Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

• • health house, and then I was back on the bike. Now, I'm actually stronger; I had multiple hip fractures, and when they put the pins in, everything kind of fused itself together in the lower back, which didn't really move much anyway. Now it's fused, so it doesn't move at all, but it's a lot stronger. Q Did that experience cause you to have any doubts about whether or not this was something you wanted to keep doing? No. Right when I came out from being unconscious, my mom was saying, "Are you sure you want to keep doing this?" I think those were the first words out of her mouth. Actually, she said, "You're not going to do this." [Laughs] It's something that I enjoy so much, and even right then, I said, "I'll never stop racing." Even if something like a major injury happens, I will continue in this sport, as long as I possibly can, whether it be team manager, or sports broadcasting, or something. This is my life, and motocross is my life, and I really enjoy it. I wouldn't give it up for anything. A Q A What is your greatest guys were so consistent every lap. Through that one section that I was manualing, I'd go from two seconds behind them to right on them, so if I could do that for a couple laps I was going, Wow, this is pretty cool! But if I messed it up I'd be way back. That's what freestyle has really helped me with just to be creative with the track, and try and do things that other people don't even think about doing. I'm sure a lot of those guys could have done it if they tried. I saw Windham and Albertyn do it before the main; it took them two days. Q Will you miss the amateur scene? I will. A lot of my friends are still there, but a lot of my friends have also moved up to the pros. I definitely won't miss having four races in an entire year, and trainini! for two to three months before the races, going, Man, when is this race going to come? You don't have to worry about, Hey, I got in a firstturn pile-up in my first race up, and I have to wait A knowrfto do [laughs]. I want to stay healthy and just put out one good season. Whatever good may be, I'm not sure yet. Q What about your career goals? probabl Y the same as every other person in the world - just to be as successful as possible in winning championships. I'd really like to win one, or hopefully more than one, 250cc Supercross championship. Everyone's goal is to be like McGrath, but that's almest unrealistic, because he set the standards for everything. A Q IS it a disadvantage that you turned 16 so late, so that you didn't get in any regularseason races last year? I really don't think so. I feel like my strong point is supercross - I'm a more technical rider. Out- A door is going to be great, too, but in supercross there's less guys dropping down from the 250s, and there's an east and west coast, also. I feel like I've been racing against a lot of the guys, like Ernesto Fonseca, for most of my life. I didn't get as IF I COULD SAY I HAD A MA.JOR GOAL. IT WOULD BE TO WIN A strength as a rider? 125 AND A 250 SUPERCROSS THE SAME NIGHT. ,nnovation, positive attimuch experience from the outtude, and hopefully doors, but Carmichael, at my age, training. To this point I've always just out-trained was still on an 80, so I've been tall and I've had a lot until next year to prove myself. It's, Maybe I messed everybody, but I know it's a whole new level to step of experience on ] 25s. It's going to be a learning this weeken~ but I learned from my mistakes and I'll up into the pros. I'm going to train my hardest and experience, for sure, so we'll see. make up for it next weekend. see where it comes out. The first year's going to be a did you like. the 250 at the U.S. Open? What will you do with all your money? learning experience. Q What about your greatest vulnerability? Right now, probably starts. I've been working on my starts a lot lately, and then I got to the U.S. Open, and those guys were a half-bike-Iength ahead before I even reacted to the gate. It's something that I need a lot of practice on. I've noticed even in amateur races when I get good starts I ride smoother, calmer and a lot better, but when I start out where I don't think I have a chance at winning, I push myself too hard and do what they call amateur riding - win this race, and not, Hey, it's a whole series now. I've just got to come off the best I can; I can't afford to crash. A At the U.S. Open, it looked like you had a couple innovative, BMX-influenced moves out there. Yeah, I was doing a double-manual, doublemanual through one section, and I wasn't very consistent on it, but it was quite a bit quicker. The only qualifier that I didn't actually crash at the U.S. Open, I passed Damon Huffman and was running fourth behind Ricky Carmichael, Ezra Lusk and Greg Albertyn, and I was so excited to be there. Tho~e Q QHOW Q well, it's great, and I feel like I've been lucky with everything I've gotten with Suzuki. I just bought 20 acres, just for motocross and supercross tracks and turn drills - that kind of stuff. I just bought a dozer, built the tracks, got the land cleared, and that's pretty much taken up my whole first year's salary. I also bought a truck, so it's all kind of towards racing, so hopefully I'll be in it for the long term. The money's been great, and we definitely needed it, but now it's like, All right, this is going to be my future, so let's have the best facilities available. The next couple years I'll be able to make a little bit. A Q What are your goals for 2000? I want to do well. I'd like to win the east coast supercross season, I'd like to get top-three in the outdoor, but I'm still not sure realistically where I sit. I want to go out there and I ride my best, and I don't make too many major mistakes throughout the year, like where I just completely blow a race that I'm leading, or I'm coming through the pack and I crash and I crash and I crash - that's stuff I've been A We know what you're thinking: This is that Travis Pastrana kid - the same crazy punk who jumped his bike into the ocean at the X-Games. He must be some sort of idiot, just iike all those other freestyle, freeride, free-fall Crusty Demons. Well, you're right in that Pastrana is among the best of the jump-contest regulars, but Suzuki signed him for more than his ability to pull off a flawless Lazy-Boy - and for more, even, than his ability to win races. The kid is well-mannered, well-spoken and well-studied. Like all serious amateur racers, Pastrana had a busy travel schedule, but rather than dropping out of school, he simply began home-schooling after the sixth grade. For those who imagine home schooling to be a piece. of cake in which one's parents simply sign off on high grades, that's not the case_ Pastrana had to take periodic, standardized national tests, and he always rated higher than his grade level. In fact, he graduated from high school two and a half years early with a 3.9 grade point average. Still, Pastrana is rather humble: "I'm not too smart, by any means, but I put 110 percent into my school." cue AI Q felt really comfortable on it. That was great. Why do you ride a 125 in freestyle? Just because I can throw it around easier, but I made the mistake of riding the 250 like a ] 25 in the U.S. Open, and I just kind of revved the crud out of it [laughs]. I ran some new gas in it that leaned out, and the combination between that and riding it like] 25, it seized up with two laps to go. A IS all the attention you're getting adding extra pressure on you? "m not really one that feels too much pressure. I realize that a lot of people have put a lot into me and are kind of hoping that I'm going to do well and be a good investment, but as long as I'm having fun and having a good time, that's all I can ask for - as long as I'm training my hardest. I think freestyle has kind of got me into the limelight, and I'll probably be a target at first, until I can establish myself, but that all comes with it. If I just ride well, I'll be happy. CN Q A See cyclenews.com for out-lakes (rom this Travis Pastrana inleruiew. Pastrana has since completed one semester at his local community college (pulling down straight A's), and is enrolled through the internet program at the University of Maryland, where he still holds a 4.0 grade average. His major is Communications, which partly explains his competence behind a microphone, and he also pens a regular column for Racer X 1I1ustrated magazine. He has taken off a couple months to prepare for the new season, but plans to hit the books again immediately, explaining, "College is a huge priority for me." Priorities aside, intuition suggests it would be impossible to simultaneously meet the demands of college and professional racing, but Pastrana claims that by waking up early and sticking to a regimented schedule, he can have his trai'1ing and his schoolwork done by early afternoon, leaving him time for a social life to boot. When asked why a big-time factory rider needs to bother himself with schooiwork, Pastrana laughs and says, "By no means am I financially set. There's a lot of stuff to payoff still, but anything can happen in motocross. If I get hurt tomorrow, my contract is null and void for the season, and jf I can't race anymore, what am I going to do?" A refreshing attitude for a person whose talents everyone else seems to take for granted. I ... n .. _ S • JANUARY 12, 2000 19

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