PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAN MOORE
VOL. 50 ISSUE 28 JULY 16, 2013
P69
Osborne's
deal
is
through 2014 here in the
States.
MOVING UP
Osborne has ridden 450s
really well in the GP environment, racing for Puerto
Rico (since it's a US Passport) as part of the GP
series' idea of getting as
many Americans as possible into the Motocross of
Nations. But he didn't feel
like he was ready for MX1.
"I wasn't really that
interested to race MX1
tes class now, so if I were to win
the Championship, I think I would
be pointed out, so I would have
to go to the 450," Osborne says.
"It's funny how the [Honda] 450
here feels to me. I think there's
something there. I like that bike a
lot. But it's going to be a big step.
Honestly, it kind of scares me a
Europe to race MX1."
He actually could be racing little bit, but I'll know when it's
time to go because I'll be backed
MX1 now.
"Yeah, it could have been a into a corner again..."
good deal for me," Osborne
OFF-ROAD
says. "I mean, I could have probWhen the 250cc Western Reably taken quite a bit of money
gional SX Series went on hiatus
and went with it. But I feel like I
in the spring, Osborne figured
have a great opportunity here out a good way to pass the time;
with GEICO, and the way that Su- off-road racing.
percross went last year, I felt like
When most guys are taking
it was the right decision."
time off to relax a bit, Osborne
With US rules, if Osborne can took on the Grand National Cross
pull off a 250cc Supercross title, Country series here in the USA.
he could end up having to move At the first round in Florida, he
up as soon as 2015.
finished third in the XC2 Pro Lites
" I've had a few years in the Li- class (250F Pro) and eighth over-
KNOW
" I DOON THE THAT NO ONE HAS EVER
BEEN
GNCC, SUPERCROSS AND
MOTOCROSS PODIUM THE SAME YEAR,
AND I DID THAT THIS YEAR.
there," Osborne says. "Maybe
later in my career, but just not yet.
I feel like I'm a better Lites rider.
I don't really know. I'm probably,
honestly in reality, I'm a better
450 guy, but I feel more comfortable on a Lites bike. I don't know,
I just didn't really feel like I was
ready for MX1. That's a big step.
And I recently got married at the
end of last season and I felt like I
needed to come back here, settle down a little bit, and just chill.
I have a long career ahead of me
and hopefully I'm blessed with 20
more years. But at some point I
would definitely like to go back to
"
