Watching racing from the sidelines must be getting old for Filthy Phil Nicoletti because somehow, some way, the most cantankerous man to ever ride a dirt bike has gotten even grumpier the last few weeks. Need proof? Read Nicoletti's scathing responses to the seemingly innocent questions below!
And, of course, if you don't mind getting humiliated and demeaned for simply asking an honest question, send your questions to the crabby old man of motocross at phil@racerxonline.com.
Punxsutawney Phil,
As a fan, it’s fun to bench race with our fellow race watchers, but in reality, we really don’t have any real behind-the-scenes knowledge of how things work. So, with that in mind, I was hoping you put your insider info to work to settle a debate some of my idiot riding buddies and I had the other day. RJ Hampshire is supposed to ride in the 450 Class in motocross this summer, but my prediction is that he won’t. How many times have we seen riders say they were moving to the 450, only to not actually do it? Jeremy Martin comes to mind. Actually, he’s the only example that comes to mind but still, it seems like it happens all the time. And with Hampshire’s SX season not going well, I just think there’s no way he rides the big bike this summer. My friends think I’m an idiot, and you might too, but I still want to you hear your prediction on this situation.
-Six More Weeks of Winter
Six More Weeks,
That’s a fair assessment. But what’s funny is when you say 'Hampshire's SX season isn't going well.' What in your mind would is, 'going well?' Being two rounds in, and he wins both heats and both mains?! Sure in Tampa he had shithouse luck in the main, but he still won his heat. In Detroit he got on the box with a third, and almost had a shot at winning after the restart. To me Hampshire's season is going really well for where he was at on January 1. Hampshire is doing great in my opinion, especially after missing all of motocross. To come back to that intensity and that speed, is really hard. He’s doing great, especially with the wolves he’s up against.
Back to the second part of your question. I don’t know if we see RJ riding 450 outdoor this summer either. It could go either way, right? I would imagine it would have more to do with what Husqvarna wants. Do they want a presence in the 250 class or not? That brand isn’t doing great as far as bike sales etc. goes. So maybe they want him on a 250 for branding. But then again, maybe not because GasGas has zero brand awareness in the 250 class in SX at the moment, so it doesn’t seem like a concern. I think it would be awesome to see him on a 450, but only if he’s 100 percent ready to do so. It literally could go any way for him. There is always this thought. If RJ is healthy he always has a shot at winning the 250 motocross championship this year. He does not have a shot at winning the 450 motocross championship. Husky already has Mookie, who's a fourth-to-eighth-place outdoor guy. So why would you put another guy in that same area, and same class? Yes, RJ could get 450 podiums. But you have to assume 1-2 are already taken. Just my personal opinion.
-Phil
Phil,
We’re hearing a lot right now about how opportunistic Cooper Webb is. I think that’s fair, considering how he always seems to be able to take advantage when opportunities present themselves, but part of me thinks he’s creating these opportunities, not waiting around for them to happen. It’s almost as if he knows the exact amount of pressure to exert on someone, and when to do it. In other words, it’s like he knows what buttons to push for each rider to expose weaknesses. For example, after Detroit Kenny talked about Webb revving his bike at him in turns to unsettle him. I could be wrong, but I don’t see him doing this with a rider like Eli Tomac, because it doesn’t seem like it would be effective on him. Maybe he pushes a different kind of button with Tomac? What do you think of this theory? Does it hold water or is it really just as simple as Webb being in the right place at the right time?
-Half Baked in Decatur
Baked,
This is what BOGGLES MY F$$$$$$ MIND! Maybe I’m acting like a chick right now and I’m misunderstanding your tone in this question. It’s like people still don’t expect Coop to win a Supercross championship!!!! Opportunistic. That’s the biggest bunch of bullshit. Coop is the second-most qualified guy behind that gate behind Eli Tomac. You don’t become that guy by being, and I'll actually look up the definition here:
'Opportunistic-chances offered by immediate circumstances without reference to a general plan or moral principle.'
To me that’s a bit of an insult. Why not just say the guy got lucky with all his wins?
- 2-time Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship 450SX Champion (2021, 2019)
- 2-time Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship 450SX Runner-Up (2024, 2020)
- 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship 450SX 3rd place
- 1 career AMA Pro Motocross Championship 450 Win
- 27 career Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship 450SX Wins
- 10th on the all-time 450SX wins list
- 2-time Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship 250SX west Champion (2015, 2016)
- 2nd on the all-time 250SX West wins list
- 1 AMA Pro Motocross 250 National Championship (2016
Listen, Coop's a complete prick and I hate him most the days, but he’s one of my really good buddies. But to say he’s an opportunist after all those accolades and wins is a slap in the face. Not sure why that triggered me so much, but it did. Coop is a gamer, and come round eight of the championship every year he shows he is a CHAMPIONSHIP GUY. He knows how to win races. I can guarantee you, he’s revved the shit out of his bike through the years at Tomac. I remember it, I’ve heard it. It doesn’t matter who you are. Hearing a 450 wide open behind you when you’re the hunted and not the hunter, is a shitty feeling. Even if you're Eli Tomac.
-Phil
Phillip,
Now that you’re not affiliated with a race team (that I know of) that has obligations to sponsors, I was hoping you could help me out with a recommendation for race gas. I currently run 92 octane pump gas in my 250F, and it works fine, but I’ve had plenty of my fellow dive-bombing, kamikaze C-Class pilots talk incessantly about the advantages of race gas. I know it’s probably a waste of money at my level but I want to try it out. The only problem is, there are so many different options. The number of brands is endless, and each brand has so many different kinds. Do I need fuel that’s ‘roided out with excessive amounts of octane? Do I want oxygenated fuel? What about leaded fuel, or zero ethanol? Is vapor lock protection necessary? Should I be impressed with wording like, 'exotic blend of molecules and hydrocarbons?' I’m looking to light some money on fire here but I’m confused as shit on what to buy! Help me!
-Dazed and Confused
Dazed,
Dude, I have no idea. I’ve ridden with every sort of fuel in my career, VP, Sunoco, ETS, Renegade, and more. Does fuel help on a 250F? Absolutely, without a doubt. It's a super easy way to find 2HP. It’s an expensive way, but easy. For years I ran the VP PRO6 HT at ClubMX. It’s the most consistent, and Twisted Development does most of their testing with VP fuels. That also helped A LOT when it came to fine tuning. But if you’re not racing professionally and there isn’t fuel testing, you can use a leaded base fuel. It's less expensive I believe and puts out around the same power and effectiveness. Your best bet, instead of asking me, a guy who has only dealt with the ONE type of fuel that we are able to run, is to call Twisted Development. They probably have dyno runs of every type of fuel you’re looking at. No fuel testing for you, so run the best cheapest fuel you can get. Or screw it, throw some moonshine in the bitch, and let me know!
-Phil
