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The Comeback? Interview Geoff Meyer Images KTM
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Cooper Webb is without question starting his charge for his championship. While it looked like Eli Tomac and Ken Roczen might start pulling away from the competition, Webb, the defending AMA 450 supercross champion showed why we all love him. A fighter until the very end and he closed right up on the two favourites after last weekend’s victory.
MXlarge: You obviously made that mistake in your heat race. Tell us about that? Webb: After the heat race after going down, when you make mistakes like that, you get mad at yourself. It was actually a good thing for the main event, because it fired me up. It was a great main, obviously the season has been up and down, last week went well and this week was awesome. The team has been working really hard on the motorcycle to get me comfortable and even in the whoops I felt comfortable. I was comfortable all day, a great main. Adam was riding really well, I wasn’t making up time early and as the track deteriorated, you want to try things, but you don’t want to make a mistake. It is tough that situation for sure and we had a few battles and it was a fun main event and it is cool to walk away from the main with a win. MXlarge: You got lucky getting a much better gate pick for the main. Were you surprised that gate was left available for you? Webb: I was very surprised. I was 11th pick, so I was expecting more outside. It obviously wasn’t the greatest gate, but I was in the mix and it helped me out a lot. MXlarge: What has change for you the last couple of weeks? Webb: Honestly, the team, we all sat down, and we all needed to be better and figure it out, and we saw how well Blake hits them on the same bike. We got to ride together this week and he is a bad dude in the whoops, and we ended up jumping them, but I felt I fixed my Achilles’ heel a little bit. MXLarge: Early on Adam had good speed, what was your mind-set when he was getting away? Webb: It is tough, because you need the speed at the beginning and he was really on it, and I was just on the tow. You get in the middle, where the track, you are not sure which direction you want to go, because the lines changed a lot. That final five minutes really is a long time and I think tonight it would have been like eight laps. MXLarge: Mid race you made a nice move on him, can you explain that for me? Webb: I made that move early and he got around me first lap and I was close again and he went inside and squared it up and good racing, and a lot of strategy. MXlarge: You and Adam go back a long
way, back to your youth racing. How is that now racing each other? Webb: We haven’t raced each other in a long time. It was cool and he is a rookie, and you think he will make rookie mistakes, but he is really smart and smooth and didn’t make any mistakes. It is like you are battling a seasoned 450 guy. It is cool to think we are now on the bigger stage, he is 23 and I am 24, so that is pretty cool. MXLarge: It seemed like after a slow start to the season, you picked it up at A2? Webb: It was a great weekend at A2, and I had a good late race charge and I was right on Ken and Eli wasn’t too far ahead. The first two rounds are kind of seeing where you are at and then round four in Phoenix, I was looking forward to that and the triple crown. MXLarge: Last year you won the triple crown to start you charge for the championship. How did you feel about that Triple Crown at Glendale this year? Webb: It was a so-so night. I struggled a little bit all day. The first main event wasn’t very good—I got a terrible start. I made some good passes, but it wasn’t a good result. We were able to salvage it at the end. I got some much better starts and got passed in both by all the top guys. I went 4-5 in the last two, so I salvaged a 4th, but I didn’t quite have it. Those guys were a little better all day. I need to go back to the drawing board. I need to commit in my whoops and figure those out. I guess I can’t be too bummed. After the first main event, it was a little uneasy so it’s good to turn it around.” MXlarge: The championship points are still close for the top five or so? Webb: It is tight. I remember last year it was the same way. I think sixth to eight everyone is close. Last year my first win was the triple Crown and I was looking forward to that in Phoenix.
Photo: R. Schedl
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Nearly Perfect in 2020 Interview Geoff Meyer images Bavo Swijgers
Tim Gajser has started the season on fire, with 1-1-1-1-1-2 results from his first six races of 2020. The HRC rider is defending his championship against what could be described as the toughest field in Grand Prix history. While victory in the pre-season doesn’t count for much once the MXGP championship starts, you still get the feeling the Slovenian has confidence and momentum on his side going into Matterley Basin in a couple of weeks’ time.
MXLarge: A win in the Italian In- we could see that my speed and ternational championship. How technique was better in the sand, because it is completely different does that feel? in sand compared to hard pack. Gajser: I’m very happy with how this series went, to win MXLarge: You went to the Monfive races and to get great starts ster Cup in Vegas after the season. and lead laps was an important Were you at all concerned it might beginning to 2020 for me. With ruin your season, or were you just the new CRF450RW we’ve been going to have another fun race, working hard to get everything tell me about that? setup well and these results prove what a good job everyone Gajser: I was super excited to go there. It was my second time has done. Now I have a little there, I also went there in 2017 break, but I will keep working hard and make sure to carry this and I kind if knew what to expect and I went there earlier, rode on momentum into England. some supercross tracks and tested more. Still, I did just five days or MXLarge: You had a great season in 2019, how did it feel with riding, but I had a great time, the racing was good, and I was satisall those race wins and your fied to go there, and I hope I go third World championship? again. Gajser: 2019 was an amazing season. Already coming into the MXLarge: After the MEC, what was your off-season like? season, I was already feeling good, the bike was really great. I was hoping for a great season, Gajser: It was very busy, didn’t have a lot of time off, and had a and I was struggling a bit early in the season, making too many lot to do. I am thankful I could spend a couple of days at home in mistakes in the first races, but my own bed, and then beginning then after Valkenswaard we of December I started preparation went to Arco and then everyfor 2020. thing started going in the right direction and I started winning MXlarge: Will you do it the same races, Grand Prix’s and eventu- as last year or change some ally the title. things? MXlarge: Could you appreciate Gajser: Last year I changed many it while it was happening? things and I was super happy with Gajser: Every GP I won, or I rode that, so basically we try and stay well, I was definitely happy, but with the same program, but you can always improve and I tried to this year I appreciated everyimprove some things and we try thing more, because I learnt and do that every year, that is the from the past, from 2015 and 2016, I didn’t really appreciate goal. winning, so 2019 was special MXlarge: Always improving, how and I enjoyed it so much. I am important is that in this class, thankful to win that third one. because the MXGP class everyone is really working hard and making MXlarge: You won the Grand progress? Prix at Lommel, and you won the MXGP class at the Nations Gajser: I mean, every year, some at Assen, tell me about your riders from MX2 come to MXGP improvement in the sand? and it makes it bigger and more good riders. Already we have the Gajser: Basically that was my great names, but this year even goal to get better in the sand, more good guys and the motivaand in the winter we put hard work in and I was training a lot tion you need to improve, and I always say it could be better. Even in the sand and at the races
winning the races and the titles, I always feel I can do better. MXLarge: You have a new teammate, what is it like working with Mitch? Gajser: Mitch is a funny guy and he is a good team-mate. We spent a couple of days in November together and we stay a couple of weeks in Sardinia and riding and having some meals together. He is a good guy, fast, young. MXlarge: Is it weird that you are the older guy now, the older teammate? Gajser: I mean the years are flying and I am getting older, but it is nice having Mitch beside me and he is younger and hungry, and he wants to show he is fast. MXlarge: How do you think Mitch will do moving up? Gajser: I think for Mitch, in fact all the MX2 guys coming to MXGP. First you have to change the bike, but also the competition, there are so many good riders, but I think the 450 suits Mitch better, because he is taller, I think he will be good. MXlarge: Defending your championship is obviously the goal for 2020? Gajser: That is definitely the goal, but of course, I want to have fun, enjoy the races and stay healthy. I just want to enjoy and if I am having fun riding my dirt bike, I can go really fast. A happy team is a fast team, so I hope we have good races this year. MXlarge: What about the new bike, what can you tell us about that? Gajser: Also, for this year we have the new bike, and I am super excited, because as soon as I sat on the bike, I felt really good and comfortable. Everything goes in a good way and we can have great races with that bike and a great season. I never try to stop progressing and Honda are the same, they always come with new things and together we can do big things.
New Beginning Interview Geoff Meyer images Ray Archer
Shaun Simpson of the SS24 KTM team is known as a worker, a grafter, who has had major success in his career through hard work, putting his head down and fighting until he has nothing left. A proud Scotsman, the GP veteran has a handful of Grand Prix victories in the MXGP class and has contended for World MX2 championships earlier in his career. I doubt even Shaun himself could have imagined the results he has achieved in the tough era of Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings.
Now, in what you could say is the twilight of his career, he still surprises people, and last weekend at the Hawkstone Park International, with the stress of his own team, he once again had people watching on with their mouths open as he took a moto win, and second overall. Now as team owner, team manager and team rider, Shaun Simpson might just be having more fun than ever in his career. We caught up with the sand/mud specialist about his second place overall in the Hawkstone event. MXLarge: Firstly, congratulations on your first result as team owner/ manager, you must have been over the moon after that first race? Simpson: To be honest I was already over the moon after qualifying. I felt we had some speed and coming into the weekend you have done your homework, but I have been doing a lot of stuff recently and my mind-set wasn’t really focused on my riding. I was busy with setting up my new team awning, I had sponsors there, my mind was elsewhere. When I went out on the track for first practice, I was like, oh, here is the fun part, lets go and do some riding. I was just enjoying riding my bike. I was second behind Jeffrey, which was a big confidence booster. Then to get a top three start in the first moto and getting into the lead on the first lap and a start to finish win was perfect. MXlarge: Obviously Jeffrey crashed in the first lap, and he was never going to catch you anyway. He was coming back through the pack, did you see him coming at all, in some parts of the track could you see where he was? Simpson: No, I had no idea where Jeffrey was in the first race, and the second race I could gauge where he was compared to me, and I can say I wasn’t losing a lot of time. I must admit, in the first race I totally turned off the gas. At one point I had a 30 second lead on Glenn. Last year I am not sure if you remember, I was leading the first moto and ended up crashing and hurt my shoulder. I thought I have a big enough lead to just cruise it home. I had nothing to prove, and I was just making sure I got the win. In the
second one I did put on a charge to see how my pace was against Jeffrey. I was closing in on Glenn and I made an error. It was a day all three podiums guys had a crash, and it was just tough conditions. MXLarge: Obviously race conditions are totally different from practice. You have your own team now and can do whatever you want with the bike. How did you feel your bike was under race conditions? Simpson: We were just sitting around the table talking about that, and the bike set-up is just like I want it for now. I am really comfortable with the power delivery the bike has, we are working close with some guys at Carrot ECU in Holland and I am really confident in all conditions, like deep muddy conditions on the weekend, or last week on hard-pack quick circuits. I feel like we have a fantastic base package and I don’t feel like changing at all, although John Volleberg my engine tuner has some stuff, he wants me to try. MXLarge: Being that you run your own team and can do what you want. What is the most important thing for you, the power of the bike, or do all 450s have enough and it is the suspension set-up that is most important? Simpson: I think with a 450 straight out of the crate, for maybe 90% of people out there, a KTM is a fantastic bike. There is plenty of power, but usable power. A few years ago, you could have gotten good results on a stock bike at the Grand Prix’s, but anyone who is telling you there are getting good results on a stock bike, is lying, because you need extra horsepower to get out of the start. All the starts are deeply ripped, and you are up against factory bikes, and everyone is trying to get to that first corner. I might get the jump and the first four or five metres, but after that, when you get into the deep loamy stuff, you need more power. So, work on trying to get three, four or five more horsepower at the top end, but making sure you keep the usable power right through the whole spectrum of the power curve. That is the trickiest part to get. You can get power, bottom end, mid-range and top end, so you don’t have to use the clutch and it is all throttle control, that for me has been the biggest challenge. We seem to have that figured out now. MXLarge: Hawkstone was just a
MXlarge: I wanted to ask you about Glenn (Coldenhoff), because we obviously have the big four (Herlings, Cairoli, Prado and Gajser), which are all World champions, multiple GP winners, but I struggle not to put Glenn in with that group, despite his statistics not being anywhere near Simpson: Well, I have to be realistic, those guys. What is your opinion? second overall was great and Jeffrey and Glenn on the podium are two Simpson: I think you have to. On of the best in the World, going off paper he isn’t the race winner like the results from the end of last year. My others, but you have to put him in pace is showing well, but the probthere. His results from last year prove lem is, if there are 10 other guys in he is a front runner and people might the mix, you could be on the same not agree, but for me you have to pace, but running eight and ninth, have him in that group. and then podiums are a question MXLarge: I mean 1-1-1-1 at the Namark. I am running my own team, managing my own team, working on tions, that is pretty special. my own bikes and I need to be reSimpson: Exactly. At the same time, alistic and maybe I am not running you can see guys like Cooper Webb in with these guys every week. If I can America, who was great last year and go to Matterley and get two solid now it has taken him five rounds of top ten results and start my champi- the championship to get back to winonship off on a strong note, I will be ning ways. That isn’t to say Glenn will over the moon with that. If we can come out of the blocks straight away. get two 12th places and we worked I mean I have kept my eye on the hard, I will be okay with that. I am Italian championship, and you have so confident in my bike and not at somebody like Mitch Evans, who is all edgy with my set-up, and I can’t riding really well. He might come out see why after four or five GPs and of the blocks and steal some of those people are starting to lose motivatop positions. I remember Jeremy tion, I can’t see why we can’t start Seewer told me an older person told racking up the top ten’s, top eights, him once that the GP season really top six’s. I don’t need to come out starts at round five or six and my dad of the blocks with podiums. I just said the same thing. You shouldn’t get want to be consistent, but I also a false sense of security from the first want to do as well as I can. few rounds. MXlarge: You have ridden for so MXLarge: You mentioned to me last many teams, different team-mates, interview that you are Scottish, so different pressures. Now you are tight with your money. Did the manthe team owner, did you feel a ager/team owner (himself) give the massive difference in the pressure rider a bonus last weekend? involved? Simpson: Yes, there is always a rider Simpson: Yes, it felt different. What bonus this year, I am making sure of I said a minute ago, I had so many that. things to think about, I wasn’t focused on the nerves of racing and MXLarge: So, you ride France next when it did come time to race, that week? was the fun part. I just got stuck Simpson: Yes, we are in Scotland into what I like to do. When you have other people in your ear, team now, although we have snow at the moment, and we are trying to clean managers or other people telling you maybe a podium is possible, or everything up. Thursday, we head to Lacapelle. whatever, but I just wanted to ride well, I had no expectations from my- MXlarge: You get the feeling winter self. Obviously a podium is fantastic, has set in now. but I just got stuck in and I am my own boss and if we had problems, Simpson: That doesn’t surprise me, we would have gone back to the because the last few years Decemdrawing board, but the weekend ber and January have been okay and was a testament for the work we February, March have been what you put in. need to watch out for. pre-season race, with maybe five or six of the top guys there, but still you finished second behind Herlings, do you now have to re-set for Matterley? I would imagine even just a top ten in Matterley is a great result first up in your own team?
MXLarge: Anything you want to mention? Simpson: Yes, a final note to everyone who has made this all possible, yourself included. The media, everyone who has backed me, all the British fans yesterday, just the enthusiasm that has been shown to me over the last three or four months. It has just been incredible, and I can’t think all the sponsors who jumped in to help me. I am still looking for sponsors and I even had people who called this morning after the weekend and they are looking if it is possible to join us. Just a massive thanks to the whole motocross community for making a fuss about it. MXlarge: Going on that, the first thing I thought after seeing you won the first moto, I thought, this should help the momentum of the whole project? Simpson: That was my secret goal. Get some good results on the board at Hawkstone Park, Lacapelle, Matterley, so people can actually see what we are doing. It is one thing telling people and showing them. We had a nice set-up, coffee machine was on, home made food was made, the sponsors were all there, it was really nice. People could see we had a very professional show for a small team, small budget and small crew. Most people helping were family and friends. I mean I was washing my own bike between races and some people saw that and wanted to help out. I am still lacking sponsors to make it easy to get through the season. MXLarge: It would be cool if you could do some type of Vlog, those video things like Christian Craig does from the supercross? Simpson: Funny you should say that, because somebody is doing one of those for me from Hawkstone Park, it should be out this week.
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