For Lilly-Ann Pettus, the trip to Foxhill was about much more than just results. The American rider travelled across the Atlantic to make her WMX World Championship debut at the iconic British circuit, while also celebrating her 18th birthday during her first-ever trip outside of the United States.
Racing with the Dirt Store Triumph team, Pettus gained valuable experience against the best female riders in the world, finishing 17-16 across the two motos in what was a weekend full of new challenges and learning opportunities.
With Foxhill offering a completely different challenge compared to the tracks she is used to racing in America, Pettus quickly fell in love with the famous hillside circuit and the experience as a whole.
“First time out of the country for me. The experience has been great. We went to London and I spent my 18th birthday here. The whole experience has been an awesome time”, Pettus told GateDrop.com.
The natural terrain, elevation changes and technical layout of Foxhill made it a unique challenge for the young American, but one that she thoroughly enjoyed.
“When I saw the track here at Foxhills, it looked very different with all the hills, the ups and the downs. I’ve never seen a track like it. When I got on it, it was awesome. It was honestly one of the most fun layouts I’ve ever been on, for sure”.
While the weekend was always going to be a learning experience, Pettus showed some good speed throughout the event and felt more comfortable as the weekend progressed. After a crash affected her opening moto, she was able to regroup and improve in race two.
“All the girls here, they’re really good riders. The track itself was sick. In moto one, I got a pretty good start but I ended crashing in the same spot I crashed every other time. Just before the dragons back – I crashed there three times! But after that I got up in seventeenth – I was in tenth or eleventh before that. The second moto, my riding felt very good so I enjoyed it. It’s not easy at all out there”.
A big part of Pettus’ Foxhill experience was working alongside the Dirt Store Triumph team, who helped her settle into her first WMX World Championship appearance.
The American was full of praise for the support she received throughout the weekend, especially from team manager Jon Gifford.
“I loved spending time with the Dirt Store Triumph team. They are all great, the mechanic has also been great. Jon (Gifford) especially has been such a good help – I had to find a helmet, I’ve been running around with him – but everybody has been super helpful”.
Despite the challenge of adapting to a new circuit, new surroundings and a different style of track, Pettus would love the opportunity to return to race WMX again in the future.
With three rounds of the American championship remaining, her focus now turns back to her season goals, but she believes the experience gained at Foxhill can help her continue to improve.
“I would love to come back here and race WMX, it would be a great time. We have three more rounds in America left now. I think my goal is to be top five in America. But none of the tracks over there get like here so I am hoping riding this rough of a track will help me over there”.
The biggest difference Pettus noticed between racing in America and competing at Foxhill was the terrain itself, with the hills and dirt providing a challenge she had never experienced before.
“The dirt and the hills were definitely the biggest differences that I found. We have nothing like that at all in America. It was so much fun though, Pettus concluded.
While the results may only show a 17-16 finish, Pettus leaves Foxhill with valuable WMX experience, new memories and plenty of motivation after making her mark on the world stage.
