Photos by: Chase Yocom

Rockstar Energy / Husqvarna’s Jason Anderson now has a big 39-point lead in the 450SX Championship standings with just three rounds to go, but you can tell the #21 is not happy with Eli Tomac doing the majority of the winning lately. Over the last few rounds, we have not seen a conservative, points-protecting Anderson; we have see a man trying to win more races.

Click to check out what's new at Race Tech
Click to check out what’s new at Race Tech

In Minneapolis, Jason had nothing for Tomac in moto 1—finishing second behind the #3—but from then on, he was the fastest rider on the track. In moto two, Jason came from behind and looked like he was on his way to the win, but he got impatient trying to pass Justin Brayton and went off track and back to 5th. That alone was tough for the red plate holder, but the AMA also tagged him with a one position penalty “for being on the throttle off of the track.” It’s a very weird penalty that I can’t say I agree with and it would later cost him the win.

In the final moto, Jason was untouchable. He simply got to the front and checked out on the field for a dominant win. In the end, Jason’s 2-6-1 moto scores lost out for the overall to Tomac’s 1-4-3 by one point—the same point he lost in the penalty.

After the race, two MotoXAdicts’ journalists Chase Yocom and Chris Cooksey talked to the red plate holder and covered just about everything. Check out the interviews below to hear what Jason thought about the penalty, his training partner Broc Tickle’s suspension for peeing dirty, what supplements he personally takes, what he plans on doing to celebrate his SX title—if he wins it—and his thoughts for the outdoors.

Jason Celebrates the moto 2 win.

Chase: Jason, second on the night tonight. You have to be pumped that you kept your main competitor in the Championship, Marvin Musquin, behind you and picked up a couple more points on him.

I feel like tonight went really well. I feel like I gave away the win a little bit, but at the same time, I felt like I was riding great all night. That’s all I can ask for. I’m doing good as far as points, but I really want to win some races as the season goes on.

 

Chase: It’s hard for me to tell because I’m on the floor taking pics, but I was told you would have won the overall if you weren’t docked those points. Is that right?

Yeah, I would have won the overall. All in all, you get curve balls thrown at you once in a while, but I’m going to keep charging and keep doing my deal. That’s just how it rolls sometimes. That’s the cards you’re dealt and you just have to roll with them.

 

Chase: That mentality has been working for you all year, so don’t change it.

It’s been working for me all year, but at the same time, I’m sure in the future I’m going to have some stuff thrown at me. I have to stay very calm and keep trying my butt off during some of the chaos that’s going to be coming. I’ve had a good year and I really want to keep it going.

Jason’s style seldon produces a bad pic.

Chase: It’s a “Triple Crown” tonight and a little bit of a different format, but how hard is it involving this weather. We’re sitting here in a blizard. It has to make it tougher on you guys.

We were sitting by the garage doors on the way in. It was shitty not being able to go back to your rig, but we made the best of it. Hopefully next weekend in Foxborough we can have some good weather and from here on out.

 

Chase: How did the track hold up? With the “Triple Crown,” you guys are on it a lot.

The track broke down a lot. It was crazy. They’ve been doing a good job. I thought it was going to be hard packed and stay hard all night. It was a hard crust, but underneath it was soft, so it broke down pretty well.

 

Chase: What do you do when you have a situation like that?

I didn’t make any changes. I felt like my bike was reacting the same. Just more ruts.

 

Chase: Did your loose style help you out in some of those conditions?

I felt pretty good. In the last main when the track was at it’s worst, I felt like I was riding pretty smooth. I was pulling it off. I made a couple setting changes when it got rougher, but just a couple clicks stiffer on my high speed.

Chris Cooksey asks the tough questions below.

Cooksey: You’ve been riding like a savage with the points lead. I don’t think we’ve ever seen someone with this much of a points lead this late in the season just going for it. Is anyone in your camp telling you not to?

I like to do what I want to do. People always try to give me advice, but at the end of the day, I know what works for me. If I ever go into conservation mode, I feel like that’s when mistakes come. For me, I’m trying to do what I do all the time and trying my butt off. That’s all I’ve been doing—it’s been working—and I’m going to keep it going. The first time you start stressing about the points on race day, it’s not a good thing to let enter your mind.

 

Cooksey: Okay, so which hotel are you going to trash after you win the title?

(laughs) I’ve been talking with Rockstar. They usually help me out. When I won my 250 West Championship, I just turned 21 right before Vegas and I was super into gambling. I’d go play blackjack all the time, so they gave me ten grand just to go gamble, blow it or do whatever I want with it. They always do something cool to help me celebrate my championships. We got some stuff in the works.

 

Cooksey: I live in Vegas and I play poker, so let me know if you want to go hit some tables.

I’m not really a poker player; I’m more a blackjack player. I play single or double deck, nothing more though.

With a 39-point lead and just three main events left, Rockstar Energy better get those blackjack chips ready for El Hombre.

Cooksey: Your training partner Broc Tickle obviously got flagged this week. There have been been rumblings on the internet that it’s the Aldon Baker factor, but what’s going through your head with that? What do you think of the situation?

I know Broc personally and I’m with him all the time. He’s such a good dude, and he would never do anything on purpose. He works his butt off and he does everything right. I think what he got caught for…I talked to him and there’s so many little things you can take and get in trouble for. You can get in trouble for having too much tobacco in your system from too much chewing tobacco. I understand there’s gotta be rules, but it’s not like it was a gnarly thing that he was taking. I mean, he didn’t even know. I feel bad for him ’cause I know he just got the call on Thursday. He shows up, is getting ready for press day and he gets a call that he’s suspended. I’m so gutted for the guy. I have his back 100%, no mater what.

 

Cooksey: Does Aldon have a plan to sort of address that and say, “Hey, we don’t do this down here”?

We don’t do anything. For the most part, Aldon gives me supplements some times to take, but it’s like Fish Oil or stuff like that. Honestly, I forget to take the stuff half the time. It’s a bummer. We work our butts off. The biggest thing I take is MindFX and water, that’s about it.

 

Cooksey: Do you think you can carry this momentum into the outdoors with a fresh start and be “The Guy” outdoors?

That’s the goal, but as long as I wrap up this SX Championship, who gives a shit about outdoors. (laughs)

Author