Motocross and Arenacross Champ Tommy Searle is no stranger to being interviewed or being on a podcast, as sits down for a candid chat with Torq Moto hosts DocWob and Jeffro. Arguably the best British motocross rider of his generation and now seemingly bridging the gap to the next generation of British and World MX racers through his very popular vlogs on his YouTube channel and the ‘2 Pro, 1 Slow’ podcast with friends Billy Bolt and Ed Warren, Tommy swings by to the Torq Moto studio to chew the fat on his time in the sport.
Rather than talking mostly about current affairs in motocross and his life, Tommy talks more to DocWob and Jeffro about his illustrious career, his rivalries and relationships with Tony Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings, and what his time was like racing and living in the America and sharing that adventure with Ed as two young men far from home. Also, on the agenda is how much fun he’s now having and in particular racing last year’s VMXDN at Foxhill and taking it indoors to race the Arenacross UK tour, which he won in 2023, but already has his back up against the wall in his defence of the title for 2024 as he explains. Tommy also tells how his journey in motocross all started and the relaxed influence his parents have had on his career and how he’s going to try to avoid being a stereotypical ‘MX Dad’. The trio also discuss the potential future of young British riders such as Bobby Bruce and Billy Askew and how the UK MX scene compares with Europe. As usual there’s loads of topics discussed in the hour or so long show and no doubt Tommy will be in again further down the line for another chat as even he was left wanting more. There’s even an unexpected guest that drops in on the sofa.
So, stay tuned.
Don’t forget to subscribe and hit that notification bell because we’re only just getting started!
Follow us on
TORQMOTO (@torqmoto) • Instagram photos and videos
Facebook
Welcome everybody to another talk Moto podcast um episode we don’t know what episode is we let the production team work out what that is Ws you and I just rolling through it yeah um great to be back in here uh as you can see we’re going to introduce a guest in a minute
And he’s a very very good one and he’s not bad at he’s a bit nervous he’s a little bit nervous hasn’t done a podcast before so he’s going to be a bit on edge so bear with him yeah uh once again big shout out to Talon for doing what they
Do getting behind it all and as we keep saying grow this thing looking forward to the season ahead listen let’s not wait around um if you want to get in contact with us you can email us at infot talkot gmail.com any questions of course we’re across all those social
Medias uh talk moto talkot moto on Instagram Facebook etc etc YouTube all the gbin uh if you’re listening to us on Apple and Spotify that’s cool I don’t know where you are concentrate on the road if you listen to us when you’re driving cuz I’ve had a couple of near
Miss listen to podcast I’ve not really paid attention let keep an eyes what we do need is subscriptions Subs we need subs yeah we ain’t going to get paid unless people sub us well it’s not all about the money all the time what is is and they’re in they’re diving in is
Our guest Mr Tommy s you would have worked out by now if you’d just um obviously been following us Tommy welcome to just another podcast you you know is it just another podcast you’re not uh it’s not yours this time no well the other one’s not really mine is it
I’m sort of the spare part in that one as well really I just sort of tag along but um it is a little bit different being on yours yeah I must admit seems a bit more don’t know if I’d say professional but don’t know there’s just
Bit more going on I quite like the room we’re in this I like the um setting I don’t think that’s fair to say what you just said there like you’re just tagging on not what we just spoke about before we came on air you know we saying about
EDS made your career really well we was saying where would you be without him and I said where would I’d be in a very similar Place probably not as quite as much fun and I don’t know whether I still would be doing it without him now I’d probably say I would have stopped
But um I said where would he be cuz he could be have a vastly different lifestyle G the cruising around as some L that’ be about and my art breaks for the poor bloke yeah he could awful I think I’ve kept him a lot more grounded
I reckon I think you have it’d be um proper play boy I re yeah different lifestyle maybe for the better maybe for the worst but I think um I’ve kept him on the narrow and um’s you’ve had a good time I know that we have yeah I well
That’s contrary what we said before we came on air cuz he said he basically made him but you know similar thing I get I get it just of it uh before we go any elephant in the room the elephant in the room not that you’re you’re an elephant but clearly um following
Manchester Arena cross we’ve got some damage here going on quickly explain yourself there you’ve got your you what’s going on um just uh my farm and then I’ve had it operated on I had appointments with the doctors last week went up there like four times one day
Monday I went up to get to see the doctor Tuesday then I had to have an MRI CU he couldn’t do it that day I spent actually spent five out of the last seven days in Manchester after the arena cross balls up when it um that sounds
Like a Craig David song what yeah it was Manchester m not very good no not as good as it was a lot better wasn’t it um mine was a bad week but in the end I thought it was going to be all right I really did with how I felt and
Even when I went up to the doctor the first time he said it’s quite stable I’d be surprised if it’s needs operating on and then we got the MRI results back he asked me to come back up because he was still like after examin you um when I
See you on the Monday and how much stability you had I’m surprised that I’ve SE in the X-ray and it’s a complete uh rupture um evulsion so it’ come away the ligament had come away from the bone in one clean piece the ligament w actually torn or the bone wasn’t broken
But it would come straight away and a clean cut away from the bone ofan that’s called I think if I’ve got that correct but um yeah so [ __ ] really really not what I needed um silly acent on my behalf I made a uh I crashed on my own
So I can’t believe any yeah it wasn’t the first one i’ rather say it was the first one blame someone else to be honest but um it wasn’t it was me and uh that’s it I broke my phone not broke it tore the ligament off but the doctor
Seems was quite positive whether he’s um a bit optimistic or not but he’s saying about 6 weeks should be back on the bike so bad it is no not too bad no it’s still mid January six weeks off in January not you know put your back on
The end of February that’s not too bad it’s just the arena cross that I miss which is I actually probably one of my favorite parts of the Year other than your race wob of course of course the uh I really like the arena cross I loved it
Last year so to be missing that is is [ __ ] CU I think a lot of people come to see me at that and I will still be going to the mall um but not I obviously can’t race yeah you did embrace it last year I
Will give you that known you a long time and I honestly thought you know you’re doing championships you’re doing what you do but last year genuinely when when Matt made it all hey up the dog’s in right for those of you listening uh we’ve just had a dog jump on set here we
Go so what’s his dog to sit with me that’s right um yeah I mean you seem to have so much fun last year and the fact that he made it all British but this year obviously didn’t get off to what he wanted I mean it was a rock and roll
Manchester weekend A lot happened in a short period of time obviously your fun but then there was other incidents your teammate was causing all kinds of Carnage leaving hay bals for you to circumnavigate which you didn’t kind of did get over he didn’t crash but it was
An eventful Manchester was it yeah it was it was really eventful I think I don’t know why it was so eventful I think the way the tr get rid of the dog you going have to go kid it was funny for a second now you’re getting on me
Nerves go on um it was eventful I don’t know why so eventful compared to the other years I think a few different reasons everyone being excited um there there plenty of people there cuz yeah it was really packed good sold out which is nice to see
Because nuts on the line i’ like to see him he always says it’s not going to be busy but it was busy good um oh you’ve learned that yeah I’ve had 10 years of that yeah oh I need push we need to push I’m going to lose money and then sold
Out again good um which is Mega because he does put his must be bra to I mean credit where credits do to rent them I mean we we went a field in Swindon and I [ __ ] myself when I PID that bill you know and then when you see how much them
Stadiums must be I I dread to think how much they big operation and then shifting all the dirt in building the track shifting all the dirt back out again it’s a big operation though is I would want to do sometimes when I’m sort of negotiating with him trying to get
More money and he’s trying to get me to do it for less money where I’m like I wouldn’t want to be in his position but I also I also don’t want to think I don’t think he’d want to be in my position either so it’s a bit of um no
It’s um wouldn’t it be great if we could air those conversations if they could be recorded negotiations between Riders and promoters yeah no he’s all right actually he’s quite straightforward he he’s always been so good to me so I can’t fault m in the slightest um I’m
Just gutted now I can’t do the rest of the series but I think that’s one series I have got a few um I got a couple years left in me of racing out I really enjoy it obviously it’s not such not as physical um I mean but a lot does go on
And last last year I sort of everything went so smoothly for me last year I think maybe too smooth um and then this year the complete opposite other than qualifying where I was fastest and then um it all went well even the first heat
I got a third but I got a bad start and it’s what it is is it you got me he’s got me to blame for this because last year you didn’t say I was going to win this time did you did no [ __ ] yeah so
Last year he kept pulling me up you know cuz I I never chose him for a race win on the Vlogs and he ended up obviously having a great year and I never got credit for that cuz that was reverse psychology on my behalf like to GM up
Not that you need GM comment I’ll prove I’ll prove par it wrong when whatever so this year Ed sticks a camera in front of my face early do like what do you think I’m like well he’s looking tidy is he I’m I’m actually going to go for it this
And call it for the and then you went and did that that so that is sort of your fault commentator comment read that what you will but yeah I reckon I might be partly responsible for that yeah going back to what you just said then Tommy you said you got a
Couple more years of AC cross in you where did you see yourself I mean you know you’re 63 years old now you’ve done well to get to this yeah no but I don’t know how old you are I mean but you 34 34 so you’ve done well a career really just before he
Answers that i’ got to say but this is not this is not man Envy but you’ve aged well you you do he looks good for his age don’t he I think you was a little Herbert when I first saw you at M you still get you still get IDE for beers
And stuff I very rarely buy a beer to get I dude other people buy them for you I [ __ ] send that I mean yeah I didn’t spend much at your tent I didn’t buy anything I never went to buy you didn’t need any more drink you I was
In a state on the Friday good though I think same again this year yes it’s going to be different no I me you getting hammered oh [ __ ] yeah I can’t in yeah um but no what’ you say where do I see myself yeah I mean how many more
Years you got in here what what’s your plan what you going to do I don’t know I didn’t see myself with an injury now to be honest I think it they slow you down the old injuries and I had a few good years up until this um had a good little
Run since I finished GPS I had a good run with no injuries and it really made me feel um uh come back to life a little bit um but now I still love it that’s the problem I think um if I didn’t I wouldn’t do it and
Then the way it is now I have such a nice group of people around me and a nice team um with like the new dirt store team and Nick who runs that and then the team uh John gford now who sort of manages and now we got obviously we
Got Joel but just with Ed Billy like the people I have around me and the lifestyle is I absolutely love it like there’s never a time I mean today I’ve felt real [ __ ] at the B about [ __ ] most pissed off I’ve been in a few years for some reason because this the hand
But um other than that I’ve had such a good time the last few years and the people that are around me and it makes me want to continue but then Ed was like I spoke to Ed this morning and I was pissed off and then he was like
You can’t [ __ ] keep doing this he says you’re 35 next year like he says you need to do something you need to do bits but he was saying he don’t want to keep chasing championships because it is quite a lot of pressure and even though now like I’m older I’m
304 but it feels the same now that I’ve crashed out of this Championship as it did when I was um when I was 23 and I was fighting for a ride or I’m in that position like I’m as gutted now as I am then which is weird to say because it’s not
Life changing in a way of that it’s going to change the scope of my career when you’re 23 and you’re sat injured or you yeah the after like a couple years in mx1 when I was getting injured a lot you was always worried about what ride
You was going to get and then it had a big impact on your wages had a big impact on being on a good team to get another ride and now that’s not the same I’ve got quite a close niit people things wen’t really change they understand the sport is what it is but
At the same time it feels the same like it feels as gutting now as it does then I feel like I’m letting people down like I’m letting people down then um so that even being 34 hasn’t changed even though you could sit there and go well what’s
It matter but to me it still does matter because that’s what I put into um that’s what I trained all winter and that’s what’s expected of me so I expect that of myself and if that was my goal and now I’m not doing that you feel like you’re gutted because you like anything
If you don’t do as you want you feel like you failed a little bit and then it’s disappointing you know what no matter I think you’ve extended your career with the you know the podcast stuff and your your blog your Vlog stuff it’s been Mega I mean like you’ve you’ve
Come out you’re much more of a personality now than you were when you had your head down and you were racing because everybody used to think you were a prick yeah they did and I’m like you don’t know him he is a prick yeah you
They then they fought it and I think now they’ got to know me they know it you know what I mean yeah now there’s but it has extended it has extended my career the Vlogs and that I there’s no way I would be I wouldn’t be racing now
Without that no thing is you’ve given value for money to sponsors and that’s really important a lot of these kids don’t realize have value for money you know but also there’s the side that it gives me more than just chasing a result like um it’s hard in matross you expected a
Lot of you especially at the top top level which is where I’ve always been as such you’re racing GPS um it’s a very fine balance I find between having a good time coming across with someone that’s quite friendly outgoing and then if you’re getting the results
And you’re doing a little bit on social media you’re a legend like danger boy Dean you know absolute hero but if you’re the other way and say you’re Roman febra getting paid by monster getting paid by kawazaki if he was then doing a few videos spending more time
And then if he was to win people’s champed you know what a legend if he wasn’t to win all of a sudden flips well maybe he shouldn’t be messing about so it’s so hard in a position from a rider that’s racing at the top level to
Find that balance like it might be that you’re not doing well but then you can offer a some ink by in the way of yeah but he’s got a good following do you know it’s almost like everybody anert everybody be telling do something wrong but you know you’re in a similar
Situation to Dean you know Dean’s what 15 years in super class I mean he knows himself he’s he hasn’t got long to he’s fighting he’s not not going to win a championship not going to win a championship and it’s always quite a tough thing to know I always thought when you’re not
Fighting for a winner I mean I’ve stepped back I’m not in Dean’s position where he’s you in a where we are lucky in England is that we have championships but we’ll get on to that later but he’s still racing at the Pinnacle of the sport which is Super Cross so when he
Went to Australia he found a little bit where he was like I’ve won a championship this was good I got that fun back but now he’s back in America and he’s got it is what it is he’s there’s a couple difficult rounds he got took out and in
A wet race but then he’s 14th 15th that’s not where he wants to be but you have to manage your expectations a lot differently um through that part of your career but I think um going back to the Social Media stuff it’s more enjoyable
For me and what it brings is more of one goal I’m not just chasing a result every single weekend my whole life’s not just that it’s about having a bit more fun do you reckon then like now looking back which we can all do as we get older if
You would have been trying to do the Vlogs like in your in the Pinnacle of your career when you was Factory KTM riding before you went you know obviously the eventure that you and Ed had went going to America imagine if You’ have loged that would you think
That would have had the same impact because you was a different person back then you were probably you were probably less reluctant to show the real you and like you just said other a Riders at that as a factory Rider you got to focus
On the job in hand so so do you actually think like if You’ had done the Vlogs back then they wouldn’t have been success as as successful no I think it would have been huge if you done it back you’ve got kids now so that’s a that’s a
Mindset I think it’s just it when I stopped racing the GPS I knew I sort of to stay somewhat relevant in the eyes of sponsors and to actually go in a different direction like I remember having a conversation with Libby that was working for Monster you always
Remember Libby um I said oh this is what I want to do now like I need to Now’s the Time I have time to push this side so everything that I sort of planned out we done with the help of Ed he was the driving force behind it all and like the
Demand that was making it all happen um but going back to in America even back then Ed made a lot of cool videos and we was the only ones that was doing that whereas we should have done it more like we should have never stopped um because there’s a lot of cool videos
Back then and it was people wasn’t making that like I was very popular like when Instagram and stuff cut first come around I was sort of one of the most followed because of the stuff Ed done and people see a lot of me compared to other Riders because I had Ed there he
Was in America he was filming little bits for KTM it wasn’t so much me but he was there filming um he was working for monster he was working for Red Bull he was working he did didn’t he yeah he done bits for The Great Outdoors so some
Good films I mean they don’t not about anymore are they no were they tried they have the bloke is back again is he he’s making some more what series was it that they had that old sounding Geer the old real The Great Outdoors was that the Great Outdoors with the really
Commentary sounded like right I still watch them now they’re really cool the way that he spoke and everything I watched the clip the other day I’m like we need to get that dude back yeah he does they actually did do some of that again last year there’s a couple of
Serieses that he’s trying to bring back around um CU I think the I think the characters have not have gone but I don’t think we get to see the character you know there’s a lot out there but the Riders the Riders I think when them Great Outdoors were there and they did a
Behind the behind theen a little bit little bit more a series in the states and they call it um I do know I can’t think of it now but you know what I mean beond but there were some really good articles and some really cool things I think it is again
The charact the people are always there but so serious at a race and it’s so intense that it’s hard to show anything no it is you got a lot on your plate and you you know you’re having a big day and people come up and try and talk to you
And if you haven’t got time for them they think it’s just the way it is it’s just the way it is that the races but the people are the it’s hard to show your personality in that in that situation on race day because all you do
Is sit on a I remember my last few years at GP is awful you sat on a [ __ ] plastic chair in the back of an old camper van and then just waiting for your practice to come around you’re just so stressed out all day it’s not good um
But people said to me oh Tommy videos he comes across really well I thought I’m like that’s how Tommy is he’s lovely kid but because I’ve known you since you were seven or eight or whatever obviously there’s no Edge so you’d always tell me the way you were feeling
Or the way going down and I was like that’s the way it is you know that’s the thing with you you never it’s never [ __ ] you can always know exactly and sometimes I’ll be like [ __ ] you shouldn’t be telling me all this stuff yeah no it is um it is hard for
That that way to for people to show emotions in the in the sport you’re either pissed off or you’re happy you know it’s one of those and the majority of the time at a GP you’re normally more on pissed off side there’s a lot more bad days than it’s good days but
Everybody wants a piece you that’s the hardest that’s what we’re trying to do with this podcast we’re trying to get get away from like younger Riders who don’t really have a lot to say cuz they can’t they’re limited with everything’s got to be great the tires are the best
Thing they’ve ever had the bike’s the best I’ve ever ridden and when you got guys like yourself you got nothing left to lose [ __ ] it you can say what you want yeah no just yet you can’t he’s getting close to it I’ve still got people to keep happy
But I think I understand it a little bit more and other sports everything’s not always great you know in a way and I think and M cross there still stuck in that way where someone pays you then the bik’s got to be great even though um you
Might not be liking it and it might not be relevant to the actual customer I was listening to another podcast the other day would like PP and x and they was or might I can’t remember I think it was PP um and the the Riders bikes
Are um I can’t think of the word but they’re Factory bike that they’re riding so different to so different to production the production bike but they still can’t ever say like okay I’m struggling with my forks and they’re like well the bloke down the the road
Here he ain’t got Factory Forks in his bike so you don’t have to worry do you know what I mean like he’s got air Forks that come standard if they still do you’ve got a set of factory forks with everything done and you’re going for a
Set of whoops where he’s not going to go through a set of whoops mate it don’t matter if his bike don’t handle through the whoops because he’s not going to be going through any for a while no exactly um but they still can’t ever say anything where in other sports like
Formula 1 for instance might they’re getting paid Millions but and they’ll say cars load of [ __ ] I can’t drive this this car and then you just think he’s getting paid 90 million or whatever and that’s like so far away from a production car yeah and then um but he
Says it’s a load of [ __ ] and you just think Ah that’s mad but he’s still there they go yeah it is our cars awful yeah so strange um in our sport even now with the little money you get paid by some of the sponsors they’re still like now you
You can’t do this you can’t do that and you’re just like that don’t make sense mate like I’ve got a lot more going on than just that and then you can’t tell me what to do when I’ve got everything El going on but you might end up doing I
Should imagine you wouldn’t but like with the bike tests and stuff down the years in that was hard work used do having to be honest about you know a new bike and then they’re like well you you you’ve kind of slated it a bit well it’s
A bike test like what what we can’t say everybody I used to have to go with Tony Marshall and sit in a what was them little chefs and tell me about the bike and I have to write the bike test half from his point of view as if it was him
Then half from my point of view about the tech stuff but as time went on the bikes were so good there’s no bad ones anymore it’s very doesn’t matter what color it is they were all really good and you still need to write 3,000 words
About it and it’s like well I don’t like the shape of the front fender well the forks are a bit soft the general consumer [ __ ] H it’s really hard to write those anyway and then you got the guy you can’t say nothing bad cuz they’re advertising and you don’t want
To piss off the advertisers so when you’re doing it and you’re doing it to say Yamaha if you say well I didn’t quite like the front break they go on no you can’t say that don’t say that but yeah a little bit like that yeah exact
So much you can say the bike’s great because you you think people are buying the bikes off the back of this yeah and now like Rob said the bikes are so good for the average Joe as you well know like let’s say a 250f no matter what
Brand that’s more than enough for the average guy you know there’s everything there like well I don’t understand you tell me you think 450s are too much for your average guy um it’s right for you you can ride one but you average but some people some people
Really like them so it’s it’s R dependent but I even for me now and I’m fit and I’m strong and still train hard but I find the 250 so much easier for me now um and yeah so the average person someh might be a bit bigger and they might
Find it that they don’t have to work as hard CU they can then just plug round in third gear I think that’s the only way but I mean like the idea is and I I’m not telling you to ride a bike but the fun the fun part is ringing its neck and
It being noisy and that’s why I think two Stokes are good cuz it it feels like you’re going a million mile an hour even if you ain’t yeah they are a 450 you spend more time off the gas than you do on where’s the fun in that man no it’s
Different it’s a different way to get the fun from it in a 450 it’s about being smoother and then getting things real precise and getting a rut nice and then getting your gear shift at the right time and then no feeling like you’re um like floating around the track where then you
Jump on say a 252 stroke and then you’re ringing its neck thinking this is so fun because I can go flat out everywhere and then you jump on a 254 stroke same thing a little bit faster and then you’re trying to get everything perfect you’re trying to get the gears right so there’s
Riding a different bike you have to find a different thing to almost where it’s fun see for me the best racing is 125 Two Strokes well that’s always been the best racing awesome most people if you say what’s the best race you’ve ever seen they will say 125 two Stoke race
Somewhere but but also like last year when you did you know the Vets like that brought a new lease of Life which race was that yeah that was um Farley I done one I’m down at far off um no but it did it brought new Lo
Life to me yeah it did you looked a different you looked back to what I remember you looked like you had a sparkle in your eye the whole process but that was being able to race the bike again that’s what I mean the process through the videos that you made of
Getting used to a to ride the two-stroke again and by the by the time the event come around that you won that was real you were really yeah I was really nervous before that too because I was like we’ve hyped it up a a lot and I’ve
Put the videos and I’ve hyped it up and I’m like I don’t even know where I’m going to be but I just thought I’m going to go as fast as I possibly can on this bike and you can with it being a two-stroke and with it being um ridable
You can race it and um I generally loved every minute of that race like I’ve not had fun like that so I mean when you won that race the place erupted it was but for me that was the biggest race I’ve won in a long time purely because the the standpoint from
The crowd and then it just been so fun I don’t know why it was I mean Bobby crashed I think with two laps to go in the corner then I got the lead the crowd went mad but just racing how I could race a bike again it felt like when I
Was racing a 250 I’ve never really raced two strokes but I was just literally riding the bike of everything I possibly had trying to get everything perfect and um I haven’t had that feeling in a race in a long long time not on a when I came
Around your truck after when you were like you won the event there people they were like 10 15 deep all the chainsaws and air fors and it was cool it was a nice it felt like you won the real one yeah it did it was a big do it felt like
Um it was probably the biggest win than from my win at a g I’m going to say that because I remember coming to interview you at matal um in that one way you won the GP and beat herlings it was hot day and I remember [ __ ] 12 then or
Something no I remember come around to you know to say can we catch up later for interview you were swamped by by a load load of kids and stuff like that quite rightly so the British GP and yet I you’re right I think there was actually more people hanging around you
Post race at Fox Hill for the Vets than actually on that day at mie yeah it was I think well now because a little bit well I don’t know just because we hyped it up on social media follow as well you got people they follow you on social
Media and they kind of feel like they know you yeah which is cool that’s you know sometimes well not really odd cuz you I do it if I watch someone you almost some people come up to me and they’re just sound people like they’re not silly or they’re not like they’re
Just normal BLS and they’re like I this is a bit weird and I’m actually not I’m just a normal bloke like I’m not a [ __ ] idiot but I think I know you and I’m sorry that I come across this way because I don’t know you but I watch you
Every week and um I think I do he like but I know you don’t even know me so don’t even worry about it but just nice to meet you mate yeah there a lot of that it’s cool it is nice and I think it does ever get too much regards of the
Amount of you know there must be times where you think oh this guy wants to talk to me or this guy you got to do what you do you’re professional it’s not um you know it’s not if you go to a moss chat you expect to cut the people it’s quite nice when
Some people come over for a chat it’s not like you’re Fame it’s not like you’re as no you can go down I can still go down you probably got a bit more I don’t sure but s spr you’ve probably got a bit more time for it now said back in
The GP typ you would have had to lock yourself away focus on the job in hand so I think that’s why people think you’re a knob then because you do really you go from no you do you got to do go from the start line and you sort of walk
Past and he was always so in the zone and then you are younger so you don’t understand that the from a different point of view you sort of see it a little bit different now with me being a bit older but um it was really nice that
Race with the crowd and um it was it did bring all back that memories and going back to racing like the two strokes and the four strokes it was much better just um hanging off for a two-stroke and then I raced the last round the British
Championship on a 250 um because I’d had quite a tough year anyway after the first round I never really got into it last year and I jumped back to a 250 cuz I was just bored of riding same thing and I said direct to the team last round
I raced a 250 and same thing there I just ringed its neck all all weekend and um absolutely loved racing that weekend on stroke yeah and I managed to win again so it was it was nice end of the year but just the race inside of it was
Much more fun to me on on those bike being able to really go as fast as I possibly could without the worry of not being quite strong enough there was moments that I made mistakes and then the bike bogged like I’d come out of a
Corner I’d get it a little bit wrong and then instead of it going like wanting to rip out my arms and me making a big mistake the bike just went and I like stamped it down a gear and off I went whereas on a 450 that would have gone
Sideways ripped me and like wanted to chop me off the side of the bike and on that I was just like oh next time don’t get you just go down again and that made it much more fun because I didn’t have to worry I just had to worry about
Racing and I know how to race yeah let’s obviously a brilliant career so let’s rewind a little bit not all the way back to the GPS we all know what you’ve done there you know so close but no cigar we we in a minute two years second one yeah
Three more than that yeah three yeah your worse a cursed nickel man no he was five wasn’t he four bless him I think Kurt probably got closer than me cuz but your level of obviously at any top level your level of competition at the time was you know
Like kind of tennis area for the last 10 years with it was tough that’s that’s not obviously to be sniffed at but before we go back talking GPS let’s go back I want to know more about like America like was it what you expected to
Be when you went there or or did it prove harder what I will say at this point is that people don’t give you credit for how young you were and it was you on your own kid you went over there with no support when I looked just you
And Ed that was [ __ ] crazy really yeah quite glad you said that because when I went I didn’t really get much credit for what I done in America and now we I think I went and I J just turned I was going to about to turn I think I just
Turned 19 end of um 2008 that I went and I got second in the world I probably should have it might be one of the when you said what do you regret it might go back to that at the end but um I went there on a team with Muscle Milk KTM and
What was good there is is Kurt nickel um he was a brilliant team manager but I was 19 just me and Ed went out there um my parents obviously stayed because I’ve got brothers and sisters when I was 19 my little brother was only like seven at
The time so they didn’t come I went out bought a house um what I will say I a stopping you is what people don’t realize when when a rider comes here England or Europe a team will be like right here’s where you stay in and here’s your gym membership and here’s
Your car we’ll pick you up from the airport and this is your trainer you go to America no nothing F yeah nothing Lally they’re like I see at the test track Monday you’re like where am I staying they’re like not my problem i’ got Dro at the airport yeah you do and
You just stood at the airport with your bags thinking where do we go now that’s why I wish they’ done more Vlogs yeah yeah it would have been a good Vlog to see that you coping you know with it all well remember Jack yeah I said at Jack’s
In Riverside didn’t I for a little bit while I bought my house bought a house even that buying a house at 19 years old out there and it’s like everything’s different over there yeah nothing I knew nothing we got a water Switched Off we got electric switch off because they’re
Like well what are you doing in this house and I’m like [ __ ] NOS mate I just bought a house like I’m just out here I bought a truck I bought a house um well even insuring a truck’s not easy is it no nothing’s easy nothing’s easy cuz
You’re not a local you’re just a foreigner no one me and it pissed me off a little bit at the time because the management company um who I was for and a BL that was managing they was worried about I signed a big contract and then they would happily take the money but
They didn’t out me with the my taxes things like that even getting a mobile phones hard work yeah so they really they weren’t worried about any of that which later on really [ __ ] me for taxes and things because they did they give me no advice on that I was just
Young earning quite good money big tax bills that I know it’s [ __ ] irrelevant but they didn’t no one help unit I mean we were just kids we didn’t understand any of that then there’s a steep learning curve but the ride inside of it I um I done everything right I
Actually employed a trainer who was Tyler rr’s his dad Russell white was Tyler’s trainer the year that Tyler beat me for that world championship so then Russell White’s son Ty he was out there training the rider so I got in contact with him he then come and live with me um once I
Got the house sorted and he on St you mean physical train not not riding coaching physical trainer but he’d come he’d cook for me he’d come to track with me so I paid him a full salary to live with me because he was a little bit older he was probably 30 um
And he not kept me on the straight and narrow but he would cook for me most nights he would prepare food for me at the tracks he would tell me what my riding was he was sort of he wasn’t a riding coach but he would give me instructure riding program um but the
Team was different then we was Muscle Milk KTM there was no like Roger D Costa but that was the factory team wasn’t it it was but it wasn’t if know I mean it was like Factory supported Kurt Nichol was the manager of KTM and that was the
Team at the time yeah um but then and then I I went there and I got the first race of the year I got two fours and then the second round the bike had a breakdown a dnf I had like a six and a dnf the third round I went 4-3 I think
And I had three podiums on the bounce straight off the bat [ __ ] stack back then the you look at that yeah if you that was prob the hardest year to look back even just like the top four was um round one was like I think porel dun
Ratray ah the the list was massive like if you look back at those results good yeah big names Canard yeah yeah dangi even like tickle the big names and the thing is in America you lose a little bit of concentration or you make one small mistake like three of them got
By you yeah it was packed I remember everybody telling me that um but I did actually do really good because then you if you compared that to like when muskin went and even when roxon went and they went out there with a little bit later musin a two times
World Champ when he went um their first year comparable to my first year Outdoors was no better and they had D Costa and that team got a lot better then um maybe I went a little bit too early just being that young but the life experience we had and uh just general us
Living in America me Ed like as young as we was we might have been been a bit naive to it all but it’s fun though yeah the experience we had was Mega I mean it probably could have been more fun if we went later because we was that naive we
Would kids living in a house in America it wasn’t like we were young adults as such we were literally just [ __ ] kids like riding BMX around the neighborhood things like that it wasn’t like we was up to up to in that gated community that was lovely amazing house yeah I thought
We that a good setup like did do well was it on the radar you know how obviously the opportunity came along but was that something that was on your mind from an earlier like how early was that on you know I mean I followed M I followed the Super Cross on that but
When I grew up I didn’t really have Idols in the sport as such like I wasn’t an avid like I follow this for ages now we’re racing like I didn’t look up to the sports in like that’s where I want to be my family was nothing to do with
The sport my mom and dad um I my mom was up there yesterday my or sorry my mom come to visit there yesterday with Mom and Dad and we was talking about how we even got started and they’re like don’t know really what happened like just said
We just got to cut the bikes yeah Dad he’s he he’s so relaxed but um he uh we just got random randomly got a bite yeah like but what what I don’t know had no interest no interest in matross why was you like was you a nightmare then was
You like was you what a me was as a kid you give no not at all no just so he just randomly he didn’t follow the sport up to that point I said that yes y I couldn’t get an answer out of him then I
Said to Mom like why did you buy me a bike cuz we was talking about local little tracks she said I don’t know why and then they seemed to think they took me to a race that was there for a weekend to watch and then we bought bikes and then like the following
Weekend we just went to race like we just turned up we two malaguti my brother had like a malagutti but we both had malaguti 50s and he was like 10 no he was nine and I would have been five so he was on the same bike as me that’s
How much clueless we was and we both went and raced um and once we raced we just never stopped racing so that’s probably what happened then so quit so they went they probably like what they saw more than you and just oh yeah get doing that keep them occupied mom loves
It now like yesterday she was building Al jumps in the garden and she’s fearless like I’m like oh don’t build it that Steep and she like no’s right going elf and then well she’s probably done it with you yeah she’s done it with me she don’t think of I’m more nervous watching
Al ride a bike and she’s quite she’s like I’ll be racing soon when you and I’m like well I don’t know about coming back to get you see that’s what happens when you have kids isn’t it yeah Mom and Dad would happily go to the races and
Watch Al now um but your dad of the yeah I know you’ve been out with everybody has is he there there’s always a Quon story somebody’s got a qu story I was just going to say there’s always a Quinton story somewhere yeah but he’s so laidback isn’t he my dad proper good
Night out he’s never raised his voice at me in a on about a result that I’ve ever done never never once I remember when I came I came to donon after Steve Gage asked me to come look after you and I walked up and your dad was steam
Cleaning the inside of the truck out there water coming down the stepss ain’t ain’t that where the battery is under the steps and so waterfall down the steps I I I yeah absolutely he seems the most laidback guy I’ve seen him at some rate you know big events M across of Nations when
You’ve ridden in them or whatever and he just seems so a days or like yeah all hyper I’ve seen sat down having a coffee or a beer sometimes I’ve seen I don’t think he’s even watching you no he’s not I’ve done I’ve done a race before and
I’ve walked back and he said like no I’m walking to the race and he was like oh I know it was good wasn’t it and I’m like I’m just going to race he like oh no I’ve just been watching it’s like it’s like oh there was a number 100 out there
In a green bike in that race he said I thought that was you and I’m like nah I’m just about to go out oh right I’ll go back and watch then he don’t even know he didn’t know the two and in another race he just he fell asleep Czech Republic there was always
One when I was Lisa Church from mson she had the picture and she always thought it funny put it on the wall like the end of the year in um the mson truck cuz Dad middle of my race and I think I won that weekend and he asleep on the infield he’
Obviously had a big night before in check um I think he did because he didn’t come back to the he slept in the hallway at the hotel because he didn’t want we used to share room cuz I couldn’t get car then yeah cuz he got locked times how many how many years did
I rent you a higher car for yeah I used to go to the races and rent a car for Tommy cuz he was too young to drive a car and his dad didn’t have a credit card yeah that was always the reason I used to go up and like they’d give me
The cash and I put it on my card and then the next thing I see Tommy driving out of the car park in the hotel too young to drive no insurance the old man asleep in the back and I’m thinking [ __ ] one day this is going to come on top
Yeah Dad always dad always used to say I’ve worked all week this is I’m coming for AIT in his work clothes just I don’t know what he got changed into he was like Dusty and sometimes we’d just have to buy him a t-shirt at the at the race
Like he’d just have like the Czech Republic locket GP t-shirt on because Mom would have packed the bag and she’s like he’s like [ __ ] hell she’s packed me [ __ ] what not my t-shirt he’d have like Troy’s t-shirt is my little brother okay and he he’d have like a
9-year-old’s t-shirt in his bag and he’ just be like for [ __ ] sake why she pack me this and then we’d have to go buy him a t-shirt are you going to be a bit more organized you know if if the kids ride well I know too much about it
Not to be to be more organized excuses yeah but are you going to do that whether that whether that’ll be a better thing I think for me dad couldn’t have done any anything better to through my career because Mom said yesterday I was always if I had a bad race then I’d be
In tears on my own without you didn’t need you knew you thinking thinking about your career then and how your parents got you into it obviously you’re getting to an age where we said you’re going to inevitably have to wrap it up then you got a couple of boys now so
That’s not we’re not at that stage yet but we if and when that time comes how are you going to have you thought about that already you going to try and stop them racing too early what have you got a game plan yet or is that not even on
The on the going to go for Callum Swan for Swan he’s on his way to Spain I think to do a boot camp down there he he like three years old and he’s like he’s intoed screaming at him from the side of the track he’s he’s got he’s in deep I
Don’t think any way out is and know he’s he’s to far gone already that’s Cooper he’s in he’s um he’s on the program yeah um but it I don’t know it’s diff I’ve actually just got a text saying Al’s new bike’s arrived so I am I’m I’m in there
He’s got a little um Fu E2 km oh nice things look cool yeah I think it’s one of the first ones in the country I’ve put in a bit of a favor and oh there you go I’ve called in I’ve got a bit of discount um but I’ve got in one of those
So I’ll see if he likes it he likes it but I don’t really but you’ve got so much obviously give you yeah but what I mean by that is if you’ve reached a high level then you you f you’ve experienced it firsthand so you know we’ve seen so
Many riders that Liam ettz being one of them Stefan didn’t start him too early obviously Joel SM before him ended up becoming a world champion didn’t even start riding racing toward like 15 or 16 do you know for me the modern pressures or whatever it’s learning the basics but
Not to start them too early I mean you’ve been doing it out top level for lot of years I think you don’t need to start really young and I also think you don’t need to um need to push him as such I don’t nothing really matters
Until you go until you turn pro does it like it’s irrelevant whether you glad said that it’s irrelevant whether you win a kid 65 enjoying yourself in that’s the thing as a kid these kids they’re having uping and they’re not having they’re not being kids no they’re being
Just trained to be basically the old man’s pushing them so hard they’re not even having a like a child a bit too much but then at the same time I think the childhood you get from being at the tracks where your mates amazing it’s a
Different story um so as much as it is the adults pushing the kids and it can be that way they have such a nice time away from the races and I think even when I say to S I think the the childhood I had being at the races you
Can’t beat that not a problem and it’s a sport that matross is so good because you do have that like any other sport you you see you say it’s football the kids they go there on a Saturday morning they get booted out the car
Dad’s side at a stand or mom’s side at a stand of the football pitch the BL goes a whistle they all get [ __ ] a little clap or a bollocking they get back in their car they go home yeah whereas M across you’re there for the whole day
And the kids race three 10minute motos but they’re there playing with their mates all day long and they run back and they um it’s a big family day is a big family so as sometimes even if the parents some are but not not all of them
Do you know a lot of people just want their kids to do well and they want the best for the kids don’t they all of them might be a bit too serious but everyone’s a little bit different but the the family what it brings at the races and
There you see it every week do you know there a nice transgression transgression that’s the wrong word what about the youth of today do you see the kids coming through I mean you spent a lot of time with young Billy asku yeah and then you know there’s a Bobby Bruce there’s a
Few good names coming through but you think I mean you know when were you doing PR 15 16 yeah I mean I think it’s also hard to to compare two different people do you know say like you could say Jeffrey Hing was winning at 15 or I was Podium at
16 there’s not that many people that do that it takes a long takes Generations even like no Billy seems to be doing it the right way yeah I think he’s good like we’ve I’ve tried to take him under my wing a little bit a little a little
Bit like Jamie dob done with me a very similar thing I have I feel like one of the best trainers in the world with Kirk Gibbons um I mean you’ve spent a lot of time with Kirk over the years even with Jamie and with me so he um just putting Billy
Into that atmosphere with them and training with people and treating him like an adult because I think he’s always been so used to the youthmy which are very good for the Youth but it’s a very different world when you go to adult M across and it needs to be a
Switch and he’s needs to learn that it’s different you know there’s the time to be a kid but now you’re raced in an adult’s world all right you’ve got kids that are putting in the effort 10 times more than what you’re putting in so if you are putting in that effort you then
Can’t go out and piss about all night long on on [ __ ] micro scooters and riding your BMX that has to be you have to rest you have to eat you have to yeah um and it’s getting him to understand that that yeah you want to be and he
Thinks he wants to be at that level but there needs to be a sacrifice to be at that level I mean when we came testing that bike down at M I mean the kid would get off his bike after doing the sessions and he’s straight on like a
Xr75 just the kid just wants to ride dirt Bo does he just he happppy unless he’s ripping the B doing something yeah that’s I’m just like sit down man chill out yeah that’s good but for I think a lot of what the kids don’t understand to
Go to that professional stage and I was lucky that Jamie did what he did for me because he done a lot for me then but he taught me and I just listen to whatever he said like if he said jump I’d jump if
He said you wake up at 5: I’d wake up at 5:00 he said you go back to sleep at 8:00 in the morning I’d go back to sleep at 8:00 in the morning and all I done was wake up go to C go home have breakfast go to sleep wake up after
Lunch eat again train again sleep again train again the evening we’d train three times a day every single day and um that was normal but I all I would be doing in between that was rest do you know what I mean and the world was a bit of a
Different place then you didn’t really have social media you didn’t have no what you had now lot more distractions now yeah a lot more distractions um that’s true but I used to just Eat Sleep Train and do whatever he told me to do and that was it and I made so much
Progress when I got onto that because I was always good I was a good school boy Rider one of the best all the way through but then the jump I made from being put into that program because you can’t rely on your talent can you you
Can your talent get so far you can’t rely on the problem is they all work to that level abroad you know it’s a little bit different which brings me on to that the structure in in the UK over the last 10 15 years do you do you think because
It is slightly different you know the grading system used to get onto GPS and all that kind of stuff do you think like British Motocross is in a place where we’re doing enough to get the most out of our kids or or do they need to start maybe looking just stepping over the
Water a bit more and race more European race to gain that experience to reach a GP level or emx level even I think they just need to I think with the academies and with the coaches they’re all great they’re all getting taught how to ride a bike
Well and I think it’s not I think all the kids are pretty good I think we have got some good kids the way like you’ve got a lot of coaches out there and they all know how to teach you how to ride a bike I didn’t really have that as such
When I was growing up and I probably was as technically good as a lot of the kids are now I think if you look at like Billy ASU for instance his technical his technique now was better than my was but what I would do is I would race do you
Know what I mean and my mentality by doing what I’d done with Kirk with Jamie I was ready by the time the gate dropped I had no doubt um in my mind and all I had to do is go race a bike and I think they don’t believe when they get to that
Big race at that situation that they’re as good because they know and they see what the other writers are doing and deep down they know they’re not doing that um but I will say I will say in our defense as in English people’s defense I think it’s the same problem in France
Italy Germany that’s what they only got 20 on the line I mean everybody’s struggling yeah it seems to be it’s not like the line’s full of French kids no and we’re struggling it seems like every country is struggling to get their kids to be the next I don’t know but that’s
What I mean like do we need to get more Brits like just jumping into emx earlier because you you did your first GP at what 15 uh yeah 15 but there was no emx was there championships or going no stepping stone one emx come they did have an emx Championship but it wasn’t
Run alongside but I didn’t one come to England in 2005 and i’ done it and won both Ms and then I never done another round no come to pontus I think yeah um but I think it comes from the the rider himself like there’s only so much that
People can do for someone like what do you want to do what did anyone do for me nothing do you know what did the ACU do for me nothing what what I was going to say though you seem to embrace like you really jumped at that chance to get into
The big leads that you didn’t seem to be like oh wait or you know it’s like I’m going in straight away as early as you could and and have it and I think that it seems like a lot of people are sort of like waiting a bit too long to make
That leap into the I think sometimes they’re not they’re not ready do you know what I mean like you say but how do you know you already until you do it because you what I don’t know I think my must have had a different mentality like
I just wanted to ra You’ always had the mentality of stepping up with the big events that’s why Nations or you know the British Grand Prix pressure has never been a problem for you no always seems to have fir you up but everyone is different too do you know what I mean
Some Riders already at 15 some Riders uh Liam ever was racing British Championship two years ago getting back in 15th Place and then people were like [ __ ] hell well he’s not like Stefan and potentially he’ll win the World Championship three years later so people develop and not everyone has to get um
Has to do the same thing to get the same result some people are ready it different and you have to see the rider and I think a lot of people don’t even the coaches they don’t understand what it actually takes to be at that level so
There there some this what they do for the kids is great but then it there needs to be a change when they get to adult and if you want to be successful at that stage you need to prepare properly do you know what I mean you
Need to you can’t ride with kids every day riding around a track on 65s and then you expect to go to a Europeans and win at the weekend like there’s a there’s a difference of what a kid on a 65 needs to do by riding around having
Fun with his mates and a kid on a 125 that then wants to go emx in Italy at the weekend two different two different things because those kids are a bit more they want it a little bit more than the the British kids and not because they’re
Better on a m bike just I think their mentality is Maybe slightly different how they’re getting bought up in different countries talking a for we got some questions we got one from well we got we we get some on some questions yeah we’re going to do we do that in a
While just do one now we got one from yeah we go more than an hour if we have to yeah I’m not worried on the books mom we got to be careful going to be no I’m not double time past an hour no it’s just the same half after an hour
Christ if you told me that we’ have rushed it through um from Jordan best has contacted us he said if you could ride any Factory bike George’s kid I don’t know oh sorry missed that one WS I was too busy reading the question if you could ride any Factory bike on any track
What would you choose and why so so basically there you go which track is your favorite and which W KX 250 [ __ ] up yeah I like that one that was good bike but if I was to say the bike that I rode which is the best bike I’ve ever
Rode would have been the um the bco road one of the last GPS I done the factory car that was just a good bike um good team goodby 450 yeah yeah um 250 what year was that that was the last year I race GPS 2019 that was honestly the bike
Was unbelievable and that’s almost what made me think I don’t want to race GPS if I’m on the bike that I was on like a standard based bike just because of the difference that that was yeah um and it almost made me think if I’m not where I
Am in my career now if I’m not on that bike I think he’s asking what in a fantasy world in fantasy world what’s your best what bike you wish You’ have ever raced um I couldn’t tell you that because I wasn’t like a super fan back
In the 80 or whatever when I was born like I was never like had heroes in the sport so it wouldn’t be like I’d love to race Ricky Carmichaels [ __ ] CR F 250 it wasn’t like that but no it would be if yeah maybe a different question but
The best one I’ve ever had chance to race was that because I raced a KTM Factory KTMs and stuff but that that factory C was quite special yeah yeah goodby uh Monty Burns number one uh as has asked are there any are there any of your races that you watch that get you
Fired up or motivated more for anything would you even watch yourself back or you said no rarely I might I need [ __ ] perking up a bit so I might watch one I might watch some good ones back but the probably one of the best races that everyone always talks about
Is 2009 Thunder Valley that night race that they had um I didn’t win the race but I got third it was my first Podium uh no second podium in America um and it was just a good race so that one’s quite good to watch because quite
A lot of battles gnarly though is it yeah it was stay we stayed oh yeah imagine cuz the lights weren’t brilliant no it we stayed there one year after and they said you can ride the track the next day so I got my bike out three
Corners [ __ ] that wa you put it back the ruts I ain’t doing that no my knees were hurt just looking at I seem to remember you doing that at another track as well one time where you bik out Southwick and you I did two laps of Southwick before I
Decided to [ __ ] turn it in yeah and then you rolled back in yeah I’m I a doing that [ __ ] that that’s no fun at all no it wouldn’t be fun after the after race fck it was like just like scale electric St yeah just I’m like n
Yeah was they used to get raty hold on criticizing he said wasn’t sicking me helmet kid why did you partic well I didn’t race it I rode it there’s a difference between his helmet on the whoops what this is back in your hey day no not really I was towards the end of
It it was an industry race at washugal at the national we’ had a heavy one the night before oh [ __ ] it was a big one um Denny and I that’s one word for you Denny well to be fair I wasn’t even like a say I was hung over I was actually
Still drunk which is not my not one of my greatest moments I blame him for still sticking me out there cuz I was trying to I was trying to was riding kid you didn’t have to drink it I didn’t I was your no not the drinking bit I was
On about I was trying to cop out of it but you know like you and Danny was like come on it Go photographers there we had to do a magazine story yeah what year would that I can’t remember 05 something like that five or four or something it
Was it wasn’t good and anyway I I went out and I kind of cuz I didn’t get a chance to walk the track or anything so what was that washugal yeah not a track not a track to go trick track so I kind of learned the
Way looks a lot better than it is to ride doesn’t it yeah it looks beautiful but it’s like it’s like 10 foot below the dirt is it it’s say rock it’s just slippy Shadows everywhere like a guy there said always was moan coming out of
The woods yeah I wasn’t pissed when I R it see I was really struggling to f anyway with a normal light so with all the shadows and everything so I rolled around the first lap while everybody was racing got to and then I thought i’ get
Up to speed so I tacked the whoop second lap around and it it just went all it went bad I got halfway through and I thought I’m not holding that in it was all it went up as well all on your goggles you must have hit the mouth
Piece and gone both directions you you should have pre his goggles I was hoping that I don’t prepare for that oh no at that point I stomach acid wasn’t somewhat I was trying to defend against sweat but not stomach acid yeah I was really hoping at that point that they’d
Got the shot and the pctures which they had so I finished I finished third I think some that yeah I don’t remember that bit made a bit of a comeback anyway carry on yeah um next question I don’t think we’ve got any too many more a d
One there I got I got Lenny Woodcock calling me right now got no consider uh who’s Lenny Dylan’s dad oh Dylan’s dad there you go um what I was going to say that I better not um AMA Supercross is underway um I’m going to put you on the
Spot you not go car Michael on me and sit on the fence and don’t do predictions what you reckon by by the end of the by the end of it [ __ ] Jet’s going to clean up you reckon is though no I reckon I don’t know I
Wouldn’t want to go I would say between seon Jet and uh Cooper web personally is too early you’ve had two rounds is he jet was good first round but then seon’s been quite good too and I think got a lovely style don’t he yeah he’s the best
He is the best on a bike he can ride a bik the better than anyone he looks more comfortable on that under than I’ve seen for years yeah he does he looks really good on it with that in mind do you do you think that jet could
Potentially kind of take it up another notch like Carmichael did with all the fitness and training because when Ricky came along he kind of it did move everything up [ __ ] up we might be seeing that again with with jet [ __ ] up [ __ ] up used have a lot of fun
Before then yeah he come along and stepped it up and then nobody was having any fun anymore no well he was he was winning his fun but he was the only one winning yeah but in in the nighters we all have to have a good time and then they
[ __ ] it has changed a lot but it’s even changed from that that era changed and then I would imagine like sa from like Justin Morris is or like I was talking to him on the phone on the way here but then to my GP era and then from
My GP era to now has changed a lot like I’m glad I raced it when I raced it rather than now I’m glad I raced it when I raced that’s what I mean so I think it changes a lot doesn’t it like it’s now it’s don’t look that fun I don’t miss it
We didn’t have any fun when you were racing B thing no did yeah true it America it just didn’t document it yeah it was hard then but I think there was a lot of good times as well don’t get me wrong it’s not all like negative you
Only remember the like the OD times don’t you the yeah hard when it’s EAS it’s like school is it you go to school for 15 years and you only remember about three good days yeah it’s um no that was really good like in a lifestyle traveling around when you actually get
Together with a couple of you and you remember the stuff that you’ve done it’s unbelievable yeah but um but you like in the 80s and 90s everybody used to travel together all the Riders mechanics and you were like proper like a yeah that seems really good like it
Seems like the Riders when I was we was quite separate there wasn’t really many that was um there wasn’t that many British riders in the pits the ones that was were a little bit older so I wasn’t really hanging about with them so and then it was everyone from a different
Country it was all quite separate it wasn’t like um there wasn’t many of us traveling around we were doing it in the 80s and 90s we were [ __ ] winging it mind [ __ ] hell it used to it’s a miracle I don’t remember it’s a miracle we got to the races really yeah see that
Sounds more fun than M it awesome it was chaos man it was yes I would have liked to have seen all that yeah but it was like proper winging a it was really winging it I mean that’s the best way I can describe it and now it’s all too
Much like the the teams are spending 50 Grand to get their bikes to I think I can’t remember was like Indonesia or something they’re like oh it’s cost us 120,000 to do these two GPS you’re like that’s not what you’re doing Sur that’s not necessary but the it’s too much now
Um it’s all changed but there like I said there it changed it change it changes but it doesn’t seem like it’s changing in in some ways for the better I guess but in a lot of ways not no mean seem to be getting more fun no back in
The day I think I think the more technology and the more social media comes on the less you can get away with having fun yeah You’ got to be judged and You’ got to be you know if half the shenanigans you’d be in jail man if half the shenanigans
We used to get up to yeah that’s what made it onto social media yeah you’d be bollock you’d lose your job you’d have no R you’d have nothing because you were [ __ ] B yes so that’s so you got away murder really yeah I think it’s I think
As great as it is that your fans have this connection with you and everything it’s also a shame because you don’t have any fun because everything’s recorded then you say that everybody’s got an opinion we all know more there was more fans in mcross back then going to the
Races to watch when the GP come to England mon there than now so I think maybe because they see it so much and they’re so they can see you have access to anything they can watch everything watch the race on TV maybe a little bit easier that they don’t feel that they
Need to go watch it in front of them all the time so maybe what’s the’s question we can’t not do the cannot we cannot not do the up on M my Instagram asag me okay well you know what the question he’s already asked you directly he said why
Does Tommy not like the Dutch tracks I didn’t even know you didn’t no I don’t I don’t I actually do not not like him like I I like him is he saying that cuz he used to get the better of you or no I didn’t he didn’t used to get the better
Of me no I didn’t think so he um he would have in the sand don’t get me wrong he’s a lot better sand Rider than that I am um and he’s one of the best samand riders in the world but also I was quite good in sand like lowkey good
In the sand I I won um in One race that he can go back and check when he is this is um and it always stands out when he said that I thought I’ve got a good answer for that because in ler Rob in 2008 the first motor of the day I done
My best lap time on lap 18 of the race um was my going around ler Rock Mine lap 35 plus two we done then you lost me lap three like 18 back your probably been 40 plus two wouldn’t it yeah 40 plus two and they used 5 minutes off it when I
Started it used to be 45 plus 2 but when I was doing GPS 40 plus 2 yeah so when I was GPS it was 35 Plus 2 so this was last lap of 35 plus two Lop i’ done the best lap of the race and I nearly I was
Trying to pass Tyler last lap I finished 0.5 seconds behind him my best lap time was 3 seconds a lap faster than Marx who was the following race and he won that race so lap 18 of race one in Lop I done the best lap of
The race which was 3 seconds left FAS than Mark’s best lap which was on his lap two of race one so Mark if you want to fck can go back and have a look you can check that and then you can see how um I think with the sand if you ride it
You get good in it and I didn’t go there that often um so I think especially at the end of my career when I was with KTM I did a bit with Stefan because he used to make me go um but yeah I have that Mark that times I’m glad Mark I’m glad
You asked the question looking forward to his reply to that Mar won’t have a reply no he will he could say every other sand race he was would have been much much faster but I mean I can remember the one because it stands out because of how good he is in the sand
And I was faster so it’s quite oh I have a question to maybe sign off with of all the greats that you’ve raced with for championships karoli obviously hurin and all that what now that you’ve gone past that you you’re now I said all moving on what’s your relationship like with them
Like do you still like stay in touch regularly although when obviously Jeffrey came over was it last year for the British or whatever do you get on better with Jeffrey than than Mel uh yeah no I get on where with Mo everyone I’ve ever raced it’s different is it
When you get a little was there any ever needle I know there was that little bit a while just because you’re going for a championship with really didn’t like and then M yeah up he m w him up but that year was like we didn’t like each other me and Jeffrey
Was you can’t like each other all the time can you you’re racing each other it’s not I think um okay that was mad really when you think about that yeah even he says now that’s like the most intense year of yeah racing I was up I
Think I don’t know how old Jeffrey is I’m probably four years old I think he’s 30 this year and four or five years older so I was forever yeah that’s what I mean he’s well he’s almost 30 now as well so it’s mad really what you think
Of he’s at the end of his career but that was intense that year of me and Jeffrey that we if I got a second I was in tears on the way home I remember getting second in check and um I got tired in the race and I was crying on
The way home and um went to get try and get blood test I got tired and I shouldn’t get tired and this and that and nothing come back like um it’s just it was gutted and then but coroli we had quite one year Koli we kept getting
Pulled into the official office cuz we’d take each other out in 2008 when we was going for the title together um and then he bust his knee in South Africa um but they’re some of the nicest people everyone’s all right aren’t they like in our sport if you actually unless
Something it’s G on but people are nice like there’s not many people are complete [ __ ] out there like yeah you have Runnings with people but when you actually understand them and everything’s a little bit different with people countries and their person owner and they they might not say a lot you
See them on a race weekend what’ you really say to someone like all right mate track all right yeah good is it yeah how did you fly in here yeah [ __ ] got in yesterday like it’s the same it’s the same conversation you have and it’s it’s not until the battle’s
Over you can respect each other how how much else do you have a chat on a race day like they have a different sense of humor you can’t go right most people have a different sense to you yeah but English sense of humor is different yeah
Yeah foreigners don’t get it to they no like you have to you can’t have a joke and then them not get it and then you sit there you both sat there and awkward so you sort of go just like how are you like have a nice flight in it’s just the
Same chitchat isn’t it so with with Jeff then who you said it was a bit tense there for a while how who thre out an olive bran that how did the conversation come back where you did remember to be honest just just lat it always works
Itself out I think even at the end of that there are some races we um I don’t know at the end of that year obviously I said well done when he won the championship he deserved to win a championship um he was fast like and now
He’s gone on to be one of the best that ever has been so um it was just nice to actually be considered in the mix to RAC it against him do you know what I mean to be one of the ones that actually uh was to battle against him and win GPS
Against him so that’s nice just same with Kem roxon and Koli they were do you know what I mean it’s um I’ve always battled against good Riders but I think in general they all sound and they like you don’t have to they’re all [ __ ] all right do a mail talk yeah they do
Actually he gets some well with M he was going to go ride males last year before box here when he come yeah a bless him it’s all good a Jeffree sound yeah yeah it’s all right they’re all all right well we can we can park it up there I’m
Sure on for ages one of the CER unlike me cuz I’m [ __ ] Freez somebody’s left the door open well I can’t I would have had a top on but I’ve got no I can’t my hand we’ve gone past a little bit more than an hour which means he’s going to
Probably charge he says he won’t but you’re getting bit more money off that bike I’ve just bought him yeah I’d knock a bit off of him for that you can blame me actually for carrying on waffling on I could waffle on for ages there’s so much in
Our career in my career you literally just over it there you go so let’s wait a year or two see where you’re at year or two get him in the summer he says he’s probably going to get a good few well I’m going to come back down here
For a new bike I know for the next race yeah exactly might be able to just check in maybe you can just do a little check in before the uh vmx the end if he’s the vmxdn foxs held on August Bank Hy weekend you’re talking about oh that
Event I’ve heard about that it’s quite good I’ve heard the promoters a bit of a Don up but yeah well Dave is an idiot yet I knew you were going to go there with that um Tommy thanks for your time um hope that heals up quickly well and
More importantly correctly no it will I won’t Rush well we’ll see you in Birmingham for the arena Closs we’re doing a show up there so oh yeah now I’ll be I’m going to all the arena crosses still cool well cuz it probably you going to come out and do a T-shirt
Cannon and all that probably you’ll be in Bast this weekend won’t you I hope so yeah yeah no I’ll be there I like B that’s one I’m actually got cuz I love B one of the best races um so I will still be there so come and watch Bast because
I think if you haven’t been to an aren across no they good brilliant weekend there you go he said it um Tommy thanks your time there goes another podcast um thanks to Talon thanks for the wonderful Studio Hospitality it has got some one of those kids one of those kids has left
The door I’ll put some money in the Heat next yeah I’ll put 50p of the meter I’m freezing he’s forgot let’s see he’s an amateur he’s never done a podcast before walked away done well he’s done right we’re out of here uh thanks for listening wherever you are watching
Subscribe subscribe please do that and uh we’ll be back in a couple of weeks with another talk mot podcast thanks a Lot
23 Comments
Listening to wob and Jeff reminds me of a story, I think it was Stuart coyle,, about a the time the mechanics were testing the bikes on the test track at a gp, and the riders turned up with pit boards egging the mechanics to stuff each other, good times no doubt,, 👍
thanks for another great podcast lads 👌🏻 great listening to tommy reminiscing over the years. remember racing with him in the schoolboys and love now going to the races with my boy living the youth we had. see you at the races soon 🤙🏻
Thanks great podcast i never get bored listening to Tommy. Sad he’s missing Arenacross, hopefully as he says he’s got a few more in him yet. Well done Doc and Jeff keep them coming 🥳
Great doc wob asks serious questions and don’t mix his words were as Jeffro asks standard interview questions
Great Interview guys! enjoyed that!
Another great episode, loved it. Can’t wait to see who’s next. I have also subscribed 😊
Perfect comment from tommy what has the acu don’t for me Jack shit all about money
Another great episode! Talking makes me glad I came to foxhills last year to see him win ! 🏆
Keep up the good work 👍🏻
Another great upload. Bit worried about Wob and jeff.. not one beer consumed in 1 hour 10 mins. 😂🍺
Rock on Tommy 👊 2:08
Tommy stop being a pussy and get to Aberdeen one the reasons we was going.pococks only got half a thumb! All the best Thomas
Top work a happy Tommy is a fast Tommy
Keep on keeping on
What a great interview, like 3 blokes chatting in the pub about something they love. Tommy is a legend! More please!
Excellent podcast, it grabbed me because of Tommy being on, I am now a fan and we watch all the others, Cheers from the USA!!!
But…but…the 4 strokes were meant to be easier to ride or so they said when they were forcing them on the sport, 😝
Don't u think its something to do with the MXGP organisation in why new up and comeing talent struggle I've heard the entry coats are ridiculous and if u don't have that backing from big teams u just don't get the chance. Correct me if am wrong but bk in the day couldn't u just pay a fee turn up and if u qualified then happy days should be more accessible is what am saying.
I always think most people in the UK don’t realise how different the US actually is.
thanks guys i really enjoyed this one tommy has had a great career. but please guys now you have given us a teaser about tommy,s dad please get him on the podcast he sounds like a real character and i bet he has got some great stories to tell.
Brilliant !
When's the DocWob, Jamie Dobb reunion?
Another great episode guys, awesome stuff. Great you touched on rider and sport development, would be mega to hear more about the fitness aspect of the sport.
That was awesome. Best interview I’ve seen in a long time. Tommy is so under rated when it comes to being funny. I’ve been watching 2Pro, 1Slow from the start and he gets better and better. Big respect! Great job all round from all of you. Love the podcast.
Great work as usual 👍