Supercross fans have a love/hate relationship with Jason Lawrence. Similar to Howard Stern’s fan base, those who like the young rider want to see what he is going to do next, but those who hate him also want to see what he is going to do next. Either way, there is no denying J-Law’s talent on a motorcycle, as he has proven in his only two races in the Supercross class. We found J-Law roaming the pits on Saturday night, following his fifth place finish and he let us in on his progress and his plans for he remainder of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series.
How did your first real 450 Supercross race go?
Pretty good. It was something where I didn’t really know what to expect because, like you said, Daytona wasn’t really a Supercross race. I just came into it with the same expectations that I had for Daytona, which was not much. I want to be five, which is funny because that is right where I ended up. Top five to me is really good. Third is really what I’m going for because those first two guys are almost in a different league right now. Third is like winning a race to the manufacturers because they know they are not getting Bubba (James Stewart) and they know they are not getting (Chad) Reed. So, I just want to be the guy who people want the most so I can get a good manufacturer (to support) my team next year.
So you are really just looking at these races as possible sponsorship opportunities for next year?
Yeah, it doesn’t really have anything to do with points, so I just want to do everything I can to make my team look good until next year.
Going into Indy, you mentioned that you didn’t feel very comfortable on the bike but you are definitely starting to look more like your 250 days right now.
It’s starting to come for sure. I just takes a while to get used to throwing that bike around; it’s a lot different. I think I’m getting more comfortable with that, but there is still a lot to be gained and I feel like I can just keep getting better and better. I think everyone else is already at their peak, because right now we are mid-way through the season, they’re on a roll and I’m just coming into it. So I’m going to be getting more intense as the series goes on and I think everyone else backs it down a bit, so it should be getting a little bit better for me.
Does that mean you plan to run the rest of the series in the Supercross class?
Yeah I’m going to do all of them. I’m not really sure on the West Coast races of what I am going to do; it just depends on how I’m doing in the 450s.
So you might drop back down?
If I’m getting podiums; being on the podium in the big class is way better than winning the little class. If I’m getting podium consistently in the 450s then I would like to stay in that class.
One last thing, do you want to give some love to the Englishtown, NJ crew?
Yeah (laughs)! All the dudes from Jersey. Its sick. That’s where I was born and raised and that’s why I’m as good as I am, definitely. All the guys back East. The Northeast develops great riders as you know. I think it has a lot to do with the availability of riding spaces. It’s not full of track homes yet!
TAGS: Catching Up With..., jason lawrence, St. louis, supercross
