The Ricky & Robb Podcast – Ep. 18

From winning his class at the Baja 400 and finishing fifth overall to one of the wildest mud races we’ve seen in SuperMotocross, this episode covers racing from two completely different worlds. RJ breaks down what it takes to race an 8,000-pound, 1,000-horsepower trophy truck through hundreds of miles of Baja terrain, including navigation, suspension technology, braking, concentration and the ability to remember terrain at race speed. Then the conversation shifts to SMX, where rain, deep mud and canceled practice turned the weekend into a test of skill, fitness, confidence and survival.

Haiden Deegan’s 450 performance becomes one of the biggest conversations of the show. Is he already proving he belongs with the best 450 Supercross riders in the world? We break down his starts, confidence, ability to race through mistakes and the mentality that allowed him to attack conditions that were destroying other riders. Hunter Lawrence’s difficult weekend opens another fascinating discussion about racing with an injured wrist, heart rate, anaerobic fatigue, breathing under pressure and what repeatedly picking up a mud-covered motorcycle does to the body. Cole Davies gets plenty of attention too, but with a warning: when you’re this dominant this young, should you really be thinking about records and the 450 class already?

The conversation goes deeper into what separates elite motocross and Supercross riders once everyone is fast. We discuss the growing importance of coaching, the science of performance, Brian Deegan’s long-game approach, Johnny O’Mara’s ability to know when not to coach, and why former racers like Will Hahn are becoming such influential team leaders. We also look ahead to the next round of SMX and ask the questions everyone wants answered: Can Haiden Deegan win again on a 450? Can anyone stop Cole Davies in the 250 class? And when talent, fitness, equipment and team support are all there, how much of winning ultimately comes down to the mental game?

Timestamps and Topics of Conversation:

00:00 Introduction

0:10 Baja 400 Victory: Inside RJ’s 1,000-HP Race

6:06 SMX Mud Chaos: Racing Without Practice

7:00 Hunter Lawrence: Stop Discrediting the Championship

11:29 Why Mud Racing Sends Your Heart Rate Through the Roof

16:07 Haiden Deegan’s 450 Arrival

24:52 Cole Davies: Forget the Records and Finish the Job

31:30 Will Hahn: From Racer to Elite Team Manager

35:40 Johnny O’Mara and the Lost Art of Knowing When to Say Nothing

38:36 Can Haiden Deegan Win Again on the 450?

51:41 Can Anyone Actually Beat Cole Davies?