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/128355
THQ World Supercros s Gr and Pr ix Series Interview: Sean Hamblin Self-Employed So, what is your ne w program fo r 2005? It's basically with Monster Energy, Pro Circuit and Kawasaki. I'll be working out of the Monster Energy rig - it's a Fleetwood motor home and a Fleetwood trailer. The trailer is going to be more of the bike stuff where the mechanic is going to wo rk out of. The rig part of it will be more of hospitality and everyth ing like that. My mechanic is Wes Co rbin, [Erick) Vallejo's mechanic from last year. It'll be cool. Why did you come to Canada for the first two World rounds? Well, everyone has been working the ir asses off trying to get everything ready for me to come up here and do these Canadian rounds first so that I can get a litt le more time unde rneath me , especially since I haven't had the bike very long. It's basically coming up here and getting a little bit of extended practice with a little bit of gate time and just get a few of the bugs wor ked out . After this weekend , it's hell." Now that you 're pre tty much on your own now. wh at 's t he main diffe re nce no t being on a factory team? It's just mainlytrying to get everyt hing together myself, the bikes and everyth ing. O therwise, I like it. How has the transition from riding a Suzuki to t he Kawas aki been going? These new Kawl'sare so good right now, I'm amazed how good they wo rk stock. We haven't had to do too much to them to get them up to the race pace. I enjoy riding them. It's never been that hard for me to switch bikes. Did you st ep up your training program from last year? Yes. I hired a new trainer. He was TylerEvans' trainer last year, and he's really good . I can't say enough about the guy - he kicks my ass. This is the best shape I've ever been in, and it's going to continue to get better as the year goes on , the more and more we wor k together. I've also got my own practice track now that's five minutes down the road from my house, so I have no excu ses no t to go riding and put in the laps I need to during the wee k. Wh at kind of goals have you set for yourself for t he upcoming season? My realistic goals are to go out and just not get hurt like I did last year. I had a lot of injuri es that 1had to overcome, but . honestly. I want to go out and prove to everybody what Iwas capable of being in the first place - a top-five guy. I seriously think that if I get everything put together, I don't see it as not being a possibility I mean , . I've beaten almost all the guys out there before, whether it's a heat race , in a main, or anyth ing. I have confidence rollingin, and I have a lot of good peop le behind me that'll keep me positive and keep every thing going that way. When it comes to race day. I'm ready now." event via a win in his semi, made good use of a fifth-p lace st art an d pretty much tagged along w ith Wey as they made their way to the front. O nce in t hird, Huffman then started putting the moves on Weyand w as right on his rear fender when th e checkered nag came out. But not too far behind Huffman was Mike LaRocco, so Huffman cou ldn't take too many ch ances. "It w as an aw es ome ride, e specially co ming off a ninth last w e ekend ," Huffman said . "1 ha d a good semi ride and w o n th at pretty easily. I was pumped and was re ally looking forward to th e main ev ent. I knew if I just got a 24 JANUARY 5 , 2005 • dece nt start I could run t he speed and run t he whole 20 laps. " 1 made a pretty go od charge, " Huffman said . "1 kind of broke away fro m LaRocco a lit tle bit and was cat ching Nick. I had him in my sight , and I made one bobble where I cased a jum p really bad and that kind of took my momentum aw ay a little bit . And w ith only a coup le of laps to go , it w as more of keeping my same position . I w as definit e ly satisfie d wi t h a top-three finish." LaRocco , w ho got off to a bad start, w as d efin itely o n Huffman 's mi nd toward t he en d . "1 saw Mike a couple of times when I CYCLE NEWS Cole Siebler re la x e s in the Vancouver pit• •