On the Jaxxon podcast, Jett Lawrence gave a great insight into what he thinks makes him so good on a dirt bike. The rider many believe is the best rider on the planet assessed what his biggest strengths are.
Jett said: “One of my really good skills I have and it’s a hard thing to teach, I think it’s the instincts I have. My reaction is quick on a lot of things and reacting right. (I’m) pretty agile, my timing is good. My legs, with Johnny O’Mara training me on a mountain bike, my legs are strong and I use them right. I think that and my mental is pretty good. Not a lot phases me and I am pretty easy going that I don’t mentally build things up more than they are.
“When I ride best is when I am pretty relaxed going into a race. Even times when I need to focus more and put more thought into it, it adds more pressure which is better for me. The first time I was going for my first championship, I was terrible, I didn’t want to admit it! But ever since then I was like, ‘I don’t want to be that guy,’ and I don’t want to put myself in that position again of going down to the last round. I learnt from being in pressure situations that when I am in a pressure situation I can execute.
“These last few years of me racing, I almost ride better when it’s more stressful and the competitors are really good that year. If everyone is closer I step up. If it’s really easy, I make more mistakes. When the pressure is higher and there’s more on the line, I somehow find it naturally, without even thinking about it, I just do it.“
On the difference between he and Hunter on the bike Jett said: “I pick up things very quickly, he takes his time… his first year he learns a lot of stuff, his second year he comes in really, really good. He’s very good at picking things up, he’s a very methodical thinker.
“I don’t think as much, I just do it. He will hit a turn, realise what he did wrong and then he will be thinking about that turn going into the next one whereas I’ll mess up, and when I come back around I will remember and then be like ‘ I will try this.’ “
On the moment his injury happened, Jett said: “I was hopeful it was bone bruising, I didn’t realise my foot went backwards, it happened so quickly. I thought I hyper extended it because I felt a pop. But I had this raging pain in my knee, I was screaming. It was the worst amount of pain I’ve ever felt, with not crashing. I rode off straight away it didn’t feel right, it sucker for sure.”
Get the full interview below and learn more about the real Jett Lawrence, a down to earth superstar who likes to make others happy.
