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/128364
Juha Salminen: Coming to America In the off-road community, Finland's Juha Salminen coming over to race in the United States would be like Ricky Carmichael suddenly packing his bags and heading to Europe. Salminen, a multi-time World Enduro Champion, said he needed a change in pace and has arrived in the States to take on a new challenge in American off-road racing. We recently hooked up with the friendly 28-year-old Finn and talked to the KTM rider about the new direction his career has taken. cn: So, how many World Enduro titles do you have? juhasalminen: I don't know; depends how you count - six times in class and five times in the overall, plus the team World Championship [ISDE]. Someone counted once and came up with IS. cn: What prompted you to leave the World Enduro circuit when you're still on top of your game? juhasalmlnen: I've been driving factory bikes since '98 and, since that time, I won like six titles in Europe. I came to a point that I had to figure out what I'm going to do next. Every year the same, it started to be boring, so I ask KTM if they had something different for me, they offered me a chance to come here, and I was already planning that I should come here. I am excited about it; it's something new and a new experience. cn: What will you focuss on here? juhasalminen: Mainly GNCCs. If I have time, I'll make some WORCS races. cn: And what are your goals? juhasalminen: I just want to ride a bike and do my best. That's my goal. I don't have any experience about GNCC. I rode one race last year, and I know the guys more or less. The GNCC is going to be a new experience - how to ride the bike like for three hours. I have many things to learn, but I do my best. cn: Will the longer format in GNCC racing be your most difficult change? juhasalminen: Length of races, yes, it's so different, completely different. How you ride the bike is the same, but which kind of sport you make, that's the difference. cn: Is there GNCC-type racing In Europe? juhasalminen: In France, they start making GNCCs, but I make only a couple of races. cn: Do you think you can win some GNCC races? juhasalminen: I don't know, I really don't know, because I don't have any experience. I have to make some good races and good results, and then we know. But I don't have any idea, I just do my best. cn: Do you think coming over here to race will help the sport of offroad racing on both sides of the ocean? juhasalminen: It helps people here and helps people there. In Europe; GNCC is not so popular, they don't know so much about GNCCs. It is good for Europe, it'll open their eyes. And same for U.S. Guys here don't really know what is enduro in Europe. Maybe I can also help them [U.S.] also to understand how to ride in Europe and how to win when they go to Six Days. cn: Will you ride the Six Days this year? juhasalminen: We have GNCC the same weekend as the Six Days, so I'll stay here. cn: Do have a background in motocross? juhasalminen: I start with motocross, then I changed to trials. I make six years of trials and then I split to enduro. Actually, in 200 I, I won the Finish Openclass Championship. That was my goal in motocross. cn: How long are you planning on staying here? juhasalminen: I have a contract for two years. Michael Byrne: Moving Up Michael Byrne has been steadily moving up in the results this season. Currently, after four rounds, he sits in 10th position in the AMA THQ Supercross Series points standings. Last week at round three in Anaheim, California, Byrne turned in his best finish yet, an eighth, in the highly competitive 250cc class, and then backed that up with another eighth at the San Francisco round of the series in SBC Park. Now, with his teammate James Stewart sidelined with a broken arm, Byrne is the lone rider under the Kawasaki tent and looking to hold up his end for everyone. cn: How do you feel your season is going so far? michaelbyme: A little rough, a little rough at the start. I mean I fell off the first couple of rounds, and then last week I was sick. So, hopefully I can turn it around here and start doing better. cn: Last week at Anaheim II you seemed to be riding well. michaelbyrne: [Last week] I rode good, but everyone saw in the final I just ran out of energy. I rode good at Phoenix, too, but I just crashed in the final and kind of cost myself a good finish there. Anaheim, it was just so muddy and I just had one of those nights. last weekend was good. I stayed on the whole weekend. Just being sick, yeah I was good in the semifinal, for six laps, but after lap 15 in the final, that was when I started really feeling it. Hopefully this week it will be good, and I feel a lot better. cn: Do you feel any added pressure, now that James Stewart is Injured and you are the only rider for Kawasaki? michaelbyrne: I mean I did at Phoenix, when James first got hurt, but I think they don't have any higher expectations. They just want me to do the best that I can, and don't try to take James' position because that's not how it is. I mean there was a little bit of pressure but it was only what I put on myself, you know, at Phoenix, and that didn't work out too well for me. I'm just going out there and doing the best that I can every time. cn: When you first took delivery of the 2005 bike, were you happy with it? michaelbyrne: The new bike was a big improvement over last year's, straight away, even from standard, and I think that they did a great job. It's got a whole new engine and whole new frame. I think everything is good.