ON THE GAS:
JAYDEN CLOUGH
Jayden Clough demonstrated race-winning speed and potential on multiple occasions throughout the 2019 season, forcing his way onto the podium at many of the high profile races throughout the year. The rider out of Minnesota pushed through the pain of a broken heel last year at Loretta’s and still pulled off a 5th place overall in the fiercely competitive Supermini 1 class. Clough was able to recover to full fitness and come back in full force at The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City, snagging the top spot in the Supermini 2 class in addition to a 2nd place overall in the Supermini 1 division. The KTM rider continued the same form at Mini Os where he grabbed a podium in supercross and another title on the outdoor track, finishing off the racing season on a high note heading into 2020. Although he didn’t have much time on the bike coming into the Daytona RCSX, Clough still managed to earn two overall podium finishes against some stiff competition. He struggled with some bike problems at both of the Loretta Lynn Regionals that he attended over the last couple of weeks, but he still managed to grab a ticket to the Ranch. We asked Jayden about spinning some laps with Jeremy Martin at Spring Creek, winning titles last season, and how things went at Regionals.
What did you do during the few months that there was no racing happening with the coronavirus lockdown in effect?
During the lockdown, I was riding twice a week until I injured my shoulder putting me out of riding until practice at the Baja Regional.
Did you take some time off of riding when racing was initially canceled and postponed back in March?
In March, we went into lockdown and went back home to the snow and did nothing for three weeks until it was good enough to ride.
What was your riding situation like the last couple of months during the quarantine?
Riding during quarantine was good for me - we have some privately owned tracks that are super fun to ride within an hour of our house.
What was it like for you to be able to spin some laps with Jeremy Martin at Millville back in April?
Riding with Jeremy Martin was an awesome experience to see where he went faster and what he does to go faster than me!
What sort of hobbies do you have outside of motocross?
Outside of motocross, I enjoy golfing and mountain biking and I did play a lot of video games while I was injured.
Talk us through your weekend last year at The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City and how things went from your perspective.
Ponca last year went very well for me, I won three out of four motos. During my motos, my bike wasn’t handling as well as I would’ve liked which we later found out was a snapped swingarm pivot bolt.
What was it like for you ending the season at Mini Os with more overall podiums and another title on the outdoor track?
Mini Os was a bit rough in supercross, I had bad starts and wasn’t comfortable on the bike. Things turned around real fast on motocross when I made a couple of bike changes and ended up picking up a championship, but a fall in the other class kept me from getting a podium finish.
What is a typical offseason like for you in Minnesota?
During the winter I usually do off the bike training and every few weeks we go south to warm weather to ride.
Talk about the start of the season at the Daytona RCSX and how things went for you there.
Daytona was a big struggle for me, I had one day on the bike after a month break. I was not happy with how that went and how I rode knowing it could’ve gone better
What did it feel like to finally be back at the races the past couple of weekends after such a long layoff?
Being at the races these past few weekends has been a big relief finally getting back riding and working the kinks out from a shoulder injury.
How did the Regionals go for you?
We, unfortunately, have had some bad luck at Regionals having my bike blow up in both classes at Baja. At Lincoln Trail, we had a bike problem which caused me to race a borrowed 105 and I ended up having an issue with that bike in the first moto. So I missed qualifying in the Supermini 2 class by one point and then I ended up winning the Supermini 1 class.
Do you have any goals and expectations set for yourself going to Loretta Lynn’s this year?
My goal for Loretta’s this year is to get on the podium. Last year I ended up breaking my heel in practice so I’m hoping this year the results will be a lot better.
Have you thought about what you’ll do after Loretta’s heading into 2021 in terms of what classes you’ll be racing?
After Loretta’s, I will bump up to a 125 for 125 B/C and Schoolboy 1 for a start and maybe even 250 but no real plans have been made yet.