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/513714
INTERVIEW MX2 RACER THOMAS COVINGTON P72 I think at the flyaways the tracks are always a lot better. It's more like American style. The first three races they were just a little bit wider, fast tracks. They don't get as bumpy as these ones in Europe. These tracks in Europe get so rough because there's like five or six classes with the European 250 and everything and they don't touch the track the whole weekend. It gets really hammered by the second moto. At the flyaways normally it's just MX2 and MXGP with us. So the track stays pretty fresh and they tend to prep it more. And that's just what I grew up racing on. Here in Europe the tracks are really tough. That's something I'm having to get used to. Were you surprised at how well you did in MX2? Right out of amateurs? Yeah, Qatar was my first ever professional race. So to get a third place there, I was blown away. I was working hard for sure. I was working with Johnny O'Mara at the time. I kind of ex- pected to be in the top five, just with my speed and with Johnny working with me. We thought we'd have a good shot at it. To get third was awesome. I just struggled to stay with it the rest of the season last year. I guess just getting used to everything, living here and all that. It was a lot to take in. Do you think you coming over here will kind of open the door for more Americans? I don't know how it got a bad experience and everything. Just try to make the best of it. I get pretty homesick, but I'm pretty used to it over here now. I know how things go. I can really focus on the racing now other than just the food, like, "what am I going to eat?" I'm not really overwhelmed by all the traveling anymore. I'm just more focused on doing my job. Where is home? Home for me is in Southern California. I was born and raised in Alabama and then the last five years I've lived in California. This year, as far as travel, it seems like it was a pretty brutal start to the season. Qatar and then Thailand and then Argen- tina; that had to be rough. For me actually I love the flyaway races, when we go way off. It's pretty cool. Everyone flies in and we're there for like five or six days and we get to do some sightseeing. I just like the whole atmosphere around the flyaway races. I tend to do well at those. Qatar went well. I was second in the qualifying race and then just had a couple crashes in the heats or I would have been top five there. Got a fourth overall in Thailand and a fourth in Argen- tina. It's been a great start to the season, just got to get it figured out in Europe and get the ball roll- ing here and I'll be good to go. What do you feel like are your strengths and what are your weaknesses? And why do you feel like you've done well at the flyaways? The son of Mitch Covington— Monster Energy's Vice President of Sports Marketing— motorsports is a family affair.