JETT REYNOLDS INTERVIEW: “CLUB MX HAS CHANGED ME”

 

Don’t we all relish those times when it seems we can do no wrong? Those times when we are racing, everything slows down, and it seems so easy to capture a win, or series of wins? As is often the case though, we soon are knocked down and fighting our way back. This could also be the story of Jett Reynolds and his motocross career. With such an amazing amateur career, winning nine titles at Loretta Lynn’s, Reynolds was destined for a successful pro career. Labeled “The Next Big Thing” maybe similar to riders like Adam Cianciarulo, Austin Forkner, and Ryder Difrancesco to name just a few, the future looked bright for Jett. However, after turning pro in 2021, it turned sideways, and Reynolds was only able to line up for four motocross nationals in his 2021-2023 stint at Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki. Injury after injury sidelined Reynolds for much of his first three years as a pro, and the brand he grew up racing called time out. Thankfully, the Muc-Off  FXR ClubMx Yamaha was willing to take a chance with Jett. Making a major life change, Jett relocated from Southern California and relocated to South Carolina where the Muc-Off FXR ClubMx Yamaha team has their facility. It was here that Jett began his rebuild. Jett was able to get through the majority of motocross, before racing all three SMX rounds. Healthy once again, Jett is determined to be ready for the 2025 supercross and regain what used to come so easily. I always like a good comeback story, and I for one, will be cheering for Jett!

BY JIM KIMBALL

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JETT, HOW’S IT GOING TODAY? Good man. I’m just enjoying somewhat of an off day.  It was too cold to ride today. It is a high of 42 degrees today.  It gets tough here in the winter.

Jett Reynolds during the outdoor nationals.

LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR 2024 SEASON. YOU MADE MANY CHANGES COMING INTO 2024. I THOUGHT IT LOOKED SUCCESSFUL. I would not call it a success by any means. Yes, I was able to string some races together hovering around the eleventh, and twelfth spots, and then was able to get a top ten at Washougal – which was nice.  Unfortunately, we missed all of Supercross, and all of that was a whole disaster.

But being able to string eight races together during outdoors was good. But then I broke my collarbone and missed the last three outdoors. I was able to have enough time to get ready for the Supermotocross races, which is the closest thing to Supercross I raced. I am happy I got to race those. The last race in Vegas was my best one and I was hanging around the top ten very late in those motos.

IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO RECOVER AND TRY TO GET BACK FOR SUPERMOTOCROSS, WASN’T IT? Yes, as soon as I got hurt, I flew out that same day and had my surgery. I took exactly two weeks off the bike, as with a collarbone it is not that bad. Although, it is still tough when you put a plate and ten screws in, and it covers your entire shoulder.

 Then it is a little bit in your head once you get back so soon, but after a couple of days, you forget about it. It was a short time from surgery to SuperMotocross. I think I had three or four weeks, so it was crucial to be prepared. 

Unfortunately, Jett would only race eight races in outdoors before getting injured. He would return for SMX.

MAYBE YOU WOULDN’T CALL 2024 A SUCCESS BUT YOUR SUMMER WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD BUILD OFF RIGHT? Yes, I did feel as if I was getting better, especially outdoors.  As the rounds kept going on, I kept getting closer and closer.  I was happy with getting better but to call it a success and write it off like that, it is hard for me because man, I know I am so much better. A lot of things happened to me, and I must go through the emotions of getting back to racing and just doing it!  

AS AN AMATEUR YOU WERE SO SUCCESSFUL SO QUICKLY AND WON SO MUCH.  I GUESS TO DO ANYTHING LESS THAN WINNING, YOU MAY CONSIDER A LETDOWN. You know, it has been a long time since I really won a lot. But I get it, I understand that I have been through the wringer and this and that, but it is not fun for me to go out there and get a fifteenth place – it really is not.  It is not necessarily worth it to me either because I put in a lot of work just to get back from injuries each time. I really just want to be competitive and that is the way I am. I want to be a winner again, and I really think I can do it.  It is just going to take a little more time than I want, but I’m not going to rush that process.

Jett when he was racing 85s in the seven to eleven class.

YOU ARE STILL PRETTY YOUNG. I will be 21 in January, and the clock is ticking.  I might be somewhat young, but I have been through it, and I don’t feel too young. But I think I still have that young attitude of just wanting to do my best, and that is what is carrying me. 

HOW HAS CLUBMX HELPED YOU? Club MX has changed me. It has made me more of a grownup and makes me appreciate things that I used to have. Being here has taught me a lot of work ethic. I never really did any work before I came here. I thought I was doing a little bit here and there, but pretty much I was just slacking off my whole time and riding my talent out – until the talent can’t do it anymore.

It has helped me a lot with riding with my teammates every day and all working out together.

We all get along and we are all friends here. It is a cool atmosphere here being surrounded by a good group of people that are super hungry for success – and will do whatever it takes to get there. 

I DON’T KNOW YOU SUPER WELL BUT I WOULD IMAGINE IN YOUR EARLY DAYS, YOU WERE WINNING SO MUCH, THAT IT PROBABLY SEEMED LIKE IT WAS JUST SECOND NATURE. IT JUST CAME SO EASY, AND THEN YOU HAVE INJURIES AND SETBACKS THAT THROW EVERYTHING IN A TAILSPIN. As a kid, everything came easy. Before the gate was dropped, people would say that I would win. Even as a kid, it was just natural for me and I think I was ahead of the rest as a kid, but everyone catches up whenever you are sitting on the couch. You are sidelined by injury,  and everyone is catching up to you.

Eventually, if you are injured long enough, they are going to get to your level and then go past you. I want to say that is what happened to me. I moved out of my parent’s house when I was 17 years old and got my own place in Southern California with no mom and dad around and no one to really sit me down and keep me in control. I did what I wanted, and I paid the price for it.  

Jett Reynolds during his rookie year, riding for Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki.

MAYBE YOU NEEDED A MENTOR, SOMEONE WHO HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE? I think that even if I had the right people in my corner telling me everything that was going to happen, I was going to do my own thing anyway.

I was a stubborn kid who thought he had things figured out. I guess I did not have a lot of care because I was winning and thought I knew it all. After I turned about fourteen years old, I never listened to my dad. After I moved out though, things changed. I started growing up a little bit more. If I regretted anything, I would have listened to my dad more.  

YOUR CAREER PATH COULD BE COMPARED TO MANY OTHER RIDERS, BUT I WOULD SAY IT MAY BE BEEN A BIT SIMILAR TO RYDER DIFRANCESCO. I think we are in different shoes. But Ryder is one of my good buddies. We grew up in Bakersfield together and we rode every day together. If we are in town in Bakersfield together, he will hit me up to go hang out and that is what we do.

To say that we have had similar careers, I would not actually say that at all.  For one, since he turned pro, he has been able to make every race and he has the talent, the speed, and overall, he has what it takes. He may need only a little more time to figure it out, and more belief in himself.

On the other hand, I am struggling to get to the races and make it through. That downs the confidence that I am trying to build.  I can practice all I want but you get better by racing. You race and you do good you build confidence and get better.  That is the only thing where I am lacking, I feel like.

Amateur Jett during the Monster Energy Cup.

WITH WHERE YOU ARE AT RIGHT NOW, DO YOU FEEL PRETTY GOOD? I would say that I am riding the best that I ever have in Supercross right now.  Things are going well and I am putting in the work. I am not taking any shortcuts.  I am getting advice and taking whatever I want of that advice and putting it to use. I’m listening to people better in my corner and want to see me succeed as much as I do.  No one wants to do better than me.  I think there are a lot of people that want me to succeed but at the end of the day, I want to succeed more than anybody else wants me to exceed. Right now, I am in the middle of boot camp, and the plan is to race West Coast which I am super excited about. I will be back racing dirt that I am used to, and in the atmosphere that is going to fit me better. I feel like right now, things are going well. My bike is good, and I don’t really have any complaints.  It is getting a little cold here and maybe that would be my complaint but you know, I am burning the laps and burning the fuel and doing the time.  

MAXIMUS VOHLAND IS YOUR NEW TEAMATE; DID YOU KNOW HIM FROM THE PAST? Me and Max, we grew up racing each other and we will tell the other guys here stories where we were racing here one time, and this happened or that happened. The relationship is good.  Even as kids, I don’t think we ever talked to each other – we were rivals. I wanted to beat him, and he wanted to beat me.

it is good to have another good rider here; he has already shown that he can be on the podium. He has good speed, and does things differently, more like a European rider.  He has a different technique, does like these little wheelie things and he jumps the whoops. He is coming back from a big injury. He is trying to prove himself after he got pushed out of the scene a little bit. He is a good kid, and it has been fun having him around.

Jett is looking to make a big comeback in 2025.

CLUBMX HAS BECOME SOMEWHAT OF A YOUNG TEAM IN 2025. We have Coty Schock who is just starting to come into his own. He is a little bit older, but he is riding well right now and kicking butt over in World Supercross.  We have other guys like Devin Simonson and Mark Fineis too.

We have a big team, and as you mentioned, we are all younger guys which is cool too because we can all get along more, and things are more equal like that. We are all young and trying to figure it out in different ways – and we are all hungry to succeed. 

HOW DO YOU FIND THE WHOLE ENVIRONMENT AT CLUBMX? It was definitely a big change coming here, after living in California my whole life.  Being at a facility is something I have never done, but it has been a year now and I feel pretty at home and well-adjusted to everything.

We put in so many laps here and I feel like a kid again with how much riding we do here. it is gnarly to do it day in and day out. I have adjusted well to the grind, I would say. I am not scared of hard work. As long as it is put out in front of me and that is what we have to do, that is what I will do.

ClubMx has multiple outdoor and Supercross tracks for riders to train on.

ARE YOU THE KIND OF PERSON WHO IS SETTING SOME GOALS OR EXPECTATIONS WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF OR HOW DO YOU WANT TO SEE YOURSELF IN 2025 SUPERCROSS? Never did I set my goals and write them down and achieve them. Where now, I do have my goals set. I wrote them down and hoped to achieve them and that is what I am working towards. As far as the 2025 Supercross, I want to come in and come in strong. It will be tough because I have yet to race a Supercross.  It is going to be brand new for me and you know really I don’t think I have a whole lot of expectations. I have tried it out twice and did not make it through practice. So, the goals are kind of light as of right now.  I want to make it through the races.  I want to race every Supercross and whatever the outcome is, that is what it is, I just simply need to get these under my belt – and that way I could push my goals further ahead and really achieve what I want.  Outdoors, I want to be a top ten guy every weekend and shoot for the top five and hopefully a podium.  

The only pressure I have is the pressure I put on myself. I am trying to do my best to keep calm and do what I am supposed to do.  

JETT, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO END.  DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? Training is going well. I am feeling good, the best I have felt in Supercross. Also, the team keeps getting better. We hired a couple of good people to help grow this program, and the team always wants to be better itself. We are striving for the stars and trying to be great.