Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128218
Team Yamaha's Timmy Ferry _tIle_.. . . Glen ...... ....-u.goodtDF ... ........... 2001. I'm not sure, but I think everybody just needs to worry about themselves right now. rider, minus his injuries, so I don't know. I think I'd like to race for four or five more years at least. What kind of advice would you give fellow underdogs like yourself? I would just tell them to worry about themselves, you know? Not worry about what everybody else is getting - who's not getting love and stuff - and just worry about themselves and do the best they can. And when things go wrong, you just put it behind you, and you go on to the next weekend and try to turn things around - or go on to the next season, whatever. I've went up and down, and there's other guys, too, that have went up and down. It can be done, just keeping your mindset on racing and being focused and not letting outside distractions get to you, because a lot of the people who are saying things on the Internet, or this or that, I think a lot of people get caught up in that. Really, those are people who just want to be in our shoes. They want to be the one racing; they just couldn't make it, so just keep your head up and just keep trying. Q A Do you think the money has something to do with it, or the increased popularity of the sport? I don't really think it's the money. I mean, we all make enough money. We all make good money at the top level. The top 10 guys are making plenty of money. I think, more than anything, it's the people the riders surround themselves with that influence them. I think all the riders actually get along fine, it's just the people around them are telling them they have to be a certain way or do a certain thing, and I think that's ruined the friendships more than anything. Because we were all friends as kids, and we all raced together, it's just now we all have these - me, everybody included - we all have our entourages of people. I think, deep down, the guys could get along; it's just the outside people are causing the conflict. Do you think it's hard to be friends with guys you're racing against every weekend on a genuinely personal level? Yeah, I think it's become very hard. I've learned that in the last few years, and for the most part we all do get along, but everybody's competitive, and I want to win. It's real hard to separate friendship and racing. Some guys get it, and some guys don't. I get along really well with Ezra, you know? He can stuff me, or I can stuff him, and it's just racing - it's just, you know we both want to win, as long as it's nothing dirty or trying to hurt somebody. But yeah, it is tough. It's become hard to be friends - I've lost a lot of friends the last few years over the competitiveness of the sport. Maybe we'll be friends someday, 42 JUNE 11, 2003' cue I e nevws A What are your priorities this year for the Nationals and then going into next year, now that you're free of the Epstein-Barr and such? well, I've gotten second and third, and I think right now winning. Winning motos would be a start. Winning overalls would be a second thing. A championship will be third. I'm sitting third in points, not far out - really close to Chad in points, though Ricky's still got a bit on me. But I need to start winning motos and close the gap on the leaders. Last year I got second [in the championship]; the year before I got third. This year, I've only got one more step. It's the only place I can really go. I don't want to go backwards; I want to go forwards. I think, really, for next year I want to put the same emphasis on supercross that I did this year. I worked really hard in becoming a better supercross rider this year, and all-around I was. I mean, I finished on the podium quite a bit at the beginning of the season, and with everybody racing - all the good guys. Other than getting sick, I feel, resultwise, I had my best supercross season ever. _ A Feny'. increased focus on ."celllng in supercrou caused him to build this tncIt at his '-ne In Florida.