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/1542340
r I Chad Johnson: Yamaha's AX Man Chad Johnson kicked off the 20052005 Toyota AMA National Arenacross S€ries by winning *re tirst fi\r'e main evenB of the season. After six years of payirE his dues on the Arenacross circuit, Johnson b final- ly oo the verge of aking his firct National tide, and enters the final round of the series in Den/er deadlocked with Honda's Brock Sellards for lead in the sedes points sandings. The 23-year-old rider will also be ridir4 the E6tem Regonal Supercross Series and will be making his first venture irto outdoor competition later this year. We checked in whh the Team Yamaha rider at the Guthrie round of the Arenacross Series and asked him a few questions. cn: How long hav€ gou b€€n with T€am YamahaP chadlohnson: For the last three years. cn: What did gou do b€for€ Uou got into ArEnacross? chadiohnson: I raced a lot of Amateur stuff - Loretta's, Lake Vvhitney, Mini O's, all that stuff hooked us up with some support. We got so much testing in before the season start- ed that it helped us come out really strong, Junior is wrench,ng on my bike and making the suspension handle and the motorc go fast. cn: What has b€€n th€ diff€r-nc€ in this gear for !ou2 chadiohnson: I definitely think it has been the prepardion. I got married a couPle of years ago and think that has made my mind-set better. My focus is better and I train a lot harder ln the past I have come iftto the s€ason rrct really in as good a shape as I would have like to have been, but dlis year, we were ready, cn: oo Uou consid$ gouPs€lt an ArGnacross sp€cialist? chadjohnson: I dont knovr' about special- ist, but I am definitely better in Arenacross. Uke I said, I have been doing it for a while and I know a trick or two on the tight tracks and I am deliniteb/ used to it. I think it hvors my style. cnr What is it about goun stgl€ that gou think suits Uou b€tt€r to indoor tracks? chadiohnson: I think it is just being smooth on the jumps - you are in the air more than on the ground - and rny rhythm ard timing. I definitety prefer [indoor] over outdoor Outdoor it is a lot of lane cn: Darca Lang€ s€€ms to b€ adapting wEll to sup€rcnossi is that an av€nu€ that gou want to pursud chadlohnson: Yeah, definitely, I have a ride with Motoworld to 80 ride the East Coast Supercross€s this year and the out- doo. nationals, so I am exched to gear up and get read, we will see how it goes, cn: You start€d out dominatlnq th€ ArEnacross S€ €s, th€n gou qot sick and op€n€d th€ door for th€ comp€tition to catch up a lit- fl€. Vlrhat wEs Uour gam€ plan at that pointP chadiohnson: I iust kept looking for wins - you always want to win. I4y fourth and fifth in Baltimore was a huge disappoint- ment, but I had been sick for wvo weeks and I was just drained- cn: You hav€ stuck with th€ tr /c strok€. What aF€ goun thoughts about thatP chadirrrrsonr For the little bike R50 dass], the four-stroke is definhely the way to go, but I am still not convinced. I see all those gu),s running it, but s6ll, on the tiSht track I still prefer the two-stroke. cn: What will gou rid€ in th€ €ast Coast Sup€rcross€s7 chadjohnson: The 250E By Shon Moore 9^atilsa 0{ =i_itGFIII J r .! f rIrI I M It rrtl I I I -t€E I t- 7-, Canada- M6xico and allother counlrios 165.00 IE t"I (0ne yeir, l2 monthlvissue!, First class Maill a I I I -- Illitt a -7433) UBSG s ; a a trHffiT" cn: T€ll us abo(* gour Program for this U€ar. chadiohnson: Basicalty, Junior Jackon and I put our own deal together and we have been putting in a lot o{ hp1 We talked to Kei6 Hccarq/, with Yamah4 lust before the Areriaqross Series, and he choosing and trying to pick the smoother lines and carryin8 your momentum. ln indoors, you are dellnitely carrying your momentum, but it is all about being smooth and timing stufl - Hitting iumps just right so you can hit the next one cor- rectly. There is definitely a lot more rhythm indoors. cn: Oid gou hav€ ang thoughts at all of going with the BooKoo SeriesP chadiohnson: First off, you get an AMA title i{ you win and AMA and Clear Channel run ever/thing, so it was just the wise thing to do. I thinkthey have the bet- ter of the two series and it didn't really take a whole lot of thought. ,i - 1 : \ N ;{;;j "l I -l L., n T-F D I2 FEBRUARY15,2ffi6. CYCLE NEWS Personal Watercratt lllustrated: 3505-M Gadillac Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92626