Image: Octopi Media.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Jalek Swoll grabbed the first Supercross podium of his career at Arlington 2, something he says was ‘only a matter of time’.

Swoll’s route to his first 250SX podium in Monster Energy Supercross has been everything but easy. After winning the 2019 AMA Nicky Hayden Amateur Horizon Award, he moved into the pro ranks and was unable to crack the top 5 in his rookie season.

He then suffered a shoulder injury during the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship that saw him endure a long road to recovery to be prepared for the 2021 Supercross season. As the season got underway, he managed 4-8-6 finishes in the first three rounds and finally found the podium in Arlington 2.

“The first thing that comes to mind is just believing in yourself,” said Swoll. “I had a pretty rough rookie year. I had a bunch of people that didn’t think that I could do it and that was in the back of my mind every day just putting the laps in at Bakers [Factory]. Just seeing the progression really boosted [my] confidence and I knew it was just a matter of time.”

“My team believed in me and that patience is all I needed. I think that no podium is going to come easy, everybody out there is fast. I think I can put myself in really good positions and battle for the top three steps a lot more frequently than what you guys were seeing in the first few rounds.”

Swoll is no stranger to the podium, the 20-year-old’s illustrious amateur career saw him win national championships year after year. When the satisfaction of success began to wear off, it fueled his motivation that eventually culminated on the podium on Tuesday.

“I was pretty well off in amateurs and I won a lot. You just get used to being up there [on the podium] and it starts to not feel as good as your first one. I always had in the back of my mind that I wasn’t going to be satisfied and I wasn’t going to smile until I did it on the big stage and it just feels so good, I can’t even believe it right now.”

He won’t have to wait long to line up and attempt to carry his momentum, as the series returns to action this Saturday inside AT&T Stadium, to finish out the Arlington residency.