Photo by: Todd Gutierrez

The 2015 Western Regional 250SX Supercross Championship has turned into one of the most exciting Championships in recent years, and Monster/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Tyler Bowers is the biggest reason. The reigning four-time AMSOIL Arenacross Champion has spent the last four years in the tight confines of small arena’s bar-banging and has brought those lessons learned to stadium supercross. That in itself is not why it’s exciting, though. The reason it’s exciting is because Bowers is racing for wins and, with his consistency, is right in the middle of the Championship fight.

Heading into 2015, nobody really knew what to expect from Tyler, but so far—the man who might be the most appropriate user of the #911—has not finished worse than fourth. With a solid 3-4-2-4 scorecard, he sits second in the Championship, just eight points in back of his newfound rival, Cooper Webb. The rivalry heated up one round ago at the Anaheim 2 SX when Cooper made a very aggressive last-lap pass to steal the win from Bowers, and it reached a boiling point on Saturday night in Oakland when Bowers plowed into Cooper and sent the #17 to the dirt. With the two former good friends, now rivals, battling for their first-ever Championship, nobody expects things to cool down anytime in the near future.

Check out video replay of Bowers-Webb collision and the interview with Cooper Webb that upsets Tyler:

After the main event on Saturday night, we caught up with Tyler to ask him about his 2015 Oakland SX and how he his return to supercross is going thus far. As always, Tyler was candid and pulled no punches. You can read what he had to say in “Race Rewind” below.

Tyler, 2015 Oakland Supercross, four rounds into your return to supercross, how were you feeling tonight?

Ah, I wasn’t feeling good man. Tonight was not my night. All day in practice I felt just lost on the track. Then, in the main event, I got a bad start. Me and Cooper [Webb] were going at it. He was trying to make a pass and I was coming in hot behind him and just plowed into him, and now he’s pissed off about it. I mean, it is what it is, and it’s not like I meant to do it. We’re going to take a fourth and move on.

 

With you being lost out there, you have to feel good to get fourth.

Yeah, I’m lucky to get a fourth. I was struggling all night, didn’t feel comfortable, felt lost on the track, and I got tired in the main. So to get a fourth is alright. We’re going to go home, do some more homework and come back with a little more fire under my ass next week.

The Bowers-Webb rivalry started with this last-lap pass by Webb for the win at the Anaheim 3 SX. Photo by: Mark Lester
The Bowers-Webb rivalry started with this last-lap pass by Webb for the win at the Anaheim 3 SX. Photo by: Mark Lester

Was it the track conditions and ruts that had you lost? Overall, what was your take on the track tonight? Those triples were big right out of the corners so it had to be tougher for a bigger guy to stretch those out on the 250.

Yeah, I think that was one of my downfalls tonight. Those triples were big right out of the turns, and like I said, I just felt lost. I had no line. There was nowhere where I was like this is my line. Like in the main event, I was still trying to figure out where I wanted to go. So, I was just switching things up. I just had a rough night; that’s how it goes. If fourth’s my bad night, we’ll make a good night a number one.

 

Yeah, I just got done talking with Cooper, and he does seem a little upset about the hit in the main, but you’re that guy that will say you meant to hit someone if you meant to do it. Tonight you’re saying you didn’t mean to do it, so I 100% believe you.

Yeah, I’ll plow you (laughs). I didn’t mean to plow him there, but if he’s going to talk trash about me on the podium, maybe I’ll just run him over next week on purpose. It won’t be the first time I’ve been penalized by the AMA so whatever. He’s a little boy. I’m a grown man, and we’ll go on from there.

Love Tyler or hate him, he has brought a new level of excitement into 2015. Photo by: Hoppenworld
Love Tyler or hate him, he has brought a new level of excitement into 2015. Photo by: Hoppenworld

(laughs) Alright, well we’re four rounds into the series and heading back to Anaheim with you in second trailing Cooper by eight points. How are you feeling about where you’re at in this series?

I gave up valuable points tonight, you know what I mean? But anything can happen. I just gotta keep being consistent. Coop’s worst finish is a seventh, my worst finish is a fourth and the wins will come. I just gotta keep working towards them. I got tired tonight, but I think we’re going to maybe take a little break this week, have some fun and go into next week feeling recharged.

 

So, overall you’re okay with where you’re at?

No, I want to be number one!

Author

Dan Lamb is a 12+ year journalist and the owner of MotoXAddicts.