Former pro racer Jason Thomas was right on the floor during Saturday’s Oakland Supercross as he was the floor analyst for Peacock’s coverage of the racing. As such, not only was JT able to visually see some of the key moments of the race, he also got an up close and personal view of just how gnarly the track got. We fired some questions his way about the track breaking down and how that can contribute to a multitude of mistakes.

It was certainly a difficult track when accounting for the layout and the softer dirt. Had this layout been on hard-packed dirt, it wouldn’t have been as challenging. The ever-changing ruts and bumps added a layer to the race. Often times, track builders will tone down the angles when we have softer dirt, knowing things will get dicey late in the main event. Not so much in Oakland. I like it when they ramp up the difficulty, though. Knowing when to press and when it’s necessary to respect the track a bit is all a part of race craft. Finding that balance is an underrated part of the sport. It’s really brought to the forefront on weekends like last.

This track was taxing on many levels. Riders needed to squeeze with their knees much more at Oakland than on some layouts. That turning section forces riders to use their legs and core to manipulate the motorcycle in the air. When you leave a jump face aiming one way but need the bike to land facing a different direction, the only way to do that is by sheer force. If anyone ever tells you that racing motorcycles isn’t physical, understand that they’re likely a moron.