Words by: Dan Lamb – Interview by: Chase Yocom – Photo by: Hoppenworld

Since winning the 250 AMA Motocross Championship at the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championhip and putting #4 on his bike, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett has not had the easiest time of it in Supercross. In 2013, he lasted one race before shattering his wrist, and with that, the #4 would not be seen the top step of an SX podium since 2007 when its old owner, Ricky Carmichael, retired. At last weekend’s 2014 Daytona SX, though, that streak came to an end and in dominating fashion.

Heading into Daytona, Blake had been solid in 2014, but with a second and two fifths on his scorecard, some were beginning to wonder if the wrist and foot injury were still producing lingering effects. Well, after fifteen laps and a sixteen-second win on the gnarliest supercross track in the books, we think some of the questions can now be laid to rest. It was an awesome display of speed and fitness that mirrored Baggett’s 2011 Daytona SX win and, hopefully, set the tone for the Californian heading into the final five rounds of SX and on into the 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Blake now trails his teammate Adam Cianciarulo by fifteen points heading into Detroit, and while it will be tough with Cianciarulo and Martin Davalos’ consistency, anything is possible in SX.

You have to go back to 2011 at the 250SX Eastern Regional finale in Las Vegas to find the last time Baggett stood on the top step of the box in SX. Photo by: Hoppenworld
You have to go back to 2011 at the 250SX Eastern Regional finale in Las Vegas to find the last time Baggett stood on the top step of the box in SX. Photo by: Hoppenworld

After Blakes’ second Daytona SX win, MotoXAddicts’ Chase Yocom caught up with him ask about his night. You can read what Blake had to say in the interview below.

Blake, you made it look easy out there tonight. Can you tell us about your day at Daytona?

It’s Daytona, so what’s there not to love about it? I just kind of plugged away at it tonight and just let it come to me. I had a big crash in the second practice, and the third practice wasn’t that good; I got beat by two-hundreths of a second or something like that. It was alright, but when you’re trying to get that top step, it’s always better when you get it. I just plugged away at it, got a not-so-good start in the main event and made some quick work of some stuff right off the bat—went from like ninth to second in one turn or something. (laughs) Then, I just went to work from there.

 

From the heat race to the main event you looked like you picked it up a gear. Were there any changes made to the bike?

Nope, didn’t touch it from this morning.

 

What did you think of the Daytona track tonight? It looked tough, but not as gnarly as we’re used to seeing at Daytona.

I mean it was gnarly, just kind of in a different way. Normally there’s a lot of ruts in every turn, and it seemed like it was just one deep rut in the turn. When we got to timed qualifying, everybody just filed into one spot to get the fast lap, so it doesn’t generate a lot of lines like it used to when they had a different format.

Blake struggled with starts in the main event, but his holeshot in the heat race at Daytona got his night off to a great start. Photo by: Hoppenworld
Blake struggled with starts in the main event, but his holeshot in the heat race at Daytona got his night off to a great start. Photo by: Hoppenworld

Yeah, it looked a little one-lined out there. Were there any good places to make time or passes out there tonight?

(laughs) I mean, there wasn’t really any good passing spots out there. It was kind of follow the leader to be honest.

 

We’ve heard from a few different riders that they made themselves a Daytona SX section to practice on. Were you able to come down here early or have a replica Daytona section built to practice on last week?

Nope, (laughs) I rode Corona clay, in Corona, California and then flew here.

 

(laughs) How good does it feel to finally get back to the top step of the box in Supercross? I know it’s been a little while.

It’s been a long time, yeah. I would just like to go into next weekend and try to repeat it indoors. I think we’re in St. Louis or something, or Detroit. I wanna just get the ball rolling and keep it going.

 

Alright, thanks for talking to us Blake, and congrats on the win.

Thanks, dude.

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