Photos by: Doc Weedon
As of just a few weeks ago, Autotrader / JGR / Suzuki’s Phil Nicoletti was expecting to be unemployed at the end of the Monster Energy Supercross season. Phil was only contracted in 2018 to contest the 250SX Eastern Regional SX series, but with Justin Bogle not being quite ready to return, JGR called on their trusty fill-in rider to ride Bogle’s bike to start the Lucas Oil Pro Motcoross Championship.
With only a handful of times on the new Suzuki 450 before Hangtown, Phil came into the outdoors underprepared, but he has still been solidly inside the top ten. Over the first four motos of the series Phil has gone 9-9-10-7 and currently sits 8th in the 450MX points standings. The #54 hopes these kinds of rides will be enough to keep him employed even after Bogle returns, but uncertainty has been kind of the theme of his employment with JGR and we don’t see that changing in the near future.
After his 10-7 for 8th overall at Glen Helen, Chris Cooksey caught up with the New Yorker they call “Filthy” to talk about Glen Helen and his uncertain future.
Back to Glen Helen with the big jumps. What did you think of it today?
It was okay. I’m glad they made the necessary changes because we were all a little frantic last week after Hangtown seeing some stuff from last Thursday and thinking there’s no fricken way we’re jumping that stuff. The jumps were still pretty gnarly and big, but it turned out okay. It was typical Glen Helen: gnarly, square-edged, rough, brutal. I saw God a few times. I survived, so it was okay.
How did you end up today exactly? I haven’t looked at the final results yet? How would you rate your day?
I think I went 10-7. It should have been 8-7, but I swapped out in the first moto. I mean the results were okay—I think I got 8th overall—but it still wasn’t, I don’t know. There was a pretty big time deficit between me and 4th and 5th. I had a lot more in the tank, but I need to figure out some stuff and do more testing. I haven’t had much time on the bike. We’ll go from there. The boys are working hard.
I think you’re being a little hard on yourself. That first moto you were battling up there early. You were right up there.
Yeah, both motos I was up there, but it comes to a point where I can’t maintain the speed. It’s kind of frustrating. Obviously I haven’t been to any of these tracks in two years—I was hurt last year—and at Glen Helen you need a typical sort of feel for the track and you need to carry momentum. I just didn’t fricken have it today. It’s kind of a bummer, but 10-7 on the day—I’ll take it and move on to Colorado.
Is it pretty difficult coming in here—you had a 250 SX only deal—and getting on the 450 outdoors? When did you get on the bike, and did that affect you at all?
Yeah, I had one day before Vegas SX on it, jst to kind of ride it, but I didn’t really test much. After Vegas, I had six days on it prior to Hangtown. It’s a new chassis compared to the 250, and obviously there’s so many more variables. It’s just a lot to take on. Back when we were on Yamahas, I was riding the 450 Yamaha all the time. It’s just been a big learning curve trying to figure this stuff out, trying to find a base setting so I can try and figure out how to carry that speed again. We’ll figure it out.
Do you know when Justin Bogle is coming back or exactly how many races you’re in for as a fill-in rider?
I’m not really sure. I think they said six rounds maybe. I’d like to stay in the top ten and keep riding for the team. It kind of sucks for me. I gotta like earn the outdoor spot back again. Like I said, though, I’m having fun and happy to be here. I’m putting laps in on Saturdays.
You don’t have to answer this, but did any other teams reach out to you because they had some issues and needed a rider?
Yeah, like I talked to some, but everything else was pretty uncertain. I’m already set up in North Carolina and I live a quarter of a mile from the shop, so the JGR deal for me made more sense. I’ve been with the guys for so long so a lot of them are like family to me. To make the move to California a week before Hangtown, it would have to make sense. If the stress levels are high, the tension is a lot worse. There was other stuff, but I’m happy where I’m at and happy to be riding the new Suzuki.
