CHANCE HYMAS INTERVIEW: “WE HAVE A GOOD PROGRAM GOING RIGHT NOW AND IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING”

Although HRC Honda’s Chance Hymas was not overly impressed with his recent Supercross season, the 19-year-old is making up for it in AMA motocross. the Idaho native turned full-time pro in 2023, but injuries shortened both his Supercross and motocross seasons. Hymas did however win the 2022 Supercross futures championship, which likely showed everyone why Factory Honda signed him. After an eighth overall in the 250 East Coast Supercross Championship, Chance found his form outdoors. Now second in the 250 championship points to Haiden Deegan, Hymas has both a big target on his back and his determination to win. On the personal side, Chance is riding with Jett and Hunter Lawrence at their Florida compound, as well as being trained by former pro Michael Byrne. Along with Byrne, Hymas also has support from Lawrence trainer Johnny O’mara!  We caught up with Chance after his third overall finish at High Point. 

 

BY JIM KIMBALL

---

CHANCE, LET’S FIRST BEGIN WITH YOUR THUNDER VALLEY MOTO WIN; I IMAGINE ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, IF NOT THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER. Absolutely.  It is the best thing that has happened in my career so far.  I am just getting myself established at this championship and getting myself on the map. It is a lot of hard work that goes into it!  I was just talking to some of these guys and there is nothing quite like winning the first time.  It is an awesome feeling, and I am excited to go do it again and get an overall win eventually. It is a good feeling.

HOW WAS TAKING A WIN AT THUNDER VALLEY, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE CLOSEST TRACK TO WHERE YOU GREW UP?   I have only ridden there a couple of times previously, including the National last year. So, I have not really ridden there at all my whole career but when it comes that closest to home, that is the closest track to me.  Just being up in the mountains, you get a calm environment just scenery-wise.  It was a cool, cool place.

Chance grabbed his first moto win at Thunder Valley.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE NOW LIVING, AS I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE TRAINING IN FLORIDA WITH THE LAWRENCE BROTHERS. Yes, we are a big team between me, Jett, Hunter, Burner (Michael Byrne), and O’show (Johnny O’Mara) we are always trying to figure out things to be better and obviously it is good knowing that I am putting in the same amount of work as those guys; if not a little bit more, just trying to get to that level.  Without those guys and the system, we have right now, it is hard to be where I am at.  I would not be where I am at without Burner, along with Jett, Hunter, and Johnny.  We have a good program going right now and it seems to be working for everybody.

IT WAS COOL TO SEE JETT BE ONE OF THE FIRST TO CONGRATULATE YOU AFTER YOUR MOTO WIN. Jett and Hunter were the first people that I saw when I came off the track.  I was just bawling and in tears because it was such a rewarding feeling. Jett was telling me that he had believed it the whole time, and he knew it was going to come eventually.

Then I see Hunter and he is clapping and telling me how good of a job I did.  I rode like a two-time champ they said.  Those guys are definitely like brothers to me.  I would not be where I am without those guys. I just don’t ride dirt bikes with them, I am with them every single day doing normal life stuff, so they are my best friends, my brothers.

Chance Hymas now sits second overall in the championship point standings.

YOU REALLY DID LOOK LIKE YOU BELONG THERE. YOU DID NOT LOOK NERVOUS OR STRESSED – AS IF YOU HAD DONE IT BEFORE. To me, it was surreal because it felt like just another practice day.  I got out front and I sprinted for a few laps and just managed my gap. It was a crazy feeling just because I felt like I was 100% in control the whole time and I was not riding tight or worried.  Looking back on it now, I honestly could not believe that it felt so simple and everything so easy – even though in the past it has been so hard.  I don’t know what was different about that time.  I don’t know if something clicked in my head, but the feeling was something that I never thought I would feel at this level.

Building momentum, Chance has proven that he is a threat in the 250 class.

WRAPPING UP. YOU FINISHED THIRD OVERALL AT HIGH POINT AND WERE IN THE MIX. ALSO, YOU ARE SECOND IN POINTS. DOES THAT CHANGE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT THE REST OF THE OUTDOOR SEASON? Coming in, I wanted to be one of the top guys, but the goal is still the same coming in every weekend.  The goal is to win but you take what you can get. If I  get out front and do my thing and if the win is there, the win is there. If it is not, then I need to manage what I have, and just keep getting on the podium. I finally had my first overall podium.  If I am on the box every weekend, I feel at the end of the year, that would be an accomplishment. I was so close to the podium at Hangtown.  It was so frustrating; I was so close.  I just wanted to get on the box so bad and now that I did with the moto win.  It is just trying to keep it simple because the next step is overall.  I just need to keep the program the same.