KTM Canada Presents MXP Chatter With Jess Pettis

It’s been over a month since we last spoke to Jess Pettis. The last time we chatted was just before Christmas and Jess was getting ready to fly to California to continue his training for the opening round of the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross Series. At the time, everything was going as planned and Jess was still planning on being on the line at Anaheim 1. However, a week later, while riding and training in California Jess and his KTM Canada Team decided that a better plan might be to not enter the 250SX West Series and instead change their focus to the 250SX East Series. The reason behind this decision was due to the break Jess had to take from riding during December to let his injured wrist heal. Well, the good news is that Jess is now 100% healthy and with each passing day he’s feeling better and better. With just over a month to go before the opening round of the 250SX East Series Jess is extremely excited to go racing in Minneapolis. We caught up with Jess yesterday after a hard day of riding at the KTM test track for this week’s MXP Chatter.

MXP: Hey Jess, it’s been a while since we last spoke. How are things?

JP: Hey Palms! Everything is good with me, I’m still in California and for the past few weeks, we’ve been doing a lot of testing and riding.

When we spoke in late December you were getting ready to fly to California to finish up your preparation for Anaheim 1. At what point did you and your team decide to pull out of the 250SX West Series and focus your efforts towards the 250SX East Series?

Well, it was talked about a little while I was still in Florida but at the time I had already rented a house in California and I really had my mind set on the 250SX West Series. I love the west coast and I wanted to race in Anaheim. With my wrist injury I didn’t ride at all during the early and mid part of December so while I’d been training hard off of the bike, I didn’t have much seat time before Christmas. Once we got out to California and started to ride here we decided that regardless of how much I rode before Anaheim 1, there was no way I could be ready. I’ve been through too much during the past couple of years to head into Anaheim 1 and not be 100%. In the end, we decided it would be better to keep training and get ready for the opening round of the 250SX East Series in Minneapolis. 

It sounds as though you made the correct decision based on how you were feeling. After watching the opening two rounds of the west series are you still happy with your decision?

Yeah, it didn’t take long for the west class to lose some of its top riders so it would’ve been nice to be there and battling for some good finishes. But I’m happy with what we decided and now I’m focused on Minneapolis. 

How are your wrist and body feeling now?

Everything is doing great and I’m feeling really good. My health is good and I’m ready to go racing. 

That is good to hear Jess. Were you riding today?

Yes, today we rode at the KTM test and even though it started a little muddy due to some rain on Sunday night, the day turned out to be a lot of fun. All of the factory riders were there and the track got really chewed up with ruts and bumps. I think it was great practice for what type of conditions I’ll be facing in the east. 

Other than being able to ride with some fast riders have you been able to get some testing done also?

Yes, I think that has been the most beneficial thing to being out here in California right now. The factory is here and WP Suspension is here so we’ve been able to get my bike even more dialed in. Craig from WP has been great and we’ve been doing a ton of suspension testing. He’s been great at watching me ride and letting me know what he sees. For instance, today at the test track I felt like my bike was working great but Craig pulled me in and said that it looked like my shock was a bit soft. So we made some adjustments and when I went back onto the track my bike felt even better. So, even though I’m not racing the 250SX West Series I’m still getting some great training and preparation in. 

As you were talking I was thinking that it must be really cool to be training and testing in California like you have been without the pressure of having to race on the weekends?

Totally Palms! It’s been great and I remember back in 2019 when I was here racing the west everything felt rushed. Trying to test, train and then race of the weekends was stressful and I never felt completely prepared when I got to the track. Now I know I’m getting my entire program dialed and I know I’m going to be 100% going into Minneapolis.

So is the plan to remain in California until the opening round of the 250SX East Series and then fly to Minneapolis? 

No, we’re only here until January 30th and then we’re heading back to Florida. That will give me a few weeks of training in Florida and riding on tracks that will be more like the 250SX East Series tracks. So, we’re just going to enjoy our final couple of weeks here in California and then we’ll head back east.

That sounds like a great plan. And then you’ll just fly to the east rounds out of Orlando?

Yes, the flights are super cheap so I’ll just fly in and out and then keep training in Florida during the week. I have a practice bike at Baker’s Factory so I’ll just keep grinding it out there.

It sounds as though you’re on a great path right now, not just for Supercross but for your entire season?

For sure, the work we’re doing now isn’t just for SX but also when I get back on a 450 and start preparing for the Triple Crown Series this summer. Last year it took us a while to get my 450 set up so this summer we’re going to come into the series ready to race.

Well Jess, thank you for chatting with us. Enjoy the rest of your time in California and we’ll catch up the week before Minneapolis. 

Sounds good Palms! Thanks for calling and I hope everyone is doing well back home.