So far, in 2024, KTM Canada Red Bull Racing Team rider Jess Pettis is off to a great start in the 450 class. With overall wins in two of the first three rounds, Pettis and his team are proving that all their hard work in the off-season is paying off. With the red plates on his KTM, Pettis is preparing for what most believe to be the most challenging race of the summer at Gopher Dunes. We caught up with Jess as he was doing some end-of-day training near his home in Quebec.
MXP: Hey Jess! What is going on tonight?
JP: Hey Palms! Actually, I’m just out for a hike with Meg, and right now, we’re just taking a break at the top of the mountain.
When I texted you this morning, you two were out for a bicycle ride. It’s amazing that you not only have a life partner but also a training partner.
Yes, for sure! She loves to get out to train with me, and sometimes, it’s her who makes me get off the couch to do that little bit extra. Tonight, for instance, this hike was her idea, not mine (laughs).
I’m sure your dad has given you this advice, but you should always listen to your better half.
Yes, happy wife, happy life! Right?
Most definitely. Since Round 3 in Manitoba two weeks ago, what have you been up to?
It’s just been the normal routine. I don’t like to change too much from week to week. We got a lot of rain last weekend, so I didn’t end up racing the local race here in Quebec. However, I have been riding, training, and doing what is needed as we head into Round 4.
You’re coming off a solid opening three rounds, which saw you win two of three overalls. Obviously, you’re happy with the results, but are you happy with your riding so far?
For sure! It’s always great when you can execute the plan you had in place. I feel like I rode strong at all three Western rounds and put myself in a great position. At times, I felt like I was the fastest rider, but when I wasn’t, I was able to stay patient and capitalize on mistakes that other riders made. We’re in a good spot as a team also; Kaven (Benoit) is riding great and is the points leader in the 250 class, and it was also great to see Josiah (Natzke) get a win at Round 3.
Take us through Round 3 for a moment. After winning the opening two rounds, you could say that you had an off day in Manitoba. But, if your ‘off day’ is a second overall, we’re sure you’d take that result.
It was definitely a strange day overall. There was a rain delay while they tried to make the track rideable. We only got a few laps of practice/qualifying, so that could have been better. On the opening lap of the first 450 moto, I didn’t even remember where the track went, then I made some mistakes and ended up third. I had a better pace in moto two, but you have to hand it to my teammate; he rode great and deserved to win both motos. As you said, second overall on your bad day is still pretty good, but winning at least one moto would’ve been nice.
If you leave each round with the red plates, that is all that matters, right?
Yes, that is the goal for sure. But the big goal is to leave the final round with the red plates (laughs)
True! Okay, so we’re over a week away from perhaps the toughest race of the Triple Crown Series at Gopher Dunes. As of now, the forecast isn’t calling for crazy heat, so that is good. Do you prepare any differently for a race like Gopher Dunes?
Other than riding more sand tracks, I’d say no. I have a program and try to stick with it all summer. Obviously, Gopher Dunes is a tough day for everyone, but honestly, each round of the series has its own set of challenges. During the opening two rounds in Alberta, I found the air to be super dry, and that made it hard to breathe during the motos. Looking ahead, Sand Del Lee is always hot and humid, Riverglade is tough, and every race is hard for sure. In the past, I’ve had days at Gopher Dunes, which have gone well and haven’t been too hard on my body. But I’ve also had days where I’m completely drained at the end of the day.
So, you’re saying that sometimes, when you have a race like Gopher Dunes coming up, it’s easy to over-prepare?
I think so. As I said, you always want to ride a little more sand before Gopher Dunes and SDL, but the plan is the same at the end of the day. You know as a rider that you need to get a good start, put in some solid laps, and then suffer for the last few laps.
Some things never change! So far, your bike has looked great in the opening three rounds. Overall, are you happy with your set-up, and do you normally make many changes to your bike heading into a track like Gopher Dunes?
Our bikes have been great so far, and all our hard work is paying off. I usually make only a few small changes to my bikes heading into Gopher Dunes. I feel like you don’t want to change much when you have a good set-up. Our bikes are super sensitive to ride height, so we’ll make some adjustments there. But that is about it. We’re having a team test day tomorrow with everyone, so that will be good. Also, we rode some sand tracks down south this winter, so we already have a good base. A track like Gopher Dunes changes so much during the day, and even during a moto, so you’ll never find a set-up that works all the time. You just have to have something you’re comfortable with and go from there.
That makes total sense. You mentioned a team test day tomorrow. Other than that, what is the plan for next week and then travelling to Gopher Dunes?
We’ll just continue to do some riding and training heading into next week, and then on Thursday, we’ll drive to Gopher Dunes. We’ll have our camper for almost all of the East rounds, so we’ll be staying at the track all weekend. I’m excited about this as we can cook our own food and have our own space.
That sounds great! Thank you for your time, and enjoy the rest of your hike. Congratulations on having the red plates, and we’ll see you at Gopher Dunes next weekend.
Thank you for calling Palms! You guys have a good weekend and we’ll see you at the Dunes!
