Jason Weigandt is the voice of AMA Motocross. The friendly, honest and—in my opinion along with Eric Johnson—the leader in American media coverage, got to witness some European magic last weekend, at the final round of the AMA Nationals.
Weigandt, who works for NBC television, is also senior editor of the leading American motocross and supercross website, racerxonline, has always tried to be as neutral as he could, and in my opinion he does a great job in staying on the fence, and not becoming a mouth piece for anyone.
Geoff Meyer [our European based MXGP partner] was lucky sit lucky enough to catch up with him and ask him about the amazing performance of Red Bull KTM factory rider, Jeffrey Herlings last weekend.
First I want to say well done on your work, because you always remain neutral and most of us can’t do that.
I really try not to take sides. That is my number one goal, and that is probably the only thing that gets me mad and I try my best to not do that. People can claim I am a terrible announcer and I can live with that, but I really try to not to claim I am pulling for one guy, and it doesn’t have to be an American guy against some other country, it can also be two American guys. I try my best to call it as close down the middle as I can.
What about the Herlings thing. How did you see that?
I thought it was a spectacular show and the amount of buzz and excitement already with the title on the line. Eli had a big points lead, but it’s been a crazy season, so anything could happen. Then you throw in a complete wildcard, like Herlings, who you knew would be a factor, he could have won or he could have been second or third, but you knew he would be in the mix at least. I thought it was a great show. It didn’t bother me one bit (that Herlings won). I think that is what it’s all about, we are just trying to tell good stories and have good racing. I can’t imagine anyone there thought it was boring with what went down.
I texted Davey [Coombs] after the race and asked if he had ever seen anything like that from a GP guy. He said second moto never seen anything like that. And as Jeffrey said in the interview he did with him he said it might have been his best race ever. As far as the USGP, Eli is going to come, he is going to be motivated, he has nothing on the line and he showed in the last two GPs that he can dominated. How do you see it turning out?
It couldn’t have been set any better. I mean we had that brief moment in the first moto where he gets around Eli, and it looks like Eli is staying with him and then it looked like Eli was going to pass him, and then he crashed and that is all we got. So, it was the perfect scenario and from then Eli was in complete title mode and I think he scared himself that he nearly threw it away. So, we got a brief battle and a nice tease for this weekend. I don’t want to take anything away from what Herlings did. He went 1-1, he was fastest in both practices and he passed a whole bunch of guys, but you did mention what Eli did at the two GP’s last year. It is just the perfect set-up for this weekend.
I think there are two scenarios. Eli and Jeffrey have that unbelievable speed that very few people have. I even think on their day, they are faster than Ken (Roczen), but I am thinking if Eli doesn’t have a good day, the MXGP guys might just eat him up. Of course, it can also go the other way, like the last two GPs did that he rode. It should attract an extra couple of thousand people what happened last weekend?
It was the best promotion the race could ever have. Not matter how many interviews we are doing, or commercials, or even discount tickets, it wouldn’t do the same level. And what was mentioned last weekend, he isn’t even the points leader (in MXGP), he isn’t the only guy who is good. But it does look like Cairoli is being a little conservative of late, just trying to lock down the title, so he might be in the situation Eli was in last weekend. That is a bit Eli’s thing, the season has been so up and down, you never know what you are going to get, but I will say, the bad races are when he is thinking about the title, but in supercross he was behind and had to go for it and that is his situation this weekend, but I am not going to try and predict who wins, that would be crazy.
I noticed on your post-race show Eli looked very lay back and happy. Usually that is the best state to be in if you want to ride your best. A lot of times this year he has looked a bit angry and uptight in the press conferences.
I think what Eli was dealing with, he has always been fast in the past and led the points in the past and hasn’t been able to hold it together and I think he was busy with, don’t throw it away, don’t throw it away and I think Herlings is a bit like that, you go fast your whole career and suddenly people are telling you not to do that. And it’s hard to do that, ride conservatively. I mean some guys like Antonio Cairoli are good at that, but guys like Eli and Herlings, I mean how many MX2 titles did he wrap up and end up crashing. I don’t think those guys can do that too well, so as soon as they get into try not to win and, just save points mode, they are completely out of sorts mode. It will be good for Eli (this weekend), he doesn’t have to do that and Herlings is the same in his class, just in comeback mode, might as well go for it.
I always liked how Jeffrey said the bike isn’t the same as in the GPs and it was decided quickly and it was a bit like he was making excuses for himself, taking the pressure off.
I give him credit, because I talked to him on Friday and he said it wasn’t the difference from winning and losing. I thought it was cool he said that. Yes, the bike isn’t’ the same as in Europe and yes, he didn’t have much time to plan, but he wasn’t going to use that as a crutch. As confident as he is, I am sure he didn’t think it would go as well as it went. So, for him to say that won’t be the difference, I think it was cool he didn’t hide behind that.
He got massive support from the American fans. I am not sure I have seen that type of support for a non-American guy before. How did you see it?
Well, we notice from running the racerx website every day, he is one of the few guys that really cuts through it. He is popular with the numbers we get, with a news item with him, or a quote or something. I think because he was outspoken in the past, he gets more interest than a guy who is just winning races. I think he is more popular than many others. I mean for example, if Tim Gajser came over here, he is the MXGP champ, maybe the same level as Jeffrey, but I think Jeffrey is more popular because he is controversial in the past. And after a rider like that, I mean it’s hard not to get excited when you saw what the guy can do. Since that was our last round, everyone goes down by the starting gate and hangs out, and that was the topic, like where do you think he was going faster, where did he make up time, what was he doing different. Everyone wanted to talk about it, so I think as a motocross fan, it was pretty hard not to watch that and think, that was pretty special and you are excited and you cheer the guy.
You have seen some very good riders in the last decade or so. And obviously you see guys doing stuff, be it James Stewart or whoever and you think wow. I mean he was so smooth, and so fast. Did you have many moments like that watching Jeffrey?
It was different. When Stewart was in his prime, he was inventing stuff, somewhat inventing the scrub, or jumping something nobody was jumping. It was different with Jeffrey, where it was more like the efficiency. Every corner you could see him getting on the gas more than anyone else, every time. Or the ruts, he was going into them better than everybody else, every time. It was like he was effectively, almost like he was riding on a different track, than everyone else. Eli, when he is on, it’s like he hits every bump on the track, harder than everybody else. He does it the same, just hits it harder and does it faster. Actually, if anything, it is the effective way Roczen does it when he is on. It’s not like you see him doing anything that nobody else is doing, he is just doing those things better. I think everybody was trying to draw a parallel, I mean Stewart went from last to first, on a 125, against 250F’s, which was even crazier. But when you start to get compared to Stewart in his prime, that’s darn good.
Last question. You seem very passionate, you get very emotional, I don’t mean tearing up emotional, but really into it. When are we going to see you at an MXoN in Europe, an event you would really love?
JMy whole thing there is, I have two kids and I have to go to around 32 to 33 weekends in the year. So, to go there, it’s like five days to do it right. So, I am looking for the permission slip really. I mean know that is probably the best event with the crowd and the atmosphere and stuff, and I highly regret going, but if I want to do the 32 weekends, then I can’t also hang out with my buddies for five more in Europe. I just have to wait until my kids are older, then I can come.
Did you want to add anything Jason?
One thing I wanted to say, the one guy who did get lost in this, and Davey and I did come up with a parallel. Sebastien Tortelli in 1999 came from about 35th to first, in both motos of the opening AMA Motocross championship, at Glen Helen that year. I mean he has moved to America by then, but it was still his first motocross race, and you have been around, Tortelli in his prime, on his day, to be compared to that, you are doing something right. That is the only one we could think of a GP guy coming over here and doing something like that. If you can only think of one, that’s pretty good.
