Industry Seating – Ep 219: Paris SX

Host: Jason Thomas
Date: November 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jason Thomas gives an in-depth, insider breakdown of the 42nd Paris Supercross, reflecting on its significance, how it compared to previous years, and offering critical analysis of both the SX2 and SX1 classes. Jason shares insights into rider performances—highlighting Malcolm Stewart’s standout weekend, Jet Lawrence’s struggles, and touches on how these results might set the stage for the coming AUSX event in Melbourne. He also briefly touches on Vancouver Supercross and implications for riders like Eli Tomac and Ken Roczen.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Paris Supercross: Venue & Nostalgia

• Context:

  • Jason’s first time at the current Paris SX venue, but not the event (“it’s kind of not really”) due to its venue change from Bercy to La Défense Arena.
  • The Paris Supercross is steeped in history, once known for unique elements like the fast, cold tunnel at Bercy:

    “Back in those days, you'd go out and it'd be warm inside the stadium... out into the tunnel, and it would be freezing cold...a very distinct, unique aspect of this event that you really don't get in other places...” (08:31)

• Change in feel:

  • The new arena is larger, newer, more upscale – but lacks some of the “nostalgia” and “history” of Bercy, including famous features like the tunnel.

2. SX2 (250) Class: Underwhelming but Pivotal for Locals

• Field Lacked Star Power:

  • Historically, Prince of Paris/Bercy has been a title held by top riders (Pingree, Wey, Vuillemin, Shimoda, Vial, etc.), but this year’s lineup “was just lacking some star power” (13:24).

• Race Recap:

  • Winner: Anthony Bourdon (French rider)

    “Cool. For Bourdin, you know, to win the Prince of Paris is a big deal, especially being a French rider. It’s something he’ll never forget...” (17:28)

  • Second: Luke Clout (Australia) – lost out after a crash not of his own making late in the show.
  • The battle was 51/49—very evenly matched, but “just came down to who made the critical mistake or who had the unfortunate incident. And in the end, that was Clout” (16:40).

• Jason’s Racing Insights:

  • European races reward momentum and good starts more than US events. One mistake snowballs, especially with short starts and small gates.

    “If you start well, life gets much easier. If your starts are terrible, you're going to be fighting an uphill climb every step of the way...” (19:13)

• Final Judgment:

  • Good efforts from Bourdon & Clout, but overall “the SX2 racing was a little bit boring, in my opinion” (21:30).

3. SX1 (450) Class: Performer Evaluations

Malcolm Stewart: “Absolute revelation”

• Best Weekend Ever?

  “I said on the broadcast that this was the best I’d ever seen him ride. I stand behind it.” (22:06)

  • Flawless both nights: holeshots, fastest laps, no mistakes, innovative lines.
  • “He was innovating on the level of Jet [Lawrence]...and beat him consistently throughout the weekend, I mean, that's the highest level he's ever been at, period, full stop.” (25:47)

• Comparison to Tampa 2023:

  • While Tampa was also outstanding, Paris showed consistent, comprehensive excellence over two days, not just one main event.

Jet Lawrence: Surprisingly Mistake-Prone

• Assessment:

  • “If I was a teacher...I would give him like a B on the weekend...mistakes, crashes in the Super Pole...big crash entering the whoops...” (30:35)
  • Not up to his usual “perfection to the point of boring” standard—multiple uncharacteristic errors.
  • Possible explanations: offseason rust, difference in production vs. works bike, adjustment issues.

• Looking Ahead:

  • “His track record at these offseason races...is not spectacular…he lost Paris last year, he lost Paris this year, he lost Australia last year...” (32:25)
  • The coming AUSX race is a test of whether these struggles continue.

Cooper Webb: Solid, But Lacks Raw Speed

• Performance Grade:

  • “B plus is probably where I would land. I liked how solid he was. He didn’t make mistakes...other than he simply wasn’t as fast as Malcolm or Jet, full stop.” (35:20)

• Offseason Race Challenges:

  • Limited ability to make technical/motorcycle adjustments without full factory support at these races.
  • Webb’s strengths are mental toughness, putting himself in good positions, and avoiding pivotal crashes—raw pace is not his weapon.

Hunter Lawrence: Scary Crash, Fortunate Outcome

• Incident:

  • Suffers major crash—helmet badly damaged, likely by footpeg strike.
  • “He’s very lucky to be racing in Australia. He’s very lucky to not still be in Paris at the hospital.” (39:17)

• Perspective:

  • “Just thankful that he's all right. Forget about the racing as far as that goes...” (41:03)

Tom Vialle: Disappointing Debut in New Class

• Analysis:
  • Could not outperform French privateer Cedric Soubeyras despite being a two-time World Champ and 250SX Champion on Factory Honda:

    "You should be beating 35 year old Cedric Subarus. Like I don't know how more simply I can put it than that..." (41:43)

  • Also responsible for first-turn incident that took out Jet (not intentional, but not a great look).
  • “If anybody thought that VL [Vialle] was going to beat a bunch of current crop of 450 factory guys, they’re deluding themselves. And I think Paris was pretty good evidence of that.” (45:22)

4. Vancouver Supercross – Key Observations

• Eli Tomac:

  • Looked comfortable and fast, particularly on dirt types he likes (not slippery or unpredictable).

    "When I looked at the track…this should work for Tomac because Tomac's MO is…really aggressive on the racetrack…If the track is conducive to that…you're going to get Eli's best stuff." (47:22)

  • Predicts that Tomac will have occasional struggles on KTM as he adjusts to a radically different bike, impacting his title shot depending on “how many times does it happen”. (50:07)

• Ken Roczen:

  • Strong in technical/tricky conditions but at a disadvantage on tracks that reward aggression and heavy throttle, as in Vancouver.

    “When aggression is on the menu...he doesn't have an edge on everyone else...” (54:36)

• Hayden Deegan:

  • Noted improvement in recent practice, might influence his and his team’s decision to race 450 at Anaheim 1, especially after witnessing Jet and Hunter’s struggles.

    “He just looks more comfortable...If he goes out and he's in the fight to win, I think we probably see him in Anaheim. I really do.” (56:16)

  • Deegan family described as “tacticians” in decision-making—will take cues from rivals’ performance at these offseason races.

    “You don't have to like Brian Deegan. You don't have to like Hayden Deegan. They're tacticians when it comes to decision making. They truly are.” (57:03)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Malcolm Stewart Praise:

  “He was the best guy, period. End of story. Saturday night...[on Sunday] I don’t think you’ll find anybody that’ll say he wasn’t the fastest guy.” (24:15)

• On Offseason Supercrosses:

  “...offseason supercrosses are about...adapting, making the most of what you have to work with at the time.” (37:57)

• Motocross Europe vs. USA:

  “To win in Europe...you need to have positive momentum and you need to know how to execute...it’s a snowball of momentum that you need to stay on the right side of.” (18:53)

• Risk & Safety in Racing:

  “These guys are taking a lot of risk and you...don’t think about it too much because they’re so good at what they do...But I think that crash [Hunter Lawrence] shows you how fast things can go sideways.” (39:49)

• Assessment of Vialle Hype:

  “Posting a video of somebody going really fast at the practice track is not anything new and not evidence that everybody's going to regret not signing them.” (44:07)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:44 — Show Introduction, Sponsor Thanks, Paris SX context
• 04:00 — Paris vs. Bercy: Venue History & Anecdotes
• 13:24 — SX2 Class/Prince of Paris Recap
• 17:28 — Importance for French Riders & Racing Momentum
• 21:30 — SX2 Final Thoughts, Transition to SX1
• 22:06 — Malcolm Stewart’s Performance Analysis
• 30:35 — Jet Lawrence’s Mistakes & Possible Explanations
• 35:20 — Cooper Webb’s Ride & Offseason Challenges
• 39:17 — Hunter Lawrence’s Crash & Safety Takeaways
• 41:43 — Tom Vialle’s Disappointing Debut
• 47:22 — Vancouver SX: Tomac & Roczen Analysis
• 56:16 — Hayden Deegan’s Prospects for Anaheim 1

Conclusion

Jason Thomas delivers a candid, experienced view into Paris SX, celebrating Malcolm Stewart’s breakthrough, dissecting Jet Lawrence’s rare missteps, and offering hard truths about underperforming favorites. He skillfully weaves technical insights, personal stories, and forward-looking speculation, setting up key narratives to watch as the series moves to Australia and beyond.