Who was the really the fastest in Kamloops

With round two of the 2014 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals from beautiful Kamloops, BC now in the books, the first chapter of this series is beginning to write itself. While we know the final results in both the MX2 and MX1 classes, let’s take a closer look at who was actually the fastest riders of the weekend according to the stop watch. Not only are lap times important when it comes to qualifying, but every rider looks at them as they judge the success of their races.

Vince Friese not only won both motos in Kamloops but he also logged the fastest lap time of the day in the MX2 class. photo by James Lissimore

MX2

In the MX2 class, US import Vince Friese obviously felt at home on the Whispering Pines track as he dominated with a double moto win. It was very evident at round one that Friese had some serious speed and aggression, but the track in Nanaimo didn’t allow him to show his true potential. This past weekend we got a much better indication of not only Friese’s speed but who is going to contend for this title. As I mentioned, Friese was better, Jeremy Medaglia was better, and Kaven Benoit, although he didn’t win at round two, rode very well. On a track like Whispering Pines there is nowhere to hide. If your bike set up is off, it shows, if you’re not in shape, it shows; it really is a true test for any rider.

Not only did Vince Friese win both motos on Sunday, but he also set the fastest lap time in both of those motos. Both of his fastest times came on the second lap of each moto, which means that, like most American riders, he is very good at that early moto sprint. On Sunday, after grabbing the holeshot and taking one lap to warm up and look for ideal lines, Friese dropped the hammer and took off. The only other riders besides Friese that could get into the very impressive 2:19 lap time was Kaven Benoit and Jeremy Medaglia. No one else was sub 2:20 all day. Now, lap times don’t mean everything, it’s more about when and how consistent your fast laps are in a race. However, there isn’t a rider on earth that can’t wait to see the lap time sheet and study it to the nth degree.

Even though he didn’t win a moto in Kamloops, Josh Hill took home the lap time bragging rights with a masterful 2:16 in moto 1. photo by James Lissimore

MX1

In the MX1 class, the winners of the lap time battle were no real surprise. In both motos Colton Facciotti and Mike Alessi were consistently fast throughout the 35 minute moto. This is very impressive as it can’t be easy to muscle around a 450 for that amount of time on a rough track. The slightest little mistake costs a rider time, so to maintain a fast lap time they either have to push extra hard to make up for that small error, or let it slide and try not to make another mistake. Of course, pushing harder uses up precious energy, which isn’t what any rider wants to do, but if they don’t try and make up the time then the rider behind closes in. This important decision making is one of the things that separates the riders as the great ones just seem to know what to do and when to do it.

One of the surprises from Sunday was that Josh Hill was able to turn the fastest lap time of the day with a mind blowing 2:16 on lap five of the first moto. This no doubt brought a smile to Hill’s face as he’s definitely capable of going fast. Actually, after two rounds, Josh Hill has been surprisingly quick and his fitness looks strong. I know he’s always been a great supercross rider but his outdoor skills are very impressive as well.

With everyone using transponders these days in almost every class to track results, it also allows riders to go online to view their lap times. A really cool exercise is to try and keep track during your race of how each lap feels, then look at your times and see if your fastest lap actually felt that way on the track. Sometimes it matches up and sometimes it will surprise you. The more familiar you can become with how a fast lap actually feels on the track, the more comfortable you will become during a race. With round three of the 2014 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals coming up on Sunday in Calgary, AB, let’s see who can come out on top in this weekend’s lap time war.