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/128386
It's kind of hard to tell right now. I have ridden one - I rode one last week - so we are in the process. We do have one, but we just don't know... There are just a lot of things that have to come into play and are factors. Not only at Kawasaki, but a lot of outside people have to play the role of getting the bike done and stuff. So it's kind of hard to tell. Hopefully sometime by the end of the season. But we don't know yet. We are working on it for sure. There has been a lot of talk about you pulling out of the motos at Hangtown and Southwick. What do you have to say to the people that say you pulled out because you were not winning? I mean, I haven't been winning all year. In the outdoor series, it is definitely not that. Last week [at Budds Creek], I felt pretty good. I got a second and a third. I was just up there battling. I've been trying my hardest all year. It's just I don't really have anything in the tank right now. It's just two races there, Hangtown and Southwick, I just didn't really feel up to par - not really haVing enough energy to go, and kind of getting light-headed at it. But last weekend at Budds Creek, I put in two strong motos. I didn't win, but I felt pretty good there, and I wasn't winning there as well. I mean, if people think I pulled out because I wasn't winning, then I'll tell you now that I definitely have way more heart than that. I definitely leave it all on the track. Whether I can finish or not, I leave it all there. How did it feel getting back on the podium at Budds Creek? It felt good. Actually, you know what? It felt good just to race the whole time. like I said, I just haven't really... Even at Mt. Morris, I wasn't 100 percent. Even up there, I wasn't 100 percent, and I got two seconds. It's just really frustrating, and I'm just really frustrated not winning, but also I'm just preparing myself mentally and physically for next year, the rest of this year, and come next year - I think every athlete goes through a time when things kind of go downhill for a little bit, but the best athletes in the world can come back from that in stride and get even better. That's how I feel like my program is going. I feel like although I'm not winning, I am getting successful with my head, and I'm getting better about everything - learning how to deal with things here before I think it would just be really... I would be kind of lost right now. Where do you see yourself after a couple more rounds of outdoor competition? I see myself doing good. I see myself baSically giving Ricky a run. I want to try to win. I think, honestly, I think I need a 450 to at least give him a run for it in 35 minutes. Whether I beat him or not, I think that is another thing. I just think for right now I do ride as fast as I can go and as hard as I can go on a twostroke. I have ridden a 450 where it doesn't take as much energy to ride like that. So for sure I think I am riding my hardest out of anybody out there. But who knows? It could be the same thing on the 450. It might be just as tough. I see myself being up there and having some fun at least. eN CYCLE NEWS • JULY 13, 2005 37