On the heels of an impressive P3 finish in the 250SX East Regional Championship, Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha’s Coty Schock is remaining grounded in his expectations heading into AMA Pro Motocross. Still in his first year with the team, Schock is focused on continuing to learn each race weekend as he builds up to a competitive level that he knows he can reach.

Schock will continue aboard a Yamaha YZ250F for the team in Pro Motocross which will be his first time racing the 250 class outdoors since his rookie season back in 2017 when he entered as a privateer on a Honda. In 10 motos that year, Schock failed to score points in any moto as he got acclimated to professional racing. Saturday’s Fox Raceway National then will be just his sixth career start on a 250 in Pro Motocross and he’s aware of the challenge that lays ahead.

“I’m just going to have fun with it,” said Schock. “I know the first few rounds that I might get my teeth kicked in and that’s okay. But you know what, Brandon [Haas, team owner] told me, ‘Hey, this year is going to be a learning year for you, just go out there and do your best,’ which I always do. I’d like to be top 15 starting out the year and towards the end of the year, I know I’ll be top 10 at some point. It’s just a matter of time.”

There’s reason to believe based on how his Supercross season went that Schock should fare very well. On top of that, the last time Schock raced Pro Motocross was in 2021 when he raced the whole season on a 450 and had considerably strong finishes. At the Ironman National that year for example, Shock finished sixth overall just behind Ken Roczen and Chase Sexton but ahead of Joey Savatgy and Justin Bogle.

His 2021 outdoor season was one that showed the apparent talent that Schock possessed if he could just harness it all. But in the two years since then, he’s jumped around teams a bit and only been able to race Supercross and two rounds of the SuperMotocross World Championship, all on a 250. His best finish in those two years were a pair of eighth place finishes at Daytona and Detroit in 2023.

Now in 2024, Schock’s worst result at a non-Showdown race was a pair of eight place finishes at Arlington and Birmingham. He landed in the top five twice, won a heat race for the first time in his career, and defeated long-time factory rider Pierce Brown in the championship standings. It was a year that well surpassed his own expectations.

“I wanted to be a 7-10 guy,” Schock said of his Supercross expectations. “I told Club that for this season. Riding with Garrett [Marchbanks], Phil [Nicoletti] and JMart [Jeremy Martin], they all helped me get better by just riding with them. The previous team I was on, I was two seconds a lap slower than those guys every single lap. Then I got on the Club bike and we’re talking about a tenth, maybe half a second. I was proving that I can be a top five guy. At the practice track, anybody can believe that, but it’s another thing to show it for the race. I showed up this year.”

Shock stepped up and delivered throughout Supercross. He even cracked his collarbone after the fourth round, had surgery, and was immediately back to racing the very next weekend with a fifth-place finish in Indianapolis. Much like his standout rides in 2021, Schock’s meteoric ascension became quite a talking point.

But the key for Schock in all this is the ability to stay grounded in his approach. After signing a massive three-year deal to continue with ClubMX through the 2027 season, Schock was still aware that the work has only just begun. He had a plan coming into Supercross and his goal is to stick to that.

“This year itself has been a steppingstone for me,” Schock continued. “It just goes to show that I can be that guy and I just want to keep progressing. Will I plateau at some point? I’m cool with that! But I’m in a much better spot now and I love it. I love the team, I love my environment, and it goes to show that anything is possible.”

It already worked tremendously in one series so who’s to say it won’t happen again in Pro Motocross? While eyes remain focused on the championship battle beginning, Schock is looking to take a modest expectation and outperform it on a weekly basis.

Building that confidence is always key for Pro Motocross as underperforming has a way to bring riders down. If Schock wants to be P15 or better and goes 11-11 at the opener, that’s a win to him. And as he put it, he knows the better results will come, it’s just a matter of time.