Interview conducted by and Photo by: Chase Yocom / Written by: Dan Lamb
There are journeymen in the sport of Supercross that you cannot help but cheer for, but if they’ve been racing for nine seasons and have not found the podium, you’re not likely to ever see them up there. Well, nobody told Autotrader / JGR / Suzuki’s Jimmy Decotis that. The man from Peabody, Massachusetts better known as “The Rippah” may not be able to pronounce his R’s, but after nine long seasons of trying and failing to get on the podium, he can now say he did it at the first race of his 10th season.
After getting two 4ths in 2017 riding the GEICO / Honda in the west, Jimmy got let go by GEICO and picked up by the JGR team, and you could immediately see he loved his new Suzuki in Arlington. The fastest four riders in qualifying were separated by just two-tenths of a second, and while Jimmy was 4th fastest, he was on pace with the fastest guys in the class. It was obvious the #47 came to play with the big boys in ’18.
In Jimmy’s first heat race of the year, he came from outside the top ten to finish third. In the main, he pulled an even worse start outside the top ten—barely avoiding the pileup in turn one—but he quickly went to work picking riders off. At the half way point of the main, it looked like Jimmy was going to stack another 4th place finish on his career resume, but when RJ Hampshire crashed, he took advantage of the situation and finally scored his first-ever podium.
I told my colleague Chris Cooksey before the season started that if Jimmy scored a podium, I would probably tear up. I was doing fine until he mentioned his late father being proud. Thanks, Jimmy; I had it under control until then. After his podium speeches were over, MotoXAddicts Chase Yocom caught Jimmy and recorded a great seven-minute interview about what this podium really means to a guy who has worked this hard for one.
The Rippah, Jimmy D with a 3rd place tonight. How does that sound?
It sounds good after all those damn 4th place finishes. (laughs) It really does sound good. I’m just happy with how I rode today. Even if I did get a 4th tonight—I would have been bummed for sure—but to come out with the new team and the new bike and ride the way I did on it… Everyone was making it seem like I was on a downslide going to Suzuki and it wasn’t the best choice. Same with [Justin] Hill. Yeah, he struggled a little bit, but it takes time to get used to the bike. For me, I proved everyone wrong. Everyone doubted me. Everyone doubted the team. Now, we have three consecutive podiums and it’s awesome to see. I’m happy that J-Bone [Jeremy Albrecht, JGR Team Manager] believed in me. This guy signs me and doesn’t even know I’ve never had a podium before. He doesn’t do his research. (laughs)
You don’t have to worry about that now. (laughs)
No, we got that one off the back.
Talk about your day. In practice you were quick. In qualifying, you were somewhere in the top five.
First free practice, I was 6th. Second one, I was 5th—like .8 off the lead—so I was a little bummed on that. In the last one, I was 4th just .2 off the lead. Us four were a full second better than the other guys. It was like, “Wow, I got it.” I didn’t know where I stood. During the week, I’ve been riding awesome. Me and Kyle Peters [JGR teammate] have been riding together, and I’ve been awesome in my speed and my fitness, but you never know how it’s going to go on race day. It changes so fast. The tracks are so gnarly. You don’t know if you’re too soft or too stiff, so to come in here and be comfortable the whole day. We made changes with Rob at RG3 all day. A little here, a little there and I never freaked out and kept my composure. We made the changes to allow my bike to do what I wanted it to do, and it was the first race I could make changes and not be a stress ball about it. Okay, we’re making changes to help me, but if it doesn’t we back. It was like every change I made set me up good for that main event and that was the most important thing.
Obviously whatever you did worked, because you put in a great ride. How close were you to all the carnage in the first turn?
I was in it a little bit. I seen tires flipping, but I squeezed my way through. I looked up and I knew I was like 11th. I made some quick passes at the beginning, and then I looked ahead at the guys and said, “I can get these guys. I can hit my marks and ride smart.” I was in 4th half way through and I kind of lost my speed. I was kind of thinking, “This is going to be another 4th place. Are you kidding me?” Then I seen RJ [Hampshire] crash and it rejuvenated me. I ended up zapping him quickly and fought as hard as I could til the end. I’m not gonna lie; I was pretty nervous on the last lap, but I know the work I do during the week with Seth and Swanny [trainers] so I was like, “okay, it’s just another day. It’s just another day.” That’s what I told myself on the gate: “It’s just another day.” The race day is the easiest day of the whole week ’cause it’s so short. You do three practices, a heat race, a main and it’s over. I do way more than that during the week. It’s cool to be at the races and thinking this is the easiest day of the week instead of, “Wow, this is the hardest day.” It kind of changes the perspective.
How is it being on the East after your teammates Phil Nicoletti and Justin Hill shook the bike down in the West. Did they pick up anything in those six weeks that helped you guys out?
Yeah, I think so. We did races and stuff to bring the front wheel in to get it to corner even better, which is crazy because the Suzuki corners so good. It’s just different in SX. We shortened the bike up a little bit, and Hill made some suspension changes with RG3. To be honest, Hill didn’t change anything from the week before he got the first podium or any of that. He changed stuff after the first and second round and he went 7-7. Then he got the podium [in Oakland], but he didn’t change his bike. I think he got more comfortable with the setting he was on and he believed in himself. He had a lot of pressure coming in with that #1. He had a lot of people talking smack, that, “Oh, it was a bad move for him.” I think he let the pressure get to him, but you could see it in that last race that Justin Hill is back. JGR Suzuki is back. These guys are a top tier team in the pits and anyone should want to ride for them because their bike is amazing.
Speaking of the new team, obviously you’ve told us how much your enjoying them, but how good has that change been for you? Also, what’s it been like working with Seth Rarick and Swanny [Gareth Swanepoel] as your trainers this year? I think that’s new for you.
I was with Swanny last year, but he has so many guys and Star [Racing Team] and Cooper Webb. Swanny writes the program and Seth takes care of me, overlooks everything and makes sure I do it. It’s cool to see the program. They learn everyone’s body type. They know that my body is different than Colt’s and Cooper’s and they give me a little bit more recovery because I’ve been through the Lime Disease stuff. They listen to me if I ask them like, “Hey, I’m not feeling good today. Can we shorten the motos?” They respect that, but there’s days that I say that and they’re like, “No, you’re gonna do it.” We have a good working relationship. I’m thankful that Swanny allows me to work with him, because he doesn’t have to. The fact that he allowed Seth to come onboard and take care of it all, I’m blessed. I’m blessed to have one of the top trainers in the sport overlooking my program. It goes to show that when I don’t got Lime Disease, I eat the right foods and do the right things, I can get up there with these guys.
I know this was huge for you, but it’s something that you really wanted for your dad. He’s no longer with us, but how stoked are you? I’m guessing it was a little emotional, but I’m happy you were able to pull that off.
I was pretty good until right before I did my interview on Fox Sport. The Motoconcepts truck driver came up to me, and he knows how important my father was to my racing and how much he loved it and he said, “Your dad would be proud.” I was going to the interview about to tear up and I told myself to pull it together. I seen my sister after and we bawled for a little bit. My dad wanted me for so many years to get up on that podium. He believed in me the whole time. He knew I could do it. It’s just cool, and I’m sure he’s helping me out there, guiding me and keeping me safe. I’m sure he’s proud. Now I gotta win for him and he’ll really be proud. He believed I could win too; he always did.
We believe in you too. (laughs) We’ll hopefully cross that path here a little bit later. Go enjoy it with the family. It’s a night you will remember for the rest of your life. We’re stoked for you and it’s been a long time coming. Thanks again for the time.
Yeah, it has. No problem.
