What We Noticed: San Diego
January 21, 2025
Image from Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Epic night of racing in San Diego! Here’s What We Noticed:
- Two Legends
How amazing was it to see two legends (Tomac vs. Jett) go at it all 20 minutes of that main? That was some of the most exciting racing I’ve seen in a while… So captivating the entire race. I was so entranced watching the two of them come through the pack that I had no idea how much time was left in the race until I glanced at the clock once Tomac made the move for the lead… only to be shocked that there was still half the race left! It’s crazy how quickly they were able to move through the pack; they were passing riders like they were standing still! One of the best parts? They both seemed genuinely stoked on the rider: Eli mentioned it ranks up there as one of his best wins, and even Jett in second mentioned how fun it was. Overall, so cool seeing these two guys race each other at their best.
- Silent but Deadly Webb
Cooper Webb has had some struggles entering and starting the season: he had an off-season crash which reduced the time he had on the bike pre-A1, and in SD he was suffering from a pretty bad illness. Despite all of this, Webb has gone 4-3 to start the season, and is sitting just 4 points behind Tomac for the points lead. A silent start to the year for Webb could prove deadly to his competitors come April… we know Webb will only get better from here on out (especially as the series moves to softer east coast tracks). All in all, Webb is setting himself up perfectly.
- Strong Roczen
2-4 to start the year off for Roczen and he sits just 2 points back… that’s a strong start to the season! I feel like this is perhaps the most consistent we’ve seen Roczen look since he’s joined Suzuki. He’s not flashy, but he’s getting the job done come main event time. My only qualm: he needed to be more aggressive with Webb. He had the pass made at one point but failed to seal the deal.
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Friese Woes
After such an incredible race I hate to complain about Friese… but that’s kinda the point: he damn-near ruined that incredible race! It’s unacceptable… the guy is back in 15th and racing the leaders as if he was leading. I’m fine with most things he does: riding aggressively after getting a good start is annoying sometimes but it’s racing. His takeout of Bloss in the heat for instance was fine as well. BUT you just CANNOT ruin the race as a lapper! Luckily we got away with it this time…
- Deegan Searching
Definitely surprised with the lack of flair we saw from Deegan in that 250 main. Perhaps even more surprising was how dull his reaction was to it all (in both his podium interview and press conference he seemed very down on things). Considering how much of a favorite he was entering the season, it’s shocking to think that the likes of Beaumer and Smith could straight up beat him. But kudos to them for riding excellently, and now it looks like this title is not so much a given. We will see how Deegan rebounds at A2.
- Sketchy Sexton
19.5 minutes of the main were great for him. But that opening lap? Soooo scary. He had an incredibly close call over the first SX triple where Dylan Ferrandis nearly landed on him. One turn later, he crashed on his own accord. He has to minimize these mistakes to compete for this title.
Note: that moment over the SX triple was actually soooo close and scary to watch. I’ve never understood why we need big triples like that on a track at all. Too many incidents have happened over the years where riders get landed on and it’s avoidable: either have the triple wayyy later on the first lap or get rid of them. In my opinion they don’t deliver that much value.
- Amped Crowd
This was perhaps one of the loudest / rowdiest crowds I’ve ever seen! They were super reactive to everything happening on the track, standing and cheering the whole race. Pre-main event they had an awesome wave going, and at one point I’m pretty sure there was even a fight in the stands above us. Love to see the energy in stadiums… it’s partly what makes supercross such an excellent vibe. Let’s hope the SoCal crowd can turn-up again for A2 next weekend!
