Pre-Race Interviews: St. Louis
April 03, 2026
St. Louis SX is tomorrow, and it’s a showdown! We caught up with Tomac, Sexton, Smith, Deegan, Kitchen, Shimoda, and Hammaker for some 1:1 interviews today at press day.
Eli Tomac
Are you tired of everyone asking you about “injuries”?
No injuries for Eli.
Yeah, I don’t know. I get it though. I’ve had some weird races the last couple of weeks, but nothing’s wrong. I’m here on press day riding; I’m not hiding anything.
Does that bother you? There’s been a lot of speculation online.
I avoided media this week on purpose. I mean, that’s just what I normally do if I have a bad result, because I know I’m going to get the heat and the speculation no matter what. It’s understandable when you’re expected to win and be at the front. But speculation aside, I’m physically fine. It’s really just up to me to ride better right now.
Did you work on anything in particular after the last couple of races?
Yeah, I will say I've tried to do some things that's going to end up in a better result. We’ll see what we get this weekend.
Was that on the bike or more on your side?
Both.
Are you still actively learning the new bike? People saw how strong you were early in the season, but it’s still a new motorcycle.
Yes, of course. But I’m not panicking by any means. I’m just trying to figure out why I’ve had these last so-so races and move on from it. The good thing is I’ve got the red plate, so I need to take advantage of it.
Chase Sexton
Good to have you back. How is the body feeling?
My body feels good. Just like last weekend, I feel good. No complaints on my side.
What did you work on this week?
To be honest, I was just doing my laps and doing everything I can to be the best version of myself this weekend. Really just riding the bike and trying to get better; that’s it.
Are you starting to look ahead to outdoors at all, or are you still fully focused on Supercross?
I’m definitely looking forward to outdoors because the Supercross season hasn’t gone the way I had hoped. That’s part of the reason I came back: I wanted to get some races under my belt, and this is all preparation for motocross. I haven’t ridden outdoors yet, but hopefully in the next week or two I’ll start riding outdoors during the week and get ready for the summer.
Any specific goals for the rest of Supercross?
The big goal is to try to get at least another win; hopefully more than one. It would also be good to be on the podium and just keep building every week, trying to get back to my normal self.
When you look at the remaining rounds, are there any venues you’re especially looking forward to?
Nashville would be cool to win; I’ve won there before and it’s a great city. Honestly, there aren’t many places I don’t like. I’ve won in Philly, Salt Lake, and Denver. Cleveland will be fun since it’s a new one and it’s a Triple Crown, so that should be interesting. To be honest, they all have their own unique traits, so I’m excited for the rest of the races.
Jordon Smith
How are you feeling on the 450?
It’s coming around, getting better and better. It’s been tough so far, just getting myself back into racing. I took three or four months off from riding, so it’s been about getting comfortable on the bike again. Then jumping onto a new bike adds another challenge. But we’re improving every weekend, and I feel like we’re getting to a place where I’m pretty comfortable week in and week out. Now it’s about dialing in the little things and believing in myself again.
You never raced a 450 before this year right?
No, not really. I’ve raced Monster Cup twice, but that’s about it. So this is still pretty new for me, racing these guys.
What are your thoughts on the 450 class?
The class is super stacked. It’s kind of like an East-West shootout every week. It’s the best of the best, especially at the top. Everyone is good at every part of the track. There aren’t many weaknesses. Like, even someone like Justin Cooper might struggle with skimming the whoops, but he can still be the fastest through them by jumping. So there are fewer weak spots across the field, and that’s been tough to adapt to. But I feel like I belong more now and I’m just trying to stay in the fight.
Do you have a specific position in mind that is your goal?
We’ve just been trying to take what we can get and improve every week. Right now, top 10 is definitely the goal. I’ve finished top 10 once and just outside a couple times, so we’re right there. Realistically, I think a 5th to 7th would be a really good night for us right now. We’re trending that way, so I just want to keep pushing.
When you look at those top 5 guys like Justin Cooper and Malcolm, do you feel close?
Yeah, I do feel close at times. I know I have the speed and the fitness. It’s more about comfort and putting it all together for the full main event. Sometimes I have it, and other times I get a little nervous or tight and don’t ride like myself. So I’m working on coming out strong from lap one and staying there.
We saw you up front last weekend.
Yeah, it was good to be up front for a bit. I struggled a little once I was there; I felt good the first lap, then made a couple mistakes and got nervous. That’s just part of it, though. I want more of that, just for longer.
Seth Hammaker
St. Louis! What are your thoughts coming in here?
Glad to be here. Another showdown. The schedule has been kind of all over the place with these races, but I’m looking forward to it. I’ve only raced here once before for SMX last year, and the dirt was pretty hard-packed then. This time it looks really soft, so it should be fun. We’ll see what happens.
Seems like it could break down… that’s good for you!
Yeah, for sure. It should get pretty rutted.
A lot of the talk right now is you versus Davies. You saw his pace a bit last weekend—what do you feel like you need to work on?
I mean, we all know he’s really fast in the whoops; that’s kind of all we hear about. I feel like I’m better in other areas of the track, but he gains a lot of time there right now. If I can just be a little better in that section, it would help, but it’s not something you can completely fix in a week. Overall, I just need to keep doing what I’m doing, put myself in good positions off the start, and focus on my own race.
With the whoops, is it even worth trying to match that pace, or do you have to be more strategic?
You have to be smart about it. If I just go in there wide open without thinking, I’m probably not making it out every time. He’s one of the best whoop riders across both 250s and 450s, so you have to respect that. He’s just really good there.
Do you think that kind of pace could ever come back to bite him?
It could. When you’re going that fast, a small mistake can catch you out. But at the same time, you can’t rely on that; you’ve got to beat him straight up.
With the points situation, are you thinking about the championship every week, or still taking it race by race?
I’m still taking it race by race. As we get later into the season, there will be more pressure to beat him, but right now there’s still a lot of racing left. We’re not in a must-win situation yet.
How do you feel about your riding overall?
I’m pretty happy. I feel like I’ve been consistent, which is good. Obviously you want to win, and that’s tough to do every weekend, but I feel like I’m riding well and it will come.
You’re feeling okay physically after the recent crashes?
Yeah, I’ve had a couple of crashes the last few weeks, but I’m okay. Just a little banged up from last weekend, but nothing that will affect me here.
Haiden Deegan
How frustrated are you about the win being taken away?
No, it’s cool. I don’t really see it as a win being taken away. In my mind, I won that straight up. Now we’re here in St. Louis with another chance to go win again.
You ride with a lot of your teammates during the week; are you always faster than them?
No, not at all. There are plenty of times where I’m not the fastest guy at the practice track. But being the fastest in practice doesn’t win the main event, and being the fastest qualifier doesn’t mean anything either. There are a lot of guys who qualify first, get hyped up, and then don’t deliver in the race. What matters is putting in the work each week. I’m not always the fastest, sometimes I’m even the slowest, but I’m always out there grinding.
Are you riding the 450 a lot right now?
Yeah, we’re starting to focus on getting 450 prep in and dialing that bike. It’s a new bike, so there’s not a ton of development yet outside of what I’m doing with it. We’re working on getting it sorted. The team has been helping—especially with suspension—so we’re getting it dialed in.
Are any of the other Star guys already riding the 450 outdoors, like J Coop or anyone?
No, not really. I think J Coop has done a little bit, but for the most part they’ve been focused on Supercross.
How do you feel on the 450?
I feel amazing. I’m excited. It feels like it’s unlocked a new level of speed for me, and my aggression works well on it.
What are your expectations?
To win. Ever since I was a kid, that’s always been my expectation. Whether it happens right away or not, the goal is to keep working toward that point. I’ve always been able to build toward winning, so that’s the goal.
You excited for motocross then?
Oh yeah, I can’t wait; for the starts, the battles, all of it. It’s going to be exciting.
Levi Kitchen
How’s the back?
Yeah, I got MRIs and everything. I’ve got some bulging discs in my lower back, so I took last week off and did a bunch of treatment for it. I rode a little bit on Tuesday.
Was that from a crash, or how did it happen?
I think I actually did it in the gym; probably deadlifting.
You gotta stay away from those!
[Laughs] I do them all the time and usually with good form, but I must have tweaked something and then aggravated it without really focusing on getting it better.
But it’s a weird one. With bones, you know you’re out for a set amount of time, but with a back injury you don’t really know; you just kind of manage it. I know riding can make it worse. It was feeling really good, then I rode Tuesday and it flared up again. So I’m just trying to manage it and do the best I can this weekend; that’s why I’m here.
Did you only ride that one day?
Yeah, just that, and then I did some starts on Wednesday.
What can you do to improve it?
Honestly, rest is the main thing. Some people get epidurals or things like that to numb the pain, but I want to actually fix it and let it heal properly. That’s just going to take time. Luckily, I have a bit of a break after this round, so I’ll keep doing everything I can to get it better.
Did you consider sitting out the rest of Supercross to fully recover?
No, not the rest. I did think about it after riding Tuesday because I wasn’t sure what the best option was, but then I made progress again. In normal day-to-day life it actually feels pretty good; standing and walking are fine. It’s more sitting, like in a car or airplane, and things like seat-bouncing triples that really bother it.
So it’s more specific movements that trigger it?
Yeah, exactly. Whoops and certain sections don’t hurt as much. It’s when I roll my hips forward and hunch my back; that’s what really aggravates it. It’s something I tend to do, and it’s hard to avoid sometimes.
Jo Shimoda
How are you feeling? You didn’t have much time on the bike before the season started, but now you’ve had more time. Do you feel like you’ve made improvements?
Yeah, I think we were making improvements up until last week. Last week I was really sick: I had a fever, so my performance wasn’t there. But we reset, and this weekend I feel really good, so I’m ready to go and attack again.
What have you been working on in particular during the week?
Mostly suspension stuff, but also my riding: just getting back into it and doing more laps. At the same time, you don’t want to overdo it because your body is already tired from racing.
You’re feeling better this week after being sick?
Yeah, much better.
What do you think of St. Louis? Do you like it here?
I like it here. St. Louis has always treated me well results-wise. My first year I had a good result, and last year in SMX I got 2-2. So I have good memories here.
What’s the plan for the rest of the season? Obviously you want to win the championship; do you feel like you have the pace to match the top guys right now?
I think up until last weekend, yes. In Birmingham I was leading at one point, then I made a mistake and gave it back. We still have five rounds to go, so there’s a lot of racing left. I need to make up some points, and first we need to get a win and go from there.
This weekend’s showdown is a good opportunity to make up points?
Yeah, for sure. We’ve got to be extra focused for these showdowns.
