Photos by: Todd Gutierrez

Heading into the 2016 Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship series, nobody really knew what to expect from GEICO / Honda’s 450SX rookie Justin Bogle. The Oklahoman had an up and down 250SX career, but over the two years of his small bore career Justin finally stayed healthy and stepped up to win the 2014 250SX Eastern Regional Championship and then finished second to Marvin Musquin before graduating to the 450SX class at the end of ’15.

Of the three 450SX rookies on factory bikes in 2016—Bogle, Musquin and Christophe Pourcel—Justin has scored the least points, but since returning from an early season injury, he has been climbing up to become a solid top ten 450 rider. And last weekend in Santa Clara, Justin put together twenty clean laps and was battling to put the #19 inside the top five for the first time.

After getting a good start in the main event, Justin went around Red Bull / KTM’s Ryan Dungey and battled with the #1 in the opening lap before surrendering the lead to the Champ. By the end of the twenty laps, Justin was not able to keep the GEICO machine inside the top five, but he was able to cross the line with a career-best sixth in the main. It’s probably not the spot Justin wanted, but it’s a huge step in the right direction for the Freshman 450SX rider.

We caught up with Justin at the GEICO / Honda rig at the end of the night to ask him about his night in Santa Clara, his progress in the 450SX and his expectations heading into the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship next month.

After getting a second place start, Justin Bogle (#19) went around Ryan Dungey (#1) through the first rhythm section for the early lead
After getting a second place start, Justin Bogle (#19) went around Ryan Dungey (#1) through the first rhythm section for the early lead

Justin, career-best 450SX main event tonight at the Santa Clara SX with a sixth. How are you feeling about your night?

Feeling good. The whole day was a lot better than it’s been the past few rounds. Practice was good; it felt good. A lot of changes to my bike this week. The thing is working so much better. I’m really happy with that and everything that’s going on around me. I’m starting to get more confident, better shape and all those things. I’m building into now, which is nice.

I had a good heat race, and it actually felt really good to have earned my spot [in the main event] out of that and not have to go to the semi. In the main event, I got a good start. My heart rate hit the moon there. I was dicing it up there up front for the first couple of laps. All in all, it was good. I’m very unhappy with how I rode in the main event, but for the most part I’ll take that sixth place right now. I believe in myself, and I believe that I have more in the tank.

 

As you move up levels, it’s really about getting used the pace at the front and believing you belong up there battling with those guys. You said your heart rate went through the roof battling with the guys up front—Ryan Dungey, Ken Roczen, Chad Reed, Jason Anderson tonight—but is that something where you just have to convince yourself that you belong up there?

Yeah, of course. That’s the biggest thing, man. It’s 100% self belief. I’ve said this before, but sometimes I think I’m the only one on this planet that does. That’s alright, but eventually I will figure it out. That being said, you have to get up there and dice with those guys to get comfortable doing it. Without doing that, you don’t know what it’s like. I look at it like this: the last time I got the start, I looped out on the first jump. This time, I got the start, made it through the race and got a sixth place, so I’m getting more comfortable for sure.

With a huge list of riders contracts expiring at the end of 2016, these last five SX races are huge for the #19.
With a huge list of riders contracts expiring at the end of 2016, these last five SX races are huge for the #19.

It’s a big year for you, career-wise. There are a lot of 450 rider contracts up at the end of ’16. You’re only on a one-year deal here at GEICO / Honda, so you are definitely trying to make an impression on team managers in your rookie 450 year. How do you think it’s been going so far?

It’s good. I don’t think I’m that far from what I believe I’m capable of. I don’t think my bargaining power is super crazy at the moment. I don’t think I’ve gotten any awesome results, but I think I’ve shown the future is looking better. I’m really confident in what I can do in the future. I believe I should be one of the guys up there battling for one of these things. That being said, I know there’s talks going on. It’s still early for me, but it’s looking better than it was last year when it got down to November and I finally got something figured out. It’s all good. That’s part of it and that’s why we have agents and people that figure that stuff out for us now. Jimmy Button [Justin’s agent] is hard at work for me.

 

How are you feeling about racing the 450 outdoors this summer? Have you done any testing on the 450 outdoors yet with the team?

Yep, we went back and tested—straight from Detroit out to Oklahoma to Reynard Raceway and rode there. Robbie [Reynard] had the track super rough and rutted—it was really good. We made a lot of progress on the bike, all three of us: me, Colt [Nichols] and Trey [Canard]. Looking back to last year, I came in super unprepared. I got the call straight off the couch from being injured. Not really being able to train much, I had the speed. I hit the ground a few times, but I had the speed, and I’m confident that with some time under my belt, I can have a good summer.

 

We only have five more rounds of SX left. What’s it going to take to get that #19 Honda up onto the box before it’s over?

More of what happened tonight, a start and run up there with those guys. I honestly truly believe that if I would have ridden in the main the way I rode in my heat race, I would have been knocking on the door for a podium tonight. Obviously that did not happen, and I did not ride nearly as good as I did in the heat race. Just, like I said, it’s progress and if we keep making progress, it’ll come.

Author

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