5 Minutes With... Jay Marmont
December 8, 2009 4:55pm | by: Steve Cox
Jay Marmont has been up front in Australia ever since he left the US and headed back over there a few years ago. He won some races earlier this year in the Australasian Super X Series, and he finished third in Brisbane. We talked to him after the race to get his take on it.
Jay Marmont: I love it. I was over there in ’05 and ’06 and I was in a hard position over there, going from Australia to America without my family and friends, and it was tough. It was hard to come to terms with. Coming over here and racing with Davi Millsaps and [Josh] Grant, and even PJ Larsen, it’s such a great experience because over there I totally looked up to them guys and they absolutely smoked me, but over here I can somehow race with them – and beat them, too! So it’s definitely a good thing for them coming over here. They’re so great. Josh was on my team today, and he’s such a good kid, and he’s down to earth. I have a lot of time for him. He’s a good guy to hang out with.
You didn’t get smoked in the US! You were hurt a lot, though...
That’s it. Fifth the first year wasn’t getting smoked on the west coast, but yeah, the next year I was hurt. Over here, I’m a top-three rider, and I’ve had races with Chad [Reed], and I’ve had ambitions of going over there and running for a championship, but injuries held me back. It was a bummer, for sure, but it’s good to be on fire again and racing with them guys because I know that back over there, Davi and Josh are top-three or top-five guys all the time. It’s good to be racing with them, and I look forward to maybe coming over and doing some races just after the new year.
So you might come over for some supercrosses this year?
Yeah, I’ve got Rockstar trying to hook me up with a Yamaha team over there at the moment, and I’m trying to come over and do four or five races. I feel like I’m riding really good at the moment, and I don’t want to let it go to waste, so I want to come over there and have fun and race on your tracks.
I think that’s where I messed up in the first place by coming to America. When I was 16, I was in the premier class here – the 250 class – and when I went to the US, I lost too much weight trying to get it to work for the lighter bike, and by the time I got up to speed and almost got that podium, it was too late. I should’ve just focused on just racing the 450 and maybe struggling a little the first year, but I know it would’ve come good in the long run. I’m only 26 now, so I’ve got heaps of time, and the 450 class is where it’s at now for me, so I want to come over there and do some races, and then you never know!
When all these American guys show up, what do you think the opinion is from the public?
Australians are pretty down-to-earth people, and when someone comes out here and does something, they appreciate it, and they respect what they do as racers. Aussies would never boo an American who comes over here. They would just cheer them for what they’re doing good. As we saw tonight, they had so much respect for Davi and Josh, and it’s great for them to come over here and show Australia what the best supercross riders in the world look like. It was a good experience for the Americans to come over here and race on our soil, too, because the tracks are similar to the States now, and the format is short and sharp, and it can only make you better racing against Chad.
Jay Marmont: I love it. I was over there in ’05 and ’06 and I was in a hard position over there, going from Australia to America without my family and friends, and it was tough. It was hard to come to terms with. Coming over here and racing with Davi Millsaps and [Josh] Grant, and even PJ Larsen, it’s such a great experience because over there I totally looked up to them guys and they absolutely smoked me, but over here I can somehow race with them – and beat them, too! So it’s definitely a good thing for them coming over here. They’re so great. Josh was on my team today, and he’s such a good kid, and he’s down to earth. I have a lot of time for him. He’s a good guy to hang out with.
You didn’t get smoked in the US! You were hurt a lot, though...
That’s it. Fifth the first year wasn’t getting smoked on the west coast, but yeah, the next year I was hurt. Over here, I’m a top-three rider, and I’ve had races with Chad [Reed], and I’ve had ambitions of going over there and running for a championship, but injuries held me back. It was a bummer, for sure, but it’s good to be on fire again and racing with them guys because I know that back over there, Davi and Josh are top-three or top-five guys all the time. It’s good to be racing with them, and I look forward to maybe coming over and doing some races just after the new year.
So you might come over for some supercrosses this year?
Yeah, I’ve got Rockstar trying to hook me up with a Yamaha team over there at the moment, and I’m trying to come over and do four or five races. I feel like I’m riding really good at the moment, and I don’t want to let it go to waste, so I want to come over there and have fun and race on your tracks.
I think that’s where I messed up in the first place by coming to America. When I was 16, I was in the premier class here – the 250 class – and when I went to the US, I lost too much weight trying to get it to work for the lighter bike, and by the time I got up to speed and almost got that podium, it was too late. I should’ve just focused on just racing the 450 and maybe struggling a little the first year, but I know it would’ve come good in the long run. I’m only 26 now, so I’ve got heaps of time, and the 450 class is where it’s at now for me, so I want to come over there and do some races, and then you never know!
When all these American guys show up, what do you think the opinion is from the public?
Australians are pretty down-to-earth people, and when someone comes out here and does something, they appreciate it, and they respect what they do as racers. Aussies would never boo an American who comes over here. They would just cheer them for what they’re doing good. As we saw tonight, they had so much respect for Davi and Josh, and it’s great for them to come over here and show Australia what the best supercross riders in the world look like. It was a good experience for the Americans to come over here and race on our soil, too, because the tracks are similar to the States now, and the format is short and sharp, and it can only make you better racing against Chad.