It hasn't been easy but privateer Adam Enticknap has been grinding this year. With a field as deep as ever, the 7-Deuce-Deuce has been stepping up his program this year in terms of hiring a riding coach and flying to and from the races. Growing as a fan favorite, Enticknap is one of those guys who’s easy to cheer for. While in Vegas for the PulpMX Show, I got Adam to talk more after the show about his season.
Racer X: It’s been a tough start for the season for you but lately you’ve been riding better. Talk about the season; we’re nine rounds down.
Adam Enticknap: The first round was going really good for me. I had a little front-end washout, but I was in a qualifying position when it happened. Then I had a few struggles with some practice and a little bit of bike setup. I’ve just been struggling with my starts. I started working with Weston [Peick] and Buddy Antunez during the week and that seems to be helping out a lot, getting my practice times down, which is bringing me into the heat races with a better gate pick, which is giving me a better finish for the heat race, which is a better semi gate pick, which just leads to better starts.
What does Buddy help you with? We’ve seen his work with Weston. Clearly that’s working out pretty well.
One of the biggest things is my laziness the first couple laps. I have been just kind of rolling and just looking at the jumps and looking at the track. He’s really been working on making my first two laps fast. That’s been a huge deal for me because it carries me through the whole night. Making those first couple laps fast has been a huge positive in my program and it’s been getting my practice times down. And then just working on longer motos. My fitness is not quite as good as I want it to be and we’ve been working on that. Riding with Weston really gets my heart rate up high because I’m trying my hardest to beat him.
Really, we’ve been looking at my segment times and my race times, and my first two laps have been absolutely horrible, which is kind of a bummer. Those are key factors in racing, and if you lose you don’t jump a couple jumps on the first lap—that’s four seconds down. If you can get those four seconds on the first lap, or four or five seconds even, it’s going to put you in a much better position and keep you in that flow that you need to be to get that main event.
You’re on the Teddy Parks Privateer Journey program. Last year you drove the rig with Teddy and this year you’re coming back to California. How’s that been?
It’s been solid. I know I’m flying in and back to California on Sundays, and I can wake up, get my bike ready, and go to the tracks I need to go to each day. And then I have a nice program with Buddy where I know I get to ride with him on those certain days and get my gym training in. I know for a fact I’m going to have the track and I know for a fact I’m going to have the gym at my access and my road bike, which is I think a big key thing. It’s just more of a comfort and a confidence knowing that I’m doing the right things during the week and getting the job that needs to be done.
On the road it was really hard to find tracks and find places to do what I needed to do. Not to mention I was driving all the time during the week. And my eating has been a lot better this year than last year. It’s not gas-station-to-gas-station. I have a refrigerator that I can come back to. My girlfriend, Ash, she helps me out the best she can. We hit the grocery shops and cook dinner. It makes it a lot easier and it’s definitely more comfortable, which is making my times and everything just much better.
Kourtney Lloyd at Cycle North up in Canada heard you on the PulpMX Show, and one thing led to another and she’s been a big part of your program.
She has. She offered me a Canadian arenacross ride, which I took back in November and December, which was amazing for my program—just working on starts and getting out front and riding good laps. That helped me so much and I’m so thankful for that. She’s definitely one of the best people I’ve ever met. She helps me out and she does exactly what she says she’s going to do. I really appreciate all the help. She gave me a practice bike and a race bike and paid for my flights this year. So, thank you so much, Kourtney Lloyd.
Another person that doesn’t get a lot of mention is Jeff from California Coast Plumbing. He helps me out and pays for all my engine parts and all that stuff. He’s an amazing guy. Really one of the coolest things about him is he doesn’t say much to me; he just really wants the best for me and he loves racing. He supports me and knows that I’m trying my hardest, which I really, really appreciate, and I’d like to thank Jeff. Another one is Wanda Reis; she helps me out with the 7DeuceDeuce.com and is just sick. Thank you guys so much, for sure.
The depth of the field this year: It is gnarlier than last year, isn’t it? Guys like Nick Wey, Kyle Chisholm, Josh Hill, they’re watching the main events. That’s unheard of.
That is unheard of. It’s crazy, man. You have to really believe that you’re “the guy,” and you have to believe you’re “the guy” every single weekend. I’ve been learning that from Weston. Just believing in yourself and having the confidence that you are “that guy.” It’s crazy how fast everybody is and how close everybody is in times from week to week. If you’re having a bad Saturday there’s a good chance you’re not going to make it. Think that’s the difference between the guys that are in the main event every single weekend is that they just know. Anybody on any given Saturday that makes that forty-man night show can make the main. It’s nice because everybody is there so when you do make the main it’s awesome, and not only awesome, but it feels like you achieved something for sure. Everybody’s looking at you every time you make the main event, so that’s a good thing. But it is definitely getting hard out there.
Weston Peick has gotten off privateer island and he’s doing phenomenal things. In a way it has to give you some hope or some inspiration, right? Three or four years ago you saw what he was doing and now you look at what he’s doing now.
He is my biggest inspiration and I can’t thank Weston enough for all that he does for me. That’s kind of what I’m doing is I’m trying to mimic and mirror his program. I know he’s been working with Buddy for a long time and I honestly just kind of said, “Let’s do this.” I kind of bucked up and just said I’m going to work with Buddy and do whatever I can. I’ve been even mimicking what he eats and what he does and how he acts. I’m hoping it’s going to work for me. It seems to be working weekend to weekend and I’ve been getting better. I know I’m going to be making these main events soon here. I know once I get the ball rolling it’s just going to keep rolling and have a snowball effect and get bigger and bigger and more confident. I’m excited for what’s coming in the future, but for right now I’m going to keep doing exactly what I’m doing—working hard and working with Buddy and Weston. I think I’m going in a good direction.
You seem to have a lot of time for people at the races, probably to the point where sometimes it maybe hurts you eating or working on your bike or thinking about preparation, but you’ve kind of made yourself into this accessible guy. People have really latched onto you. It’s really cool.
That’s one thing, I really do love is my fans. I want people to know, because my whole goal and my dream is to be a factory racer and become “that guy,” and I want people to know that from beginning I’ve been a real human being and I want to let these guys know, all the weekend warriors and the fans that come to supercross, that I’m just a normal guy racing a dirt bike that anybody can do it. I think it’s something that I want to put in for these kids and just tell them that you don’t have to be anything extraordinary and you can do it, just be a regular human being. That’s what I am. I think to be on common ground with people and let them know that you’re not on a pedestal and you’re not this super, super cool guy that has to be this cocky, confident guy that can’t say hi to anybody. I just want to remind people that the dirt bike riders are normal and we do have a personality. It’s not just being a robot all the time. It’s having a personality and being a regular human being. I think that’s really important to connect with your fans and just let these people know that there’s a dream and they can be part of it. That’s kind of where this whole 7DeuceDeuce thing comes in. I just want everybody to feel like they can be a part of it.