CHANCE HYMAS INTERVIEW: ROOKIE MOMENTUM

Chance Hymas was plucked from the amateur ranks and signed by factory Honda HRC at sixteen years old. Hymas comes from not the biggest motocross mecca, Idaho. He struggled a bit at Loretta Lynn’s amateur national last year but then finished fifteenth in his pro motocross debut at Pala 2 the final AMA motocross of 2022. He then raced a portion of the 250 East coast Supercross series with his best finish a sixth in Daytona before stepping away to focus on the 2023 Pro Motocross series. 

By Jim Kimball

2023 RED BUD NATIONAL // FULL COVERAGE

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CHANCE, GETTING THAT SECOND MOTO PODIUM AT THUNDER VALLEY HAD TO BE HUGE. It was a big confidence thing for me. It has been a long time since I have run up front. It is crazy what a start can do in this class. I got a top-five start and just rode my own race. I was in a battle with Levi Kitchen the whole moto. I got close to passing him, but never got the job done. It was a good turning point for me. In the first moto, I was feeling good, but I had a bad gate jump and was caught in the first turn pile-up. So yes, moto two was a good turning point for me. 

IN THAT SECOND MOTO, AT TIMES YOU WERE RIGHT ON LEVI, BUT THEN HE WOULD GET AWAY. It was frustrating a little bit for me. I would get on him and then I had some slick spots where I knew I could make a pass. But I would get to that point, make a mistake, and I would have to take a couple of laps to recover. Then it was just a back-and-forth thing the whole time, so that was the frustrating part of it. I had the spots where I would catch him in my head and make the pass, I never got the job done.

In his first full outdoor season, Chance has put up some impressive results. With scores 11-3 at Thunder Valley and 8-5 at High Point, he has proven to be up for the challenge.

CAN YOU TOUCH ON THE THUNDER VALLEY TRACK; IT TOOK A LOT OF RIDERS OUT. It was rutty. And within the ruts, it was deep. They were about a foot deep, but this type of track really suits me because I feel like I am more of a technical rider when it comes to this. The track I honestly really enjoyed.

THIS COULD BE A GOOD CONFIDENCE BUILDER. Absolutely, it is. Hopefully, this will start a trend of continuing to do some more good finishes. Obviously, the goal for me is even if it is not a podium, I want to be in that top five. I just need to keep nailing the starts and that is a goal of mine

Momentum is something Chance Hymas has been picking up on the last few weeks. 

LET’S STEP BACK TO 2022 FOR A MINUTE. YOU ONLY DID ONE OUTDOOR PRO MOTOCROSS LAST YEAR, DID THAT HELP YOU PREPARE FOR THIS? I would say yes and no. That one round at Pala 2 was just surviving it. I was just trying to get my feet wet, but it was a good experience, with a full-day program. But this season has been rocky at first. Qualifying has been decent, but I just have not put it together in the motos. In the second moto at Hangtown, I finally put down a good result for sixth. I got eighteenth in the first moto, so I still got twelfth overall the first weekend. So, I just need to bring some more consistency and better starts.

IN THE 250 CLASS THERE ARE ONE OR TWO REALLY FAST GUYS AND THEN EVERYBODY ELSE SEEMS AT THE SAME LEVEL DEPENDING ON THE START. Yes, everyone is so close to each other. There are fifteen factory guys right now. We are not on factory teams for no reason. If you do not get a start and you are buried in the eleventh, you are screwed. You must start out front, and be in that bubble before everyone starts spreading out, and it is too late.

Chance Hymas had a breakout ride at the High Point national, leading 6 laps of the 15-lap race.

ARE YOU TRAINING WITH THE LAWRENCE BOYS? I train at the Compound in Florida with them. But we have different trainers. I work with Michael Byrne. But I do a lot with Hunter and Jett. We mix our riding schedules together, but I train at their compound.  

SOMEBODY AT YOUR LEVEL AND IN YOUR CAREER, IT IS REALLY KEY TO WORK WITH A TRAINER, ISN’T IT? Yes, absolutely. Michael Byrne has been around for a long time. He has won his own races and had his own success with training Blake Baggett, and the Rocky Mountain Team. He has a lot of knowledge of both on-the-bike and off-the-bike training. Even with my riding, being with the Lawrences has been great. It has helped me a lot.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF FINISHING IN YOUR ROOKIE MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON? I want to start clicking off some top-five overalls this season. I am so close to that bubble and got that second moto third. I was fourth for the whole second moto last weekend but got passed for sixth with about four laps to go.  I need to put the motos together, and I now know if I get good starts, I can run up there. I just need to keep putting it together and keep clicking away the motos.  

Chance hanging out with the Lawrence brothers at Daytona. 

HOW WAS HIGH POINT FOR YOU? It was a big learning day. I kind of struggled in qualifying and the first moto, trying to find my groove. It was a great experience leading some laps in the second moto; I just need to focus on finding more lines as the race goes on and keeping the tempo up. Overall, it was a good day and one I can take some positives from.

2023 RED BUD NATIONAL // FULL COVERAGE