Tuesday Toolbox: Jackson Hancock

GNCC Racing:  Jumping straight into it, after winning the YXC2 Super Mini 2 class championship last year, you raced the final two rounds in the YXC1 class. Did those two races give you an idea of what you needed to work on to come into YXC1 and be successful this season?

Jackson Hancock:  Racing the last two rounds in YXC1 last year helped me a lot. Those two races showed me exactly where I was at — I knew I needed to find some sprint speed and work on my strength and cardio conditioning. Levi Coen with Outlier Performance has been a tremendous help with my training program. Those races put me in a spot where I knew I had to put in the work to be a top competitor for the overall championship this year.

You’ve had a dominant season so far, winning seven of the first nine races. Did you expect to have this much success coming into your first full season in YXC1?

I put in a lot of work over the offseason, so my expectations coming into the season were high. I knew if I did everything right, I could run up front in YXC1 and be in the championship fight. The work has paid off, and it's been a great season so far.

At Snowshoe, you led the Youth race from start to finish and earned your seventh win of the season. Snowshoe is one of the toughest races on the schedule, so what was that race like for you?

Snowshoe is always one of the toughest races on the schedule with the rocks and the big hill climbs. I didn't get the start I wanted, so I had to work my way up and made the pass for the lead in the last mile of the first lap. From there it was about staying smooth and keeping the bike underneath me for the rest of the race. Matt Pierce with Pierce Performance does an unbelievable job building and maintaining my bike, and at a place like Snowshoe that's the difference — the bike ran perfectly all day and never gave me a reason to worry about it.

With seven wins already this season, you’ve put yourself in a great position for the Youth Overall Championship. What would it mean to you to finish the season off and earn that championship?

Winning a Youth Overall Championship has been one of my biggest dreams since I first started racing GNCC on a DRR 70. If I can finish this season off and earn it, it will mean the world to me.

GNCC takes you to completely different types of terrain throughout the season. What kind of track or conditions fit your riding style the best? Do you have a favorite track on the schedule?

The sand fits my riding style the best, because I live and train in the Florida sand. My favorite track on the schedule is The Wild Boar — it's close to home, the sand suits me, and winning the overall there in my home state was a great moment for me. Switching between the two is a big change. Motocross is all out for a short moto, and GNCC is more about being consistent and taking care of your equipment for the full race. I've got some great mentors in my camp who recommended racing both, and it's been a great choice for me. Motocross has helped my starts and my sprint speed, and GNCC has helped my endurance and riding in rough conditions — maybe not so great for my dad's wallet, though.

Along with GNCC, you also compete in ATVMX. What’s it like switching between cross-country racing and motocross, and do you feel like racing both has helped you become a better rider?

Switching between the two is a big change. Motocross is all out for a short moto, and GNCC is more about being consistent and taking care of your equipment for the full race. I've got some great mentors in my camp who recommended racing both, and it's been a great choice for me. Motocross has helped my starts and my sprint speed, and GNCC has helped my endurance and riding in rough conditions — maybe not so great for my dad's wallet, though.

You also had the opportunity to race overseas at the 72H Pont-de-Vaux and came away as the Youth Champion. What was that experience like for you?

Pont-de-Vaux was an awesome experience, racing with some of the fastest riders in the world. It was a quick turnaround to get there — we raced the final round of ATVMX at Briarcliff, and then Tim Dettling with TDR, who helps us on the ATVMX side, and my dad left the track and drove straight to the airport to meet Matt and the team in France. Our luggage didn't show up until day three, and my dad’s didn't get there until day five, so let's just say the French underwear don't fit well.

Once we got settled, we got to explore Paris and then headed east to the track. The terrain over there is beautiful. Before the race, all the entries paraded the ATVs into town for a big party, and then it was three days of racing. It was unreal how many people came out to watch. I can't wait to go back. Without the logistical help from David Eller with Phoenix, Tobias Lenz, and Doug Henline with 4 Liberty, this trip wouldn't have happened.

What were some of the biggest differences you noticed between racing at Pont-de-Vaux and racing here in the United States?

The track conditions were the biggest difference. Over there it's basically high-speed blue groove racing with a ton of rubber laid down on the surface — it's more like TT racing than anything we run here. Coming from the Florida sand, that's about as opposite as it gets. Tim and Matt made some subtle changes during testing, and we came out of the gate ready to go racing. Qualifying ended up being right after the rain, so it was muddy, and we couldn't lay down a clean lap. We didn't have a clear picture of where we stood against everyone until it was over. We ended up qualifying P2, which sets your starting position for all three motos, and from there we went out and won every moto.

Between winning a GNCC championship last year, the success you’ve had in  YXC1 this season, racing ATVMX and becoming the Youth Champion at Pont-de-Vaux, what accomplishment are you most proud of so far?

 That's a tough one. I try to keep all of those separate from each other because they're so different. Winning in France is hard to beat, but that's three motos in one weekend, and a GNCC championship is 13 races over a whole season. It's tough to compare the two. They're both special to me for different reasons.

You’ve already accomplished quite a bit at just 14 years old. What are some of the goals you have for yourself as you continue moving up through the ATV ranks?  My goal right now is to keep competing for championships as I move up through the classes. Long-term, I want to race the pro classes in GNCC and ATVMX. For now, I'm focused on finishing this season off the right way and getting a little better every year.

When you’re not racing or training, what do you like to do away from the track?  I like playing baseball and golf, and I like to fish and hunt when I can. This year's schedule didn't leave much downtime, though, so I haven't gotten to do as much of it as I'd like.

Finally, to wrap things up, who would you like to thank for supporting you throughout this season?

 First and foremost, God, my mom and dad, John, Lyla and the rest of my family, and my race family. And all my sponsors — Matt Pierce with Pierce Performance, Tim Dettling with TDR Motorsports, Jason and Alicia with Action Offroad, Levi Coen with Outlier Performance, Micah with Custom Axis, Rick Cecco, CanvasMX, Hinson, Pro Circuit, Baldwin Motorsports, Performance ATV, Ryland Johnson, Trek Bikes, and anyone I forgot.