Defending AMA 450 supercross champion Jett Lawrence might not have his bike completely as he would like, but fighting through the tough San Diego Supercross, he is looking likely to pick up a main event win, sooner, rather than later. A huge confidence boost in round two and as we head back to Angel stadium, do not be surprised to see him creep a little closer to the red plate and series points lead. The World media got to chat with the Aussie legend and below is what he told us.

MXLarge: If we go back 12 months, I think Pheonix was the first time you beat Eli and there was question about beast mode and Eli, and you inadvertently sparked a rivalry with Eli based on that comment. Tonight, did you race the beast mode, that you were referring to and now much fun was it tonight. He got the better of you, but for the sport, this ads so much excitement that, there is the level he has to go with you, straight up.

Lawrence: I think you guys took that comment the completely wrong way, what I was meaning. Eli is a very smart racer and that night, I don’t know if his bike set up or something, that wasn’t feeling comfortable that night. I have had nights like that and I meant, personally I didn’t think that was beast mode, because I know in my mind and picturing how beast mode would be, railing all turns and blowing our doors off, so you guys took that out of context a lot, but that 20 minute race, like I said earlier, I strive in those types of races, because you are thinking the whole time and I would rather have that, than just have a lead and kind of roll around when you are feeling really good. I learnt a lot and I am sure Eli learnt a lot, on how I race and stuff. That is always fun, and it makes for better racing in the future. I had a lot of fun racing behind him and its cool seeing the different race craft and how kind of picks apart a track, compared to how I am, especially with our bike differences and stuff like that. It was a lot of fun, and he was on rails for sure. That is what I imagine is beast mode. It was unreal.

MXlarge: You and Eli were battling through the pack. What did you learn battling with him, and did you pick up on any lines coming through the pack behind him?

Lawrence: He got me at the start, and we went back and forth in the first few laps, but then he got me back again after the whoops. He was riding really well, and I picked up on it too late, past the mechanics area, entering the turn a little later, then going outside before the triple again. Those kinds of things and then after the big triple, he was kind of doing that turn a lot better than I was. I was trying to get back to the right and I was kind of wasting a bit of time there. Then I would have to work my butt off to try and get close again. I think that wrecked my chances of trying to make an attempt, or any pass on him. It was a lot of fun, and I like that racing, its cool when its clean and we are both pushing the limit and we are searching for lines and stuff like that. It was cool to watch from my standpoint, I wish you guys got a POV from my angle, it was cool.

MXLarge: Jett, we all know you were not comfortable with the bike in A1 and you stayed in California instead of going home, but what did you find, because you appeared to be much better?

Lawrence: For sure we did. We found more control you could say in the forks and the rear. It is crazy to think our frame from last year, is actually a stiffer frame and we run softer suspension and another big change, we went back on gearing for the start, because last weekend, we were just wheely boys, especially for me. Hunter nailed his start. For me I struggled to keep the front end down and it got me in a pickle in the start last week, so we went back on gearing, so eliminated such a bad start. I did mess up a bit in the start this week, Cooper nailed his start in the main. We just got that full control, where you know where the front is, and we had a bit of a crust on top at A1 and it would blow through in the front and the rear was pretty stiff. Also breaking habits from the previous bike, the previous bike was so high in the rear and I liked to weight the shock a lot, so in turns I would almost be a bit lazy and lay back a bit and it would still turn really nice, while this bike has a bit more sag to it, which is better traction, which is way nicer, but I have to keep myself forward a bit. We made a bar change before the heat race and that was before the night show started, and I was being a bit lazy and dropping my head back. Just feeling better and better on the bike each week. We are just figuring it out, it’s a new chassis with the tracks we are going to, its so different. I am excited for it; I always like learning and it’s a good challenge.

MXLarge: This is a bit of a new situation for you, as we haven’t seen you and Eli racing with you both 100% at your best. Eli got the better of you tonight, but how do you feel emotionally after tonight?

Lawrence: Pretty happy honestly, its better than 12th. I am happy with second, so 10 positions better, so you got to take the positives when you get them. Like Eli said before, its fun racing somebody who you know isn’t going to try and chop your front wheel off, because you can use proper race craft. It is the same with Cooper, we can get close, and hit each other, you know one of us is off balance. You will try and tuck underneath, be close and try and put the other one off, bit like playing chicken, which doesn’t always work in the 450s, because these guys are kind of mental. The commit, so its really fun. Like I said, I had a lot of fun in that battle with Eli, coming through the pack and just getting close at the start, I got around the outside in the sand and my dumb ass when back to the inside and he got me back. Bit of a stupid mistake on my behalf and a bit of a forehead slap. I would have loved first, you always like to win, but you got to take the positives and just enjoy a fun race.

MXLarge: You were going down the middle in the ruts in the whoops and Eli was on the right side. Can you walk through why you took those options?

Lawrence: Honestly, I was just trying to keep it on the track. I didn’t know where I was going and I would just funnel to the middle, because I was just trying to stay on the track. On the sides, it wasn’t too bad, but I was struggling with the different hights, a little bit I felt like. I just tried sticking to the middle and if I got it nice, it was easy, but playing with the edges, it wasn’t always good. I was stubborn in the end on Eli as he was going high and skimming.