cooper Webb qualified fastest last weekend for only the second time ever? He says he's been working on his speed, and it's showing. Guess he's got a bit of the hare in him after all. He was also the only rider with his jacket off on the starting line... which means nothing, but did make for a funny press conference quote.
Justin Cooper's Scary Crash
Justin Cooper was off to a great start in 2nd in the heat race, and then suddenly had a huge crash in the rhythm section after the sand. It was reminiscent to me of Austin Forkner's crash - completely losing control after mislanding a jump and getting thrown clean off the bike. He landed on his backside on the side of the track and simply sat there for half a minute, looking dazed. Somehow, he got up, walked off, placed 2nd in the LCQ and 8th in the Main Event! Moments like those really remind me of how dangerous this sport is and how things can flip in an instant. Had he landed slightly differently, he could've been seriously injured like Austin was. Yet, the resiliency and strength it took to continue racing after that crash demonstrates the strength of these riders as well.
Next Up: East/West Racing!
In just a few days, we have an East/West Showdown race in Nashville! It'll be exciting to see the two coasts come together and compete. It's also a good opportunity to gain major points in your championship (since there are more good riders, it'll be harder to pass if you get a bad start). It seems that Levi Kitchen will be hard to beat - he has great starts and dominant speed. However, there are lots of other talented riders wanting to prove themselves as the best of the class, so I wouldn't be surprised to see other standouts. Looking forward to it!
Until next week,
Andrea Ruggiero
