Plessinger has made the Star Racing guys look very smart in 2015. Photo by: Hoppenworld
If we had to choose one rider as the surprise of the year in the Western Regional 250SX Championship, it would have to go to the man leading the “Rookie of the Year” points: Star Racing/Yamalube/Yamaha’s Aaron Plessinger. The rookie from Hamilton, Ohio has blown us away with his raw speed and fitness and with a score card that reads 5-5-13-7-3, he has outscored the next best rookie by an amazing fifty-nine points over the first five rounds of the 2015 Monster Energy Supercross season. Overshadowed slightly by his teammate Cooper Webb leading the Championship, Aaron has still been able to step out of the shadows to show he definitely has future star potential.
After scoring two fifths in the first two rounds, Aaron finished thirteenth and seventh at rounds three and four. With that, the hype after his two fifth’s had fizzled out some, but he re-ignited the fuse with the first podium of his young career at the Anaheim 3 Supercross. Not only did he score a third, he did so by out battling the veteran Rockstar/Husqvarna’s Zach Osborne and even closing the gap late in the race on Troy Lee Designs/Honda’s Jessy Nelson. It was an impressive ride and with the third fastest lap on the night, it looks like he definitely has the raw speed to possibly race for a win before the season concludes in Las Vegas.
After Aaron’s first-ever podium, we caught up with Aaron in the middle of the post-race party at the Star Racing rig. You can check out our quick interview with the rookie in “Race Rewind” below.
Aaron, you had two surprise top-fives heading into Anaheim 3, and scored your first podium with a third tonight. That’s got to be sweet?
Yeah, I’m feeling great. I’m actually pretty speechless right now. It’s all hit me and it’s just a great feeling being up on that podium.
Can you talk a little about your main event tonight? You had a great battle with Zach Osborne for a while before securing third.
Yeah, I got off to a bad start in the first one before the red flag. I was around tenth, and then they red flagged the race. In the second start, I got a great start—I was fourth—and me and Zach Osborne battled for a little bit. Then, I got by him and I told myself to push. That’s what I did, and I ended up on the podium.
So, you were pumped to see the re-start? I mean, normally, it’s a rider down and that’s never good, but this one was different.
This one was actually really, really beneficial for me.
You started the year with two fifths, but the last two weeks before this podium haven’t been as good. Overall, though, how do you feel the season’s gone?
Oh, I’m feeling great. I’m feeling this is where I need to be. The last two races have been kind of on the edge, but I did get a seventh last weekend in Oakland and I think a thirteenth the weekend before. But, I backed it up with this podium and it’s feeling great.
Towards the end of the main you were catching Jessy Nelson for second. While Jessy may have thought he had a big enough gap to cruise it in, were you thinking you might have a shot at him?
I felt like he was cruising, but even though I wasn’t able to get him, I’m still pumped with the third. I mean him and Cooper [Webb] were riding great the whole race, and it was just an awesome race.
Alright, well, we won’t take any more of your time. It looks like there’s a celebration to be had here. Congratulations on a great ride.
Thank you.
