Monday Conversation I: Jake Weimer
January 5, 2009 5:00am | by: Steve Cox
Few people have doubted that Jake Weimer has speed – especially since he came on top of the epic main event last year at round two in Phoenix. Since then, he has put himself on the box twice (both in Pennsylvania) in the outdoors, and then switched to the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team. Although most people were talking about Ryan Dungey, Jason Lawrence and Trey Canard coming into Anaheim I, when the checkered flag flew, Jake Weimer was the first one there. We talked to him about it Saturday night before he headed back to his house in Murrieta from Angel Stadium. See if you can catch the sarcasm in print.
Jake Weimer: I know what you’re saying, and yeah, it couldn’t have gone any better. My goal coming here was not to win. My goal coming here was to get on the box and not throw championship points away. I want to be there at the end of the championship and I want to hold the number-one plate. My goal coming into this race was not to win, so to do what I needed to do, whether it was pretty or not, it couldn’t be any better. It’s a good starting block, for sure.
It was kind of pretty right until after the finish line. What was that about?
Don’t worry about it!
What did you do?
I looped out!
Why?
I don’t know!
How many guys loop out on their victory lap? I mean, think about it. That’s pretty dumb.
People are going to talk about it, though! Right?
Don’t worry about it! Next question! [Laughs]
You led from early in the race, and comparing that with your performance at Phoenix last year, where you were in a constant battle with three or four different guys and won, was this race almost maybe harder?
For sure, and I knew that it would get tough later in the race, so as soon as I got in the lead, I tried to really lay down and try to get myself a little gap. And I did it, and I got a decent gap, and that allowed me to make some mistakes, which I did. I figured I might, and I figured that the bigger lead I had, the more room I would have for whatever. That’s what I did, and it worked out.
Compare those two wins and what they mean. Obviously one was your first, but this one puts you in the driver’s seat for a championship.
You just hit the nail on the head. The first win is always cool just because it’s a new feeling that you’ve never had before, so that’s always cool, but to come here to Anaheim I, the season opener, with a new team, it’s really as good as it gets. So I’m definitely really pumped on this win and I’m looking forward honestly to going to the practice track this week and working on a few things that I think I can fix. Then, I can show up at Phoenix with the same goals – not to win, but to stay on the box and stay in the points chase. Just to ride 15 Jake Weimer Laps.
There’s actually such a thing as “Jake Weimer Laps”?
Yeah.
A Jake Weimer Lap is Jake Weimer riding the best that he can, whether that means he gets first, or whether that means he gets fifth. If he rode the best that he can, then those are Jake Weimer Laps. If he gets fifth, he’s going to have to go back to the practice track and try to make the Jake Weimer Laps better.
I just made you talk about yourself in the third person for a whole paragraph.
It did kind of get into that, yeah.
Speaking of that, you’re a smart guy, and we’ve talked in the past about perhaps your brain hindering your racing because you tend to over-think things. How did you overcome that at such a big race like this?
I know what you’re saying, and it’s just kind of one of those things where this year, I tried to use it to my advantage, knowing that most guys’ goal coming into Anaheim I is to win, so I didn’t make that my goal. I knew what everyone has said ten million times – you can’t win the championship at the first round, but you can lose it or make it very, very difficult on yourself. That’s not what I wanted to do. Luckily, I did what I needed to do, I was smart, my Heat race wasn’t great, and my start on my hot lap before the main event was horrible. I knew what I needed to fix, and I did it, and I came out with a good start and crossed the finish line first.
{LINKS}So, we had that bet from your birthday party where you have to win half of the west rounds, which is four of them. You only have three left to make good on that bet. That has to feel great, doesn’t it?
Yeah, I mean, that was in there, for sure. It was in my head, no doubt about it.
Jake Weimer: I know what you’re saying, and yeah, it couldn’t have gone any better. My goal coming here was not to win. My goal coming here was to get on the box and not throw championship points away. I want to be there at the end of the championship and I want to hold the number-one plate. My goal coming into this race was not to win, so to do what I needed to do, whether it was pretty or not, it couldn’t be any better. It’s a good starting block, for sure.
It was kind of pretty right until after the finish line. What was that about?
Don’t worry about it!
What did you do?
I looped out!
Why?
I don’t know!
How many guys loop out on their victory lap? I mean, think about it. That’s pretty dumb.
People are going to talk about it, though! Right?
Don’t worry about it! Next question! [Laughs]
You led from early in the race, and comparing that with your performance at Phoenix last year, where you were in a constant battle with three or four different guys and won, was this race almost maybe harder?
For sure, and I knew that it would get tough later in the race, so as soon as I got in the lead, I tried to really lay down and try to get myself a little gap. And I did it, and I got a decent gap, and that allowed me to make some mistakes, which I did. I figured I might, and I figured that the bigger lead I had, the more room I would have for whatever. That’s what I did, and it worked out.
Compare those two wins and what they mean. Obviously one was your first, but this one puts you in the driver’s seat for a championship.
You just hit the nail on the head. The first win is always cool just because it’s a new feeling that you’ve never had before, so that’s always cool, but to come here to Anaheim I, the season opener, with a new team, it’s really as good as it gets. So I’m definitely really pumped on this win and I’m looking forward honestly to going to the practice track this week and working on a few things that I think I can fix. Then, I can show up at Phoenix with the same goals – not to win, but to stay on the box and stay in the points chase. Just to ride 15 Jake Weimer Laps.
There’s actually such a thing as “Jake Weimer Laps”?
Yeah.
A Jake Weimer Lap is Jake Weimer riding the best that he can, whether that means he gets first, or whether that means he gets fifth. If he rode the best that he can, then those are Jake Weimer Laps. If he gets fifth, he’s going to have to go back to the practice track and try to make the Jake Weimer Laps better.
I just made you talk about yourself in the third person for a whole paragraph.
It did kind of get into that, yeah.
Speaking of that, you’re a smart guy, and we’ve talked in the past about perhaps your brain hindering your racing because you tend to over-think things. How did you overcome that at such a big race like this?
I know what you’re saying, and it’s just kind of one of those things where this year, I tried to use it to my advantage, knowing that most guys’ goal coming into Anaheim I is to win, so I didn’t make that my goal. I knew what everyone has said ten million times – you can’t win the championship at the first round, but you can lose it or make it very, very difficult on yourself. That’s not what I wanted to do. Luckily, I did what I needed to do, I was smart, my Heat race wasn’t great, and my start on my hot lap before the main event was horrible. I knew what I needed to fix, and I did it, and I came out with a good start and crossed the finish line first.
{LINKS}So, we had that bet from your birthday party where you have to win half of the west rounds, which is four of them. You only have three left to make good on that bet. That has to feel great, doesn’t it?
Yeah, I mean, that was in there, for sure. It was in my head, no doubt about it.
