MXP Chatter With Dylan Wright Presented By Motovan

Since we last spoke to 450 class points leader Dylan Wright he’s been on an absolute tear in the 2022 Triple Crown Series. After five rounds he has five overall wins and so far he’s been perfect in every moto. This past weekend at Gopher Dunes Wright was once again riding well and although he had a little tip over in Moto 2, he still managed to come from behind to win his 12th moto in a row. As the series gets ready for Round 6 at Dylan’s home track of Sand Del Lee, we caught up with the two-time 450 Champion.

MXP: Hey Dylan, another solid day on the track. How are you feeling after two long motos at Gopher Dunes?

DW: I feel okay all things considered. I kind of knocked the wind out of myself when I crashed so that took a few laps to sort out. The track wasn’t really rough today but in the final moto, it started to get hard to ride. I definitely didn’t make it easy on myself today but we still got the job done.

You certainly did! I’ve heard from a few riders today that the track wasn’t quite as bad as it’s been in the past. Also, the weather was perfect today so you guys didn’t have to deal with the humidity. However, with the dryer conditions out there the track appeared to get rough in a different way than usual?

It has been really dry here for the past month and the track in some spots had a harder base to it than we normally see. But I feel like it got just rough enough that it separated us but not crazy rough like we saw last year.

I was watching you pretty closely throughout the second moto and you definitely had some moments where a lesser rider might have gone down. Was that a case of trying to push a little too hard?

No, I don’t think so. I think it was more of a case of me just being stupid and forgetting how to ride a dirt bike. I honestly don’t know what I was doing in Moto 2 for the first half. I was behind Tyler [Medaglia] and he was riding well. But the track was difficult to pass on and I was struggling to find a way around him. I was doing my best to be patient and not make a big mistake but in the end, that is exactly what I did. I guess I had a few moments out there but it wouldn’t be Gopher Dunes if you weren’t out of control sometimes. That is just the nature of this track. You can be riding and everything is going great and then you hit a sand pocket and next thing you know you’re sideways. But that is what keeps things interesting.

You mentioned that you were a little mad at yourself during that final moto. What did you do to change things up mid-moto? 

Well, I first told myself to quit being so stupid and to just ride the bike. It was just one of those days when I didn’t feel great. Even in the first moto, I struggled a little with my flow. In Moto 2, my crash ended up being a good thing because it woke me, and once I got going and was able to pass Tyler I felt better. I changed up a few lines and just kept charging.

I saw your mechanic write on your pit board “clutch” and “1/4 throttle” multiple times throughout both motos. Was the team worried about those two certain items?

For sure! Sometimes when I get a little excited I’m hard on the clutch and that can really heat things up inside the engine. Also, with the long motos it is always a good idea to try and conserve some fuel. But honestly, I think those two reminders are more for trying to keep me smooth. If I’m not using my clutch and I’m keeping the bike more connected to the ground then that is when I’m at my best. I’ve worked really hard on trying to be smooth and flow more around the track and so far it seems to be working.

Yes, it appears to be working quite well (laughs). You’re definitely at the top of your game right now. Does the fact that you haven’t lost a moto yet even enter into your mind during the week or on raceday?

I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t enter my mind or I don’t think about it. But I really try to just stay in the moment and do the same work each week and prepare myself for Sunday. I’m riding well but so are Tyler and Maff and I think we all just do our thing during the week and then show up on the weekend and try and do our jobs. So far I’ve been able to get it done in each moto but as a team, we’re really just going one day at a time. We have the red plate and the goal is to keep it whether I’m winning motos or not.

You mentioned that you’re still working hard during the week with your training. I saw you here on Tuesday riding and it looked like you were testing a few items. I love that as a team you guys are still trying to get better. 

Well, that’s the process right. You have to keep trying to get better and improve the bike. This week we tried a new shock so that was good to test that out. The plan is to go down south after the Triple Crown Series and race a few US Nationals so as a rider and team we always want to keep improving. Also, we have some challenging tracks coming up so we want to be at our best.

It will definitely be fun to watch you race in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championships next month. So we’re heading to your home track this coming weekend. What is your plan between now and Round 6 at Sand Del Lee?

Well, right now I’m trying to find my finance a ride back to Quebec as she has to work. Other than that I think it’s just business as usual. Back to work tomorrow with some recovery stuff and then start focusing on next Sunday. I love the Sand Del Lee track and obviously, I love racing in front of my friends and family. It’s always special going back there and hopefully I can put on a great show for them.

Well Dylan, great job today, and congratulations on yet another overall 450 win. Enjoy your week and thanks for chatting with me. 

No worries Palms! It’s been a long day for sure so it’s time to get some rest.