Raceline Pirelli Suzuki’s Jay Wilson broke his MXD hoodoo at Appin when he climbed onto the box for the first time in 2012. It’s been a tough year for the 18-year-old pre-season favourite, and MotoOnline caught up with him.

Jay Wilson on his way to winning for Raceline Pirelli Suzuki at Appin. Image: Simon Makker/Makkreative.com.

Jay, it’d be fair to say you’ve had a rough season so far. What’s your take on it?

It definitely has been. It started last year before round two of the Super X when I broke my wrist training at Craig Anderson’s track. That required a full wrist reconstruction, and I started the 2012 season on a new team and trying to get used to a new bike.

It was a struggle, but I think I’m finally starting to find some momentum. I’ve always known I’ve had the speed to win in this class, but until this weekend I just haven’t been able to put it all together.

Even though you were carrying a wrist injury, you still entered this season as a title favourite. Did you feel any pressure to perform?

Only pressure from myself, really. I knew I had speed, but I’d only spend four or five weeks on the bike coming into round one and I wasn’t as prepared as I would’ve liked. It was soon pretty obvious I had work to do. Coming off injury carries a lot of highs and lows, and the MXD class is so competitive.

Literally anyone can get a holeshot and hold the others off for five laps to win a race. Getting the holeshot is about three-quarters of the battle won.

Well you finally broke through for your first 2012 win at Appin. Have you changed up your program to turn things around?

I haven’t really changed too much since Horsham, but I’ve been working with a new trainer, Brent McKean from Ace MX for the past couple of months. He’s had wrist injuries similar to mine and has helped me work through that, as well has pushing me hard. I think all that work away is starting to pay off.

At Appin I finally got some consistency. I grabbed three good starts and I didn’t feel as if I was riding that hard, especially in the opening two races. I definitely had more in the tank if it was needed.

The track was also more technical and gnarlier than the last couple of rounds and that evened the playing field between the two-strokes and four-strokes. They couldn’t use all their horsepower on the skatey hard-pack.

Wilson sits fourth in the MXD title chase with two rounds remaining. Image: Simon Makker/Makkreative.com.

So what are your thoughts on competing against 250 two-strokes?

I don’t need to say too much, everyone has their own opinions. I mean, for privateer they’re a good bike, but if anyone is looking to go anywhere in the sport, they should be on a four-stroke. The two-stroke is a weapon though, especially if there’s a long start straight and they can use the horsepower to get the holeshot.

Appin and Conondale had short straights, which evened it all out. But yeah, I don’t want to say too much about two-strokes.

[Laughs] we’ll let the silence be your statement then. Finally, what improvements would you like to see in the MXD class?

Longer motos for sure. Some riders go balls-out for two laps and they’re either going to take the entire field – or themselves – out. There’s so much carnage in those opening laps and it’s a packed class.

Longer motos will spread the field out more and will give the fast guys the opportunity to make some passes if they get a bad start. We’re not juniors any more, we can handle longer races than the five laps we currently get.

Great stuff, thanks playa. See you at Moree.

Thanks Makker, catch ya there.