MOTIVATED:
LARRY REYES JR
Larry Reyes Jr. really started to make a push towards the top of the 125cc and Schoolboy classes last year, making rapid progressions in both the speed and confidence department throughout the season. The Texan attributes his growth throughout the year to his training program at Quick’s Moto Ranch starting in February of 2019, elevating him to a consistent podium contender whenever he lined up on the gate. Reyes Jr. showcased his speed at the Ranch with a 3rd place finish in one of the 125 B/C motos which eventually amounted to a 4th place overall. A couple of months later, he put himself on the top step of the podium at The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City, clinching the number one plate in the 125 B/C class as well as 2nd place overall on his 125 in the Schoolboy 2 class. After drawing the attention of the Rock River Yamaha team following his successful 2019 campaign, Reyes Jr. has continued to make improvements as he gets more and more comfortable with the new team. Regardless, he was able to land on the overall podium at Spring A Ding Ding and take and win the 125 B/C class at Supercross Futures in Arlington, proving that he’s going to be one of the top contenders at Loretta’s this year. We caught up with J.R. to get the rundown on how he’s been spending his time during the quarantine, his 2019 racing season, and training down at Quick’s Moto Ranch.
What have you been up to the last couple of months after racing got postponed back in March?
I was just sitting back for like three weeks just kinda stayin' at home and stuff like that. I started back up training and doing my normal stuff a few weeks after everything got shut down. It was good, I really just had a lot of quality time with my family and that's about it.
Are you not typically able to spend that much time at home?
Yeah, I go to Quick's from Sunday to Thursday so I'm just at home on the weekend basically, so I really don't even live at my house, I just live at Quick's. It's a three-hour drive back and forth.
What's it been like for you training at Quick's lately with Kyle Regal and Zak Mashburn?
It's sick, I started training there probably like February of last year and it's been good. My results improved a lot from the start of the year last year and I started to win championships by the end of last year. Then I've finished top three at every single big race since Loretta's and I podiumed Loretta's as well.
Yeah, for sure. How'd Loretta's go last year from your perspective?
I didn't do my backup Regional and I pulled off last year at Freestone 'cause I was supposed to be riding for the REVO Husqvarna team overseas. I went last year in May to do the MXGP of France and I was supposed to leave and go ride for them so I only qualified for Loretta's in one class and that's because plans changed and the team was out of budget. So I had to race Loretta's in one class so that was really hard to only put it together for three motos.
It had to be weird to have all that time off between races for sure.
Yeah, I'd race one day and rest the other days but my competition would be riding every day and I just had three gate drops. I had to go out and watch the Schoolboy 1 class after I just podiumed the 125cc B/C class.
What was it like to finish all three of your motos inside the top five and grab a moto podium?
Yeah, it was awesome. I didn't really expect myself to be so up there. Like I was telling you, at the start of the year I wasn't really going that good. I was probably like a top ten rider, not top five and I came there thinkin' maybe top six, but I dunno. I pulled it off, I was training really hard last summer and I managed to get up there.
After that, you went onto The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City and grabbed a title in 125 B/C and a 3rd overall in the Schoolboy 2 class on your 125. How'd the weekend of racing go for you in Oklahoma?
Yeah, that was a pretty much a perfect weekend except in the Schoolboy 1 class, I got like 3rd the first moto and then I crashed off the start in the second moto so that shoulda been another podium. The Schoolboy 2 class was super fun, I got 2nd in the second moto and I got a great start and just found my flow and was runnin' up there with all of 'em. Winning a title was my goal coming into it and that was awesome. I won the first moto and the second moto was kind of chaotic 'cause they restarted the race from someone going down. Then they dropped the gate wrong for the second moto and everybody just had to take off, I started like 3rd and moved up to 2nd for the overall. It was awesome.
After that we went onto Mini Os, you ended up with two overall podiums in SX and then something happened during MX. Talk about your week at Gatorback last year.
Yeah, I won the championship in supercross at Mini Os. On the last lap and basically last jump, there was somebody down on the edge of the track and I was winning. I came off and jumped the triple and there was a little-bitty double after so I slammed on my brakes and barely caught air, but I got disqualified 'cause my wheels left the ground so I lost that championship. I got docked two positions but I won the moto. The first moto of outdoors I got 5th in Schoolboy 2 on my 125 and then the Schoolboy 1 moto, I crashed in the middle of the moto and got knocked out so that cut my week short.
You started this season off with the Supercross Futures at Arlington. What was that experience like for you coming away with a 1st in the 125 B/C class?
It was awesome, that was my first race on the new bike so it was basically just getting my feet wet with the Rock River Yamaha team. I rode a lot of supercross before and I went there and killed it. It's been sick with the new team, it's really professional and the bikes are awesome. They handle really good and Ed Torrance can really build some good motors.
You ended up with 2nd overall in the 125 class at Spring A Ding Ding, how was the weekend of racing there from your perspective?
I came into the week with a brand new race bike and we were having some issues the first days with jetting and stuff like that and you know how Underground is wide open, so we were battling set up the whole week with suspension and stuff, too. But once we got the bikes dialed in I managed to get a 3rd and I think I went 5-3 for 2nd overall, so I kept progressing.
What do you think about the track layout at Underground?
Yeah, it's kind of weird. It's way different than any other track, like it's a different kind of rough. It's really square-edged and there are like fifteen lines in every corner, but it's different 'cause with all of the big jumps you get a lot of breathing time but also it's hard 'cause you don't want to just jump them straight up and down, you have to be whipping and stuff. But it's really different, it's sick!
What're your thoughts on the Super Regional format for Loretta's this year?
I feel like that's way better than doing an Area Qualifier, you just get in and get out basically. I like it way better.
What're your plans for Loretta's this year?
I'll be racing 125 B/C and Schoolboy 1 and my plans are to get a championship there, that's the main goal. I know I can do it.
Do you know what you're doing at the end of the season moving into 2021?
We're not one hundred percent sure what we're doing after Loretta's. I'm obviously getting on 250s but I don't know if I'll be able to take the spot off one of the B riders that will be moving up on the team, like Levi moving up to A or somethin', so it just depends on them. But I dunno, nothing is concrete yet.