Another year, another Anaheim...well, this one felt a lot different to one man, one "Filthy" Phil Nicoletti, who was watching from home instead of racing like he was last year. Alas, last year his bike quit as soon as the race started, so Phil's life is always tough, racing or not!
Anyway, now he gets to weigh in as a fan just like the rest of us. Send him a question phil@racerxonline.com if you've got something for him.
Phil,
I watched A1, like everyone else, and like everyone else, I’d assume, I was pretty confused after the 450SX main event. I know Jett Lawrence had issues on the start and crashed later, but even so, from what my untrained eyes could see, it didn’t look like he was trying to race hard at all. It seemed like he was just riding around, and the 12th place, kind of confirms it. He could get 12th place drunk, in first gear, with donuts stuffed inside his goggles. What do you think was the reason for Jett’s un-Jett-like performance in Anaheim?
-Puzzled in Pennsylvania
Puzzled,
Well, to be quite honest I think it was just a lack of overall testing time. There comes a point in time when you have a test rider (who is Trey Canard) that has reached a limit and the rest has to be completed by the actual racer. Also, at the moment Canard is hurt. It’s no secret here. Meanwhile, Jett and Hunter have been wide Clyde this off season. But with that being said here are a few points. Jett showed up at Charlotte SMX on the 2025 and did pretty damn well on it. Jett showed up to MXoN for his first MX race on the 2025 and did pretty damn well on it. He showed up at Paris SX and won every main that weekend except ONE. Only place it was a bit of a struggle was Aus-X because they were on bone stock bikes. Even with that, Hunter won the event. Is there an issue with the bike? Maybe so, but everyone else I can guarantee had some issues as well. That’s just A1. I don’t care if you ran the same bike and setup at last year’s A1, at this A1 it feels different. That’s just how round one works. I think Jett and Hunter just had an off night. They are athletes. They are allowed to. They are HUMAN! After a horrific start and tip-over Jett probably realized ‘Hey, I gotta know when to hold them, and I gotta know when to fold them.’ A 12th is better than an 18th, and somewhere down the line, the boys in front of him will for sure finish 12th or worse somewhere along the way of these 17 races. Also, Hunter was doing just fine before he hit the deck as well. But there is no doubt, the mark was missed a bit. But the dart also could have completely missed the dart board and they didn’t. They still salvaged.
-Phil
Phil,
In watching the season opener and watching all those guys hit the deck over and over, I couldn’t help but think of you sitting in a cozy armchair, sipping an adult beverage, and cackling to yourself, overjoyed at no longer having to participate in death-cross. Is this an accurate imagination of your Saturday night? Or were you bummed at not being in the saddle for supercross for the first time in years?
-The Duck Hunter
Hunter,
I was enjoying an adult beverage! Some Caipirinha, to be exact. After a few of them, in my mind Jo Shimoda and Chase Sexton wouldn’t have had shit on me at A1. Kidding, I would have doubled through that rhythm all day and night, cross-jumping fools. But I did have serious FOMO. It was a WEIRD feeling not having those jitters Saturday night. Being on that starting line staring at the 30-second board. Feeling the fire on the your back and the back of your neck. Completely locked in. Not even noticing there are 50,000 people in the stands. I miss that. It’s hard not to have that feeling. Really hard, I’m not going to lie. Looking at the lineup, knowing where you would slot in. Watching the gate drop, and seeing the holes to slice and dice through the first corner. The mentality is the same on the couch, I can tell you that. It hasn’t gone away. Hopefully in time it will because sitting there watchiing SUCKEDDDDDDD!
-Phil
![Jo Shimoda]()
Jo Shimoda Align Media ![Chase Sexton]()
Chase Sexton Align Media
Inside Line Phil,
I’ve got quite a conundrum going with my riding. The track I usually ride is pretty sandy and has big huge berms built up that are an absolute blast to rail. We’re talking hero dirt to an exponential degree, where a C rider can look like a local pro. The problem is, going inside on these turns is almost always faster, and I’m constantly getting passed there. I know, I know, it should be as simple as just forcing myself to go inside, but I suck on the inside, probably because I always go outside, and it’s just so much more fun to blast the berm that I can’t ever make myself practice insides. What do you do when you don’t want to practice something you know you’re lacking in? Do you have any special motivational tricks you can share? Or do I just need to get more self control and stop being a bitch?
-Tim
Tim,
Mate, I think you need to stop being a bitch. Are you getting paid to ride a dirt bike? Do you enjoy being a hero and railing outside berms? Then F$$$ the inside berms and rail the outsides. Who gives a damn? Do you ride a dirt bike strictly for fun? Then have fun! Let’s say I went back to riding SX for fun at ClubMX, and the guys are faster doing a triple out of a corner that I’m not doing—who gives a shit? I’m there for fun. My ego is long gone with that. I’ll enjoy going double-triple and have just as much fun. Keep railing the f$$$ing outsides, Timbo. Be a hero in your own mind, at least.
-Phil
