Honda Red Bull Racing’s Davi Millsaps stepped it up at the US Open and grabbed second overall, coming from behind for the position on both nights. He has also lost a bit of weight. He’s looking to be a contender in 2010. We talked to him after the race.
Davi Millsaps: We did two days of testing before we came here, with six days on the supercross track – two of them were testing. During the testing, we got the bike better than we did all through the supercross season, and I’m really pumped because it got me excited. I came here thinking maybe it was going to be the same as it was last year, but it turned out a lot better than what I expected. It made me have more fun and made me enjoy racing the last two nights. I’m just pumped to see what else we can find from here until Anaheim I. Maybe it can get a lot better.
So you’ve got three months until then. Are you going to be working that whole three months?
Yeah, I’m working. I’ve got to get there. I’ve got to step my game up. I know I’m fast enough, I just have to go that fast for the whole 20 laps, and that’s what I’m working on.
Have you lost weight?
Yeah.
I’m looking at your face and you look skinnier.
I’ve lost some. I’m just eating good. I eat the same as I did before, just the healthy version of it. My metabolism just goes crazy. I have 10 more pounds to lose and I’ll be at my fighting weight then.
Does it change how you ride the bike?
Actually, it does. It makes me feel better, more agile, lighter, and it’s easier to maneuver, easier to stand up [from sitting]... I have struggled with standing up right out of the corners, and that’s one thing I’m working on, but the 10 pounds probably affects me there, so hopefully we can go from there.
On a track like this, it’s so short that I don’t have time to open it up and see where my body weight can become an advantage. On a short start like this, you go over the gate and you’re there. But I don’t know, I got a decent start, but the next two corners, I slid out and it just got worse.
There was a lot of contact out there this weekend, even if it wasn’t really with you...
Oh, no, there was some contact with me, too, in the heat race that I wasn’t too pumped on! I don’t know, I didn’t hit anyone, and no one hit me in either main on both nights, and that’s really cool. Everyone had clean racing and we’re all out here having fun instead of trying to kill each other for Anaheim I. This race is pointless for the season, so it’s just about coming out and testing, and maybe winning some money, not to kill anyone.
You seem happier!
It’s because I’m married now!
But you really do seem happier.
It’s because I did good!
Is that it?
If you look good and feel good, you do good, and I look pretty damned good! [Laughs] I’m kidding...
You’ve got to be happy. You only do this one time. You only have a certain number of years to make a career out of this sport, and there aren’t too many guys who are able to do that, and I’m glad to be one of them. I’ve just got to realize that and put it down for at least the next nine years, and hopefully make some money and retire.
So, what are you, 21?
Yeah, I’ll be 30 after nine years.
Do you have any other races to do this winter?
No, I was going to, but I’ve got too much testing to do.
So it’s all testing for three months?
No, but those European races are right at my tests, so I can’t go, especially since Honda Japan is coming out.
How have your goals changed for 2010?
I just really want to be more consistent. Like tonight and last night, I was on the box both nights, and that’s unusual for me. That’s what I want to do. Even if I get a bad start, I want to be able to make it up to the box, and I want to win some... I just want to have a shot at putting my name on the board for the championship.
Davi Millsaps: We did two days of testing before we came here, with six days on the supercross track – two of them were testing. During the testing, we got the bike better than we did all through the supercross season, and I’m really pumped because it got me excited. I came here thinking maybe it was going to be the same as it was last year, but it turned out a lot better than what I expected. It made me have more fun and made me enjoy racing the last two nights. I’m just pumped to see what else we can find from here until Anaheim I. Maybe it can get a lot better.
So you’ve got three months until then. Are you going to be working that whole three months?
Yeah, I’m working. I’ve got to get there. I’ve got to step my game up. I know I’m fast enough, I just have to go that fast for the whole 20 laps, and that’s what I’m working on.
Have you lost weight?
Yeah.
I’m looking at your face and you look skinnier.
I’ve lost some. I’m just eating good. I eat the same as I did before, just the healthy version of it. My metabolism just goes crazy. I have 10 more pounds to lose and I’ll be at my fighting weight then.
Does it change how you ride the bike?
Actually, it does. It makes me feel better, more agile, lighter, and it’s easier to maneuver, easier to stand up [from sitting]... I have struggled with standing up right out of the corners, and that’s one thing I’m working on, but the 10 pounds probably affects me there, so hopefully we can go from there.
On a track like this, it’s so short that I don’t have time to open it up and see where my body weight can become an advantage. On a short start like this, you go over the gate and you’re there. But I don’t know, I got a decent start, but the next two corners, I slid out and it just got worse.
There was a lot of contact out there this weekend, even if it wasn’t really with you...
Oh, no, there was some contact with me, too, in the heat race that I wasn’t too pumped on! I don’t know, I didn’t hit anyone, and no one hit me in either main on both nights, and that’s really cool. Everyone had clean racing and we’re all out here having fun instead of trying to kill each other for Anaheim I. This race is pointless for the season, so it’s just about coming out and testing, and maybe winning some money, not to kill anyone.
You seem happier!
It’s because I’m married now!
But you really do seem happier.
It’s because I did good!
Is that it?
If you look good and feel good, you do good, and I look pretty damned good! [Laughs] I’m kidding...
You’ve got to be happy. You only do this one time. You only have a certain number of years to make a career out of this sport, and there aren’t too many guys who are able to do that, and I’m glad to be one of them. I’ve just got to realize that and put it down for at least the next nine years, and hopefully make some money and retire.
So, what are you, 21?
Yeah, I’ll be 30 after nine years.
Do you have any other races to do this winter?
No, I was going to, but I’ve got too much testing to do.
So it’s all testing for three months?
No, but those European races are right at my tests, so I can’t go, especially since Honda Japan is coming out.
How have your goals changed for 2010?
I just really want to be more consistent. Like tonight and last night, I was on the box both nights, and that’s unusual for me. That’s what I want to do. Even if I get a bad start, I want to be able to make it up to the box, and I want to win some... I just want to have a shot at putting my name on the board for the championship.
