MXP Chatter: Jesse Wentland

Minnesota rider Jesse Wentland has been racing in Canada for just over a year now and in that short time he’s become one of the favourites to win every time he lines up. Known more for his ability to ride in the sand, prior to this past weekend at the Riverglade National, Wentland has scored all of his moto wins in softer track conditions. However, when the gate dropped for the second MX2 moto on Sunday Wentland proved to everyone that he can ride well on any type of track as he took the lead early on the hard packed Riverglade track and never looked back. This very impressive moto win gave Wentland third overall for the day in the MX2 class. We caught up with him moments after he soaked the crowd with champagne on the podium.

Since coming to Canada last season, Jesse Wentland has been a welcome addition to the series.

MXP: Great ride in that moto to take the win. What do you think made the difference?

JW: Definitely the start; lately I’ve been struggling with my starts and I wasn’t sure why. In this moto I got into second early and from there I took the lead and just rode my own race. It makes such a difference getting a good start; the leaders are going fast so if you don’t start with them it’s almost impossible to catch them.

What happened in the first moto today? You were running third and then you were way back.

Well, I was running third and felt great and then I got messed up with a lapper and went down. I charged back and got Dylan (Wright) on the final lap for sixth but I was bummed at what happen. All year these lappers have been a problem, they just don’t pay attention to what’s going on. I know they’re racing themselves but when the leaders are coming you have to move over and not get in the way. As I said, it’s really been a problem all year.

You definitely aren’t the only rider out there thinking that, I’ve heard that a lot all summer. I’m sure you’ve had motos where you’ve worked your butt off and still didn’t finish well, but in that second moto you were out front by ten seconds and it looked as though you were taking a walk in the park. Did it feel like that for you?

You’re right, some days you try so hard and end up going nowhere. I felt great all day and when I got into the lead I just tried to ride my own race and hit the lines I wanted. Once I saw that my speed was good enough to lead and not get caught, I just relaxed and tried to enjoy it.

Since he’s been struggling with starts this season, this is what Wentland’s number plate has looked like at the end of a moto on more than a few occasions.

Yes, that must be a great feeling when you realize that it’s your moto. After that, was it just a case of working your way around the lappers?

For sure, I think today they were a little bit worse because of the shorter lap times. I really just tried to keep an eye on the riders behind me and stay out of trouble.

Being a Minnesota kid you definitely know how to ride sand, but it must make you feel good to win on this type of track and prove that you can ride well on any track conditions.

It really does, I’ve always prided myself on the fact that I can ride in any type of condition: sand, mud, hard pack, and supercross. It honestly just feels great to win a moto again. I won at Gopher Dunes and I felt like I could’ve won the second moto if I hadn’t gone down in the first turn. I don’t know, we have four motos left in the series so hopefully I can keep it going and finish the summer strong.

 Well, today was fun to watch, for sure. Congratulations Jesse and best of luck in the final two rounds.

Thank you very much.

After finally getting a good start in moto two at Riverglade, Wentland rode smooth and took his second moto win of 2014.