Fresh off his final career Monster Energy Supercross race, Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha’s Phil Nicoletti jumped up to a 450 and compiled 9-9 scores at Fox Raceway for a solid P10 overall.

After the race, Nicoletti explained the result was like a win to him on a track he doesn’t feel all that comfortable with. Between the quick turnaround from Supercross, the change in bike size, and the track not suiting him well, Nicoletti was more than pleased with how his day went.

“I basically went 1-1,” said Nicoletti. “It was good. It’s a work in progress, you know what I mean. This track is really demanding on a motorcycle, and it just brings out the worst in them. So, I need to work on a few things, a little high-speed compression just because there’s so many holes that it just blows your hands and feet off the pegs. That second moto wasn’t vet friendly out there, let’s say that.”

Image: Octopi Media.

Nicoletti qualified P17 in the morning which has become the usual to expect from the veteran. To the eye test, his one lap speed on the track looked solid, and Nicoletti himself was befuddled before the race as to how he could be as low as 17^th place.

But ever the racer, Nicoletti shined in the racing throughout the day. From the 17th gate pick, he was eighth by the end of the first lap in the first moto and was able to stay right in there to finish up ninth. He then used that ninth gate pick to come out of the first turn in the second moto in third place and even passed Hunter Lawrence for P2 on the first lap.

“I felt spunky on the motorcycle,” said Nicoletti. “As long as that’s okay and I can weasel my way around on the first couple of corners, I can do okay. I can run the pace for a little while when the gate drops. I always have like two more seconds during the race than I do in my practice times. We’ve got a few things to work on this week and that’s cool. Like I said, it’s a work in progress.”

Image: Octopi Media.

Of his second moto going from third on the first lap to finish up in ninth, Nicoletti said the first five laps were some of the worst five laps he’s ever ridden. After dropping down from third to eighth in four laps, Nicoletti settled in right there and was only passed late by a hard charging Justin Cooper who was down on the first lap.

To leave Fox Raceway with a top 10 result full of factory machines ahead of him, Nicoletti was overjoyed about how things are starting for him in AMA Pro Motocross. Particularly on the machine, Nicoletti explained that he actually learned a lot from the day that will set him up even better moving forward.

“If you can find a pretty good setting here, your bike will work everywhere else,” said Nicoletti. “It’s just a lot of high speed, square edged, high-speed compression, high-speed rebound. Dude, it eats you up. This is by far my worst track on the circuit, and High Point is not the greatest either. We’ll just keep stacking points and enjoying it. As much as I hated it, I still loved it too.”

Image: Octopi Media.

Nicoletti’s only finish at Fox Raceway prior to this past weekend garnered a P23 overall in 2021 on a 450. As he alluded, the track and West Coast tracks in general have not been great for the New York native over the years and it’s likely he takes big steps when the series gets into the swing of places like Southwick, Unadilla, and Budds Creek.

With the next round at Hangtown being in California again, it will be another opportunity for Nicoletti to dial the bike in further on a surface similar to Fox Raceway. The good news is that Nicoletti hasn’t finished out of the top 10 at Hangtown when he’s raced it since a P15 result in 2014. With a solid foundation laid at Fox Raceway, Nicoletti now aims his expectations higher as the series gets rolling.