Justin Brayton Talks Abu Dhabi | Vital MX Interview 3

PostRace

Justin Brayton was inactive for much of Abu Dhabi's main show, as a hard crash left him battered and bruised. Despite that, he was available later in the day to share some candid thoughts on the FIM World Supercross Championship.

Credit: Lewis Phillips
Related:
2023 FIM World Supercross Championship
Abu Dhabi
Justin Brayton
3 comments

View replies to: Justin Brayton Talks Abu Dhabi | Vital MX Interview

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Moto Braap
6 months ago

A lot of people used to discredit motocross or supercross if they saw a 1/2 time show of dirt bikes at a local fair or Arenacross like Brayton is talking about where they’d stage a take-out and a fist fight thinking it’s all about an entertainment effort not realizing what it takes to race a bike at competitive speeds so I appreciate when they do all they can to prevent that.  Even someone getting press for violating the rules rightfully so may make people think that’s a publicity stunt too but after hearing a few interviews from this race it sounds like they want it to be as legit as possible.  We know that Friese is the typical topic of controversy but I saw one of his interviews and he didn’t sound like the biggest trouble maker on the circuit on purpose.  Whether we want it or not if the promoters are putting a lot of money in things they may have things happen to keep the fans talking on a 1 lined track instead of just walking away having seen a ‘boring’ race with less passing.  If bad stuff happens unplanned and the riders put pressure on the promoters for certain things it’s good to see or even having an advocate like J-Bone was hired for Supercross to help prevent problems and make the racing fair.

One of the most infamous races was the incident with Mike Alessi where Bailey called him a cheater appearing to stand on Tedesco’s bike as if to stop him but guess what?  In the first moto Langston who wasn’t in the championship cut the track and nearly took Alessi out and also won the moto and got to keep his 1st place.  It was hard to see it on film but Tedesco may have come inside on Alessi to cause them both go down and it may have been Alessi intending to just give the old shove and bike pick up that other racers used to do thinking someone was trying to take him down.  That was Villopotos first win too so i can see how they’d be bummed about coming close to a championship, having another team cut the track with Langston looking like he was waiting for Alessi, Tedesco winning by a claimed cheater, and then have that race be the beginning of a big pro career for RV who was a rider he had beaten most of his amateur career.  Just a flashback with a little different of a story than what moto history seemed to have claimed with another controversial rider.

Technically, if Friese, Emig, or whoever is a good starter gets the #1 spot they can control the lines to protect their lead…call it cross jumping or whatever but they can take the lines they want or have to from keeping from getting passed.  I didn’t see the race but there were times when lines came together and certain riders like Friese got blamed instead because he got in trouble in the past.  To cut the track and then T-bone someone isn’t racing if that’s what they are talking about but on a tight track a good starter should have better chances despite him not being the best rider if he has the start advantage and it’s hard to pass. It’s a boring type circus to just have follow the leader too so it may take some more aggression to make something happen is needed but to make someone else go down or get hurt isn’t cool if on purpose like the announcers usually agree.

 

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Matt NZ
6 months ago

Great interview. 

As much as I would like WSX to succeed, they need to up their game. It is a very average spectacle.