Jett Lawrence showed his respect for Eli Tomac after the battle in Pala, but also his own intelligence and race craft. The Honda star admitted he figured out the places Eli was faster despite being in front of the Star Yamaha rider, so took more risk there to keep him behind him then backed it off slightly into the one lined sections!
Jett said of the battle: “I had a few good beast mode attacks from [Tomac] and I had to do everything I could to fend him off. I knew I had a stronger section, so I made sure I nailed it every time. With about five laps to go I had to give it everything and I tried to use the lappers to my advantage. It was awesome to race against [Tomac] and feel that adrenaline again.”
And Jett said he could hear Eli behind him and was savvy enough to push hard where he felt Eli was strong to protect the position! “It was nice because it was like a chess game.”
Watch the video via Pro Motocross at the press conference below:
Jett also said he learnt from Tomac in both the battle in San Diego and at Pala, “Having a battle with such a big name in the sport who has accomplished and done sick things. .when he smoked everyone by over a minute at Hangtown… that was scary at first, I have to race a guy that’s done this. It’s cool, and race him and pick his brain through the race, at San Diego I got to learn and lot. Even in those one when I was in front, you still learn a lot how they dissect the track and where they are going to make the pass, I can hear him here and hear him there. It’s really cool to race someone like Eli and its really sick to race someone who knows so much.”
Jett was also asked how close to 100% does Jett really push, and was he going all out to keep Tomac at bay? “Very rarely in a whole lap or in motos are you going all out, especially this track, it can only take so much traction so much sideknob feel before the tyre starts to roll. You can only go so fast in so many areas, I can’t really put a number of how hard I was pushing at all.”
Jett was the asked if Eli had gone faster could he have gone faster to which Jett laughed and said: “I dunno….I’m glad he didn’t!”
But it sounds like Jett had even more if he needed it and that’s scary for the rest of the field!
