P9 in San Diego. Just tell me about the main event, how you felt there and what you thought about it.
Derek Kelly: I had a really, really good main event realistically. I didn’t have the greatest heat race, so I think, the eighteenth gate pick, was the way out. And then there was some terrible carnage coming from inside. So, I was just happy to clean it up and then work my way forward. Or not on the front, but you know what I mean. So, better than where I was in the beginning anyway. But I am happy to keep improving. Hopefully by the end of the year I am trying to crack the top five. I just need to get off to a good start.
In terms of riding in Anaheim versus now, how do you feel about the comparison between the two? Are you feeling a little better today?
Oh I definitely had a great time with the track. The track held up really well. I think it went really well for the main event. I did the site lap, and I actually came back to the gate and I thought, man, the track is smooth. It was honestly the best day ever. Like we had really good ruts and the whoops were actually quite mellow as far as main event whoops go.
When that happens, and you see that the track is improving, I don’t know if you make setting adjustments during the day to compensate for the rough and tumble it was, but do you Were a bit like oh no, maybe we went in the wrong direction?
No, we actually thought the track was going to be pretty tight. So, before practice we actually jacked up the fork and put a little more weight on the front. And usually, when we go on a tighter track that helps me, but it was really too much. So, we went back to base and just rocked all day.
You’ve been racing on the west coast for the past few years, so these soccer stadiums are few and far between. What do you think of them compared to diamonds?
Yeah, I mean it had a little more room than the Petco, but realistically, the track was pretty tight. As such, they had smaller lanes, and it wasn’t really a wide stadium. Like, it wasn’t Glendale or anything like that.
Did it run well or was it a very tight and narrow kind of mech pass?
I think it went well. I was able to pass. After the triple, there was the corner where I passed a couple, and then the back of the dragon. So there was definitely room for passes, but you couldn’t force them because you would lose rhythm or whatever.
So we obviously got a little extra time with the Oakland postponement in the break. So have you dialed down some stuff that you feel a little more comfortable with today? Or are you still seeing some stuff?
Nah, I just need to keep plugging away. Like I found some speed during the week. We actually had a great opportunity to ride around Mumford’s place with a lot of KTM and Husky and GasGas guys. So, it’s been great to be able to jump in with them. I guess I need to work on my start some more. I thought during the week I felt good, and I’m doing it with other people, but when we get out there, I don’t know, brain farts.
Waiting for the Triple Crown or not?
I love the Triple Crown. I like not worrying about the heat races, and I’m qualifying well this year. So, no worries about getting in and then go straight to racing.
Let’s go back to practice because unfortunately, you went down on practice. Just tell me what happened and how you feel then.
Dominic Thury: So yeah, I had practiced really well and set some really good times. And then the last, maybe the last, or maybe the second to last lap, I actually had a really good lap and I had my fastest first two laps in the field and then I eliminated Dragons and I took a hard hit. Quite a bump right now, but overall made it through the heat straight into the main. I mean, obviously I’m not trained for this, but it’s a step in the right direction, especially being banged up. And then in the summer I never really found my rhythm. I mean, like I said, 16th is not what I work for. This is not my goal. But compared to the A1, it’s a step in the right direction. And we’re kind of healthy. We’re definitely in one piece. So, that’s cool. I have to take the positive out of it and just go to A2.
And in regards to taking those positives, unfortunately you’ve already got shit multiple times this year. But you still made the main event. You still had enough riding to get some good points. Is it something where you can mentally feel that you have accomplished some good things here today?
Yes and no I mean, like I said, step by step. And it was a good step up after the A1. The A1 was really disappointing. And yes, just take it day by day and get into bus racing. I think that’s what I was missing in the summer and it’s a little mistake on my part that I can’t be racing everywhere, I can race in the summer, so I learned from that. I feel like it keeps getting better every weekend.
