Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer had a decent day at Unadilla, but the big news was that he was going to don his friend Ryan Villopoto’s number in Italy in a few weeks, as he’s the MX2 racer for Team USA. We talked to him about it after the race.
Jake Weimer: Oh, for sure! I’ve been here a few times and I’ve never done well, or really even rode well here, so it’s definitely on your mind and you’re thinking about that. Definitely.
What changes in your head when you come out of a race like this having gone 3-3 on the day?
It’s good. This year, I’ve been a lot better and I’ve tried to be a bit more solid. I’m getting to where I could show up every weekend and do well, and maybe not win, but still do respectably. I’m definitely happy to come away the way that I did because I’ve never done good here. I was a little bit nervous, but I got two good starts, and I’ve never gotten a good start here... I mean, 3-3 wasn’t perfect, but it was a decent accomplishment for me at this track.
Before the race today, it started going around that you were going to be on the Motocross des Nations team. Take us through the process of getting picked for the team.
I found out a couple weeks ago that it was a possibility, and that they had been talking about [Ryan] Dungey riding MX1 and putting me on the MX2 bike, so they told me it was possible and they’d let me know. “Just hang out, wait, don’t say anything to anybody,” so I sat around for a while and waited and waited and waited. I kept asking, “Do you know anything? Do you know anything?” And it was always, “No.”
I kept bothering Mitch [Payton], like, “Are we going? Are we going?” So, for sure, it’s huge to be on the team. It doesn’t get any bigger than that. I mean, for us, winning titles in the States, that’s what our job is, but to go and ride the Motocross des Nations, that’s the biggest race there is, so I wanted to know! Then finally, Thursday, I was on my way home from the track and Mitch called me and jacked with me for a little bit, but then he finally told me, “Well, you need to call this AMA guy.” I said, “Why?” “Well, because he needs a quote from you.” I said, “For what?” “I don’t know, something about a race in Italy...” So I found out and called the dude and went through all that. I found out Thursday, so I knew then, and that put even more pressure on me coming here because I knew if I didn’t do well that I would just be the biggest dirtbag that ever lived! Seriously, I felt like I had a lot of pressure on me just because I haven’t won a title, and I’m not really even near the points chase, and I get picked to go to the des Nations. I felt some pressure that I needed to step up and do well, and that was on the back of my mind – or maybe the front, even.
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Yeah, for sure. I think we’ll be fine, honestly, for obvious reasons. Ivan [Tedesco] has been there a couple times and he has won every time he’s been there, and Ryan [Dungey] is solid, and I feel more than confident that I can do what I need to do for us to win. If you take Dungey out of the [MX2] class, and Christophe [Pourcel], who is French and isn’t riding des Nations, I would’ve gone 1-1 today. I think we’ll be able to do what we need to do. Nothing’s guaranteed and it’s not done until it’s over, but I think we’ll be able to do what we need to do.
Is this the time when you start studying up on the guys in Europe? Or do you even give a crap?
I know a little bit about some of them now, but mainly I know they’re going to be fast and I’m going to need to get good starts. This motocross deal isn’t rocket science, you know? You kind of just get the best start you can get and go as fast as you can go from point A to point B.
So you just get the best start you can and then go as fast as you can go until the checkered flag?
Until you’re done! Yeah! It’s not rocket science.
Jake Weimer: Oh, for sure! I’ve been here a few times and I’ve never done well, or really even rode well here, so it’s definitely on your mind and you’re thinking about that. Definitely.
What changes in your head when you come out of a race like this having gone 3-3 on the day?
It’s good. This year, I’ve been a lot better and I’ve tried to be a bit more solid. I’m getting to where I could show up every weekend and do well, and maybe not win, but still do respectably. I’m definitely happy to come away the way that I did because I’ve never done good here. I was a little bit nervous, but I got two good starts, and I’ve never gotten a good start here... I mean, 3-3 wasn’t perfect, but it was a decent accomplishment for me at this track.
Before the race today, it started going around that you were going to be on the Motocross des Nations team. Take us through the process of getting picked for the team.
I found out a couple weeks ago that it was a possibility, and that they had been talking about [Ryan] Dungey riding MX1 and putting me on the MX2 bike, so they told me it was possible and they’d let me know. “Just hang out, wait, don’t say anything to anybody,” so I sat around for a while and waited and waited and waited. I kept asking, “Do you know anything? Do you know anything?” And it was always, “No.”
I kept bothering Mitch [Payton], like, “Are we going? Are we going?” So, for sure, it’s huge to be on the team. It doesn’t get any bigger than that. I mean, for us, winning titles in the States, that’s what our job is, but to go and ride the Motocross des Nations, that’s the biggest race there is, so I wanted to know! Then finally, Thursday, I was on my way home from the track and Mitch called me and jacked with me for a little bit, but then he finally told me, “Well, you need to call this AMA guy.” I said, “Why?” “Well, because he needs a quote from you.” I said, “For what?” “I don’t know, something about a race in Italy...” So I found out and called the dude and went through all that. I found out Thursday, so I knew then, and that put even more pressure on me coming here because I knew if I didn’t do well that I would just be the biggest dirtbag that ever lived! Seriously, I felt like I had a lot of pressure on me just because I haven’t won a title, and I’m not really even near the points chase, and I get picked to go to the des Nations. I felt some pressure that I needed to step up and do well, and that was on the back of my mind – or maybe the front, even.
{QUOTE}
Yeah, for sure. I think we’ll be fine, honestly, for obvious reasons. Ivan [Tedesco] has been there a couple times and he has won every time he’s been there, and Ryan [Dungey] is solid, and I feel more than confident that I can do what I need to do for us to win. If you take Dungey out of the [MX2] class, and Christophe [Pourcel], who is French and isn’t riding des Nations, I would’ve gone 1-1 today. I think we’ll be able to do what we need to do. Nothing’s guaranteed and it’s not done until it’s over, but I think we’ll be able to do what we need to do.
Is this the time when you start studying up on the guys in Europe? Or do you even give a crap?
I know a little bit about some of them now, but mainly I know they’re going to be fast and I’m going to need to get good starts. This motocross deal isn’t rocket science, you know? You kind of just get the best start you can get and go as fast as you can go from point A to point B.
So you just get the best start you can and then go as fast as you can go until the checkered flag?
Until you’re done! Yeah! It’s not rocket science.
