Photo by: Hoppenworld

Entering the 2015 season, there were four rookie Loretta Lynn’s graduates on full factory satellite teams. There was Jordon Smith and the 2014 Horizon Award winner, RJ Hampshire, on the GEICO/Hondas and Chris Alldredge on the Monster/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team, but it was Aaron Plessinger under the Star Racing/Yamalube/Yamaha tent that separated himself as the class of the field. The #157 scored 113 points in the Western Regional 250SX Supercross Championship and took home the 250SX “Rookie of the Year” award. He backed that up by being crowned the 2015 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship 250MX “Rookie of the Year” winner as well.

The former GNCC rider and son of multi-time off-road racing Champion Scott Plessinger surprised everyone both indoors and out in 2015. After winning the “Rookie of the Year” award in Supercross, most thought Aaron, with his GNCC background, would fair even better outdoors, but it took him a while to find the pace to run up front. Over the first sixteen motos, the freshman’s best moto finish was a sixth, but Mother Nature pelted Washougal with rain and ignited Plessinger’s season. Aaron landed his first overall podium in Washougal, his first moto podium at the next round in Unadilla and scored his first ever overall at the final round in Indiana.

Aaron’s Indiana win was impressive for many reasons, but the most impressive part was watching him catch and drop riders that had his number all year long. In moto one, Aaron started just inside the top ten, and by the end, he was all over his Star Racing teammate Cooper Webb, battling for the lead. Aaron wasn’t able to make the pass, but he set himself up well for the overall.

Aaron Plessinger (center) will take the confidence that comes with winning into the 2016 season. Photo by: Hoppenworld
Aaron Plessinger (center) will take the confidence that comes with winning into the 2016 season. Photo by: Hoppenworld

In moto two, Aaron again started just inside the top ten. By the end of lap one, he was up to sixth, and by lap eight, he had caught and passed Monster/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy for the lead. From there, he went on to win moto two with a dominant ten-second gap and claim his first-ever overall win at the finale. It’s a huge accomplishment for the kid from Ohio and one that is likely to carry him into his sophomore year with a whole new level of confidence.

After his win, Aaron answered a few questions about his day and MotoXAddicts’ Chase Yocom was there to hit record. You can hear what Aaron had to say in his “Race Rewind” interview below.

Aaron, it was a great day for you and your Star Racing/Yamalube/Yamaha team. Tell me about the congrats, and the pats on the back that you got for your first overall win and your first moto win.

It was amazing. Today I was on another level. I really like this track. It’s going to be a good night over at Star Racing with Jeremy winning the championship and me getting the overall today. It’s just been an amazing day.

 

All three of you guys on the team, I think you went 1, 2, 4 last weekend, and this weekend kind of similar. Are you guys feeding off each other? What’s the vibe like under the tent?

Under the tent it’s pretty good. I think the vibe’s pretty good throughout the day, dancing around, getting up there, and keeping a smile on everybody’s face. It’s a great team we have. I think we are the only team to win three overalls throughout the year. It’s going to be a great year next year with everybody, and even Alex Martin coming on the team. It’s going to be a really tough team to beat. We’re going to be up on the podium, I think, every race, I hope. So it’s going to be a good year next year

Aaron Plessinger (157) caught, passed and checked out on Joey Savatgy (37) in moto two. Photo by: Hoppenworld
Aaron Plessinger (157) caught, passed and checked out on Joey Savatgy (37) in moto two. Photo by: Hoppenworld

If you could pick a place to win your first race, is this the spot?

Oh, yeah. I’ve been here many times before, and it’s a little different. It’s been more covered with trees, and probably about two years ago they started building this place [Ironman Motocross Track] and I came here for the regional for amateurs for Loretta’s last year and kind of vibed with the place. I like it a lot. I won both of my races here. It’s just a good track. My dad won two GNCC championships here in 1994 and ’95, so it’s a great place to win my first overall.

 

You come from a GNCC background. I know you raced the Ironman GNCC a couple of times. Did that help you out here at all?

I don’t think so, just because this track has only been here for about two years now, and we never really ran on it in the GNCCs. We really just ran through the cornfields and through the woods. The dirt’s similar to inside the woods, but I think this race win came out of just…I don’t know. It wasn’t luck, but it was some skill.

 

Did you know you had the overall, and can you take me through those final laps? Were you tight? Were you nervous? How were you feeling overall?

I knew I had the overall, just because I think Cooper [Webb] went down in the first lap, and I was behind him the first moto. I didn’t really know where [Joey] Savatgy had finished, but I was going to get by either way. I knew I had the overall as soon as I got by him, and when I was behind him. I just wanted to push because I never got a race win until today. It felt awesome.

Aaron looks very comfortable in deep ruts. Photo by: Hoppenworld
Aaron looks very comfortable in deep ruts. Photo by: Hoppenworld

They haven’t announced it yet, but you are the top rookie in points, and you won SX Rookie of the Year. I don’t know if that’s ever been done—it may have. But did you see this coming in? You were a little under the radar coming in.

Yeah, I was kind of injured the first part of the season. I did something to my back. It wasn’t the greatest start off to the season, but I knew I had it in me and I knew I could do it. I just trained my butt off and ended up on top here.

 

Congratulations on your first-ever overall win today.

Thank you.

Author

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