DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha’s Broc Tickle is poised to have some serious breakthroughs this year. He is frequently in the lead group in qualifying, and has even won a Heat race this year, but for some reason things have been coming apart in the main events. In San Francisco, he grabbed a podium finish, but he still wasn’t happy with it. He’s looking to win. We talked to him yesterday as he was preparing for the San Diego Supercross tomorrow.
Broc Tickle: I’m happy with it, but I know I can do better. I’m not settling for a podium. I know I can do better next weekend and the weekend after. So it’s a good thing, it’s not a bad thing. It’s good to be pumped, but at the same time, I look at it like, “What did I do wrong, and how can I improve?” I wasn’t bummed, but I wasn’t pumped either. I was just kind of in the middle.
I guess it all depends on the expectations you put on yourself, huh? If you think you should be winning and you get third, that’s not awesome.
Exactly.
I talked to Trey Canard a little bit about that this week, and I asked him to describe the difference between second place and a win, and he literally couldn’t put it into words because it was such a big difference.
That’s the same thing I’m thinking about. I know when I win that I’ll be the happiest I’ve ever been in racing. It’s almost like at Toronto last year, when I got my first podium. I was pumped. I’ll be like that.
The difference between this year and last year, though, is that yes, you got your first podium at Toronto last year, but this year you’ve had the speed at every race to be up front. People know now that if you get a start, they’re going to have to deal with you for the whole race.
That’s what I want. I want people to think that. I know when I line up on that line that every one of those guys next to me knows that I’m there and I’m there to race. That’s how I want it to be. I want them to be aware of me, and I want them to be scared of me knowing that I can run with them, no matter what.
Speaking of that, though, what was the difference this past weekend between beating Jake Weimer or Trey Canard, and not beating them?
Everybody has those days where they’re on the spot; they’re hitting everything perfect and just things are flowing. I wasn’t doing that. I was happy I still got on the podium for the way I was riding, because I didn’t even feel like I was doing that well. I didn’t feel like I was flowing at all. It wasn’t going like I wanted it to, even though I did get third.
So that should almost be a positive, shouldn’t it?
Yeah, I look at it knowing that I could’ve done a lot better, and I know I can do better in the future, so we’ll just keep doing what I’m doing and make myself ride like I know how to ride in the main.
What was going on in the previous few weeks? You had speed, won a Heat race, but something always went wrong in the main.
Well, I never really got a good start in the main. At A2, I crashed on the first lap and was 30 seconds behind on the first lap, and there was nothing I could’ve done other than fix the start. At Phoenix, I got a bad start and managed to get fifth, which I was happy with because I was riding well, but if I would’ve been up there and gotten the holeshot, you never know what would’ve happened with the way the rest of the race went. That could’ve been a race to win. And Anaheim I was a good first race to start with, but I didn’t get a good start there, either. I have to get starts at every race from here on out.
I heard you had a bet going for a podium finish...
After Phoenix, I had a bet going where until I got on the podium, I couldn’t shave. So, after this weekend, I shaved. I’ve never really grown my beard out – or whatever you want to call it. So that was a first time for that one.
No, I’m not there yet. I’m not on the same level as a lot of guys my age. I’m a little ways behind for beard and mustache status.
Obviously, you expect to win, or at least challenge for wins, right?
Yeah, that’s my goal this year, to win some races, and I know I can do it because I have the speed and I work my ass off. I don’t see why I can’t do it.
Should we expect that if you’re second or third this weekend, that you’re going to be pissed off again?
I don’t know. I think if I ride to my potential, I’ll be pumped. I didn’t feel like I rode to my potential last weekend. I got a podium, and I’m happy with it, but I know I can do better, so I’ll keep pushing forward. I’d probably even be pumped to move up a spot on the podium, because I’ve gotten third place twice now.
This is really just your second full season of supercross, isn’t it?
Sort of. My first year, I finished supercross, then in ’08 I got hurt for supercross and missed it, but raced outdoors. Last year, I broke my jaw and missed half of the east supercrosses. So it’s really my third season, but my second full season.
That’s not as much time as people probably figured you have under your belt.
Yeah, that’s true.
Good luck this weekend, Broc, and are there any personal sponsors you’d like to thank?
I’d like to thank the entire DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha team and all of their sponsors, and also TCX Boots, Hatch, Von Zipper, Leatt Brace, and Rockwell Watches. See you in San Diego!
Broc Tickle: I’m happy with it, but I know I can do better. I’m not settling for a podium. I know I can do better next weekend and the weekend after. So it’s a good thing, it’s not a bad thing. It’s good to be pumped, but at the same time, I look at it like, “What did I do wrong, and how can I improve?” I wasn’t bummed, but I wasn’t pumped either. I was just kind of in the middle.
I guess it all depends on the expectations you put on yourself, huh? If you think you should be winning and you get third, that’s not awesome.
Exactly.
I talked to Trey Canard a little bit about that this week, and I asked him to describe the difference between second place and a win, and he literally couldn’t put it into words because it was such a big difference.
That’s the same thing I’m thinking about. I know when I win that I’ll be the happiest I’ve ever been in racing. It’s almost like at Toronto last year, when I got my first podium. I was pumped. I’ll be like that.
The difference between this year and last year, though, is that yes, you got your first podium at Toronto last year, but this year you’ve had the speed at every race to be up front. People know now that if you get a start, they’re going to have to deal with you for the whole race.
That’s what I want. I want people to think that. I know when I line up on that line that every one of those guys next to me knows that I’m there and I’m there to race. That’s how I want it to be. I want them to be aware of me, and I want them to be scared of me knowing that I can run with them, no matter what.
Speaking of that, though, what was the difference this past weekend between beating Jake Weimer or Trey Canard, and not beating them?
Everybody has those days where they’re on the spot; they’re hitting everything perfect and just things are flowing. I wasn’t doing that. I was happy I still got on the podium for the way I was riding, because I didn’t even feel like I was doing that well. I didn’t feel like I was flowing at all. It wasn’t going like I wanted it to, even though I did get third.
So that should almost be a positive, shouldn’t it?
Yeah, I look at it knowing that I could’ve done a lot better, and I know I can do better in the future, so we’ll just keep doing what I’m doing and make myself ride like I know how to ride in the main.
What was going on in the previous few weeks? You had speed, won a Heat race, but something always went wrong in the main.
Well, I never really got a good start in the main. At A2, I crashed on the first lap and was 30 seconds behind on the first lap, and there was nothing I could’ve done other than fix the start. At Phoenix, I got a bad start and managed to get fifth, which I was happy with because I was riding well, but if I would’ve been up there and gotten the holeshot, you never know what would’ve happened with the way the rest of the race went. That could’ve been a race to win. And Anaheim I was a good first race to start with, but I didn’t get a good start there, either. I have to get starts at every race from here on out.
I heard you had a bet going for a podium finish...
After Phoenix, I had a bet going where until I got on the podium, I couldn’t shave. So, after this weekend, I shaved. I’ve never really grown my beard out – or whatever you want to call it. So that was a first time for that one.
No, I’m not there yet. I’m not on the same level as a lot of guys my age. I’m a little ways behind for beard and mustache status.
Obviously, you expect to win, or at least challenge for wins, right?
Yeah, that’s my goal this year, to win some races, and I know I can do it because I have the speed and I work my ass off. I don’t see why I can’t do it.
Should we expect that if you’re second or third this weekend, that you’re going to be pissed off again?
I don’t know. I think if I ride to my potential, I’ll be pumped. I didn’t feel like I rode to my potential last weekend. I got a podium, and I’m happy with it, but I know I can do better, so I’ll keep pushing forward. I’d probably even be pumped to move up a spot on the podium, because I’ve gotten third place twice now.
This is really just your second full season of supercross, isn’t it?
Sort of. My first year, I finished supercross, then in ’08 I got hurt for supercross and missed it, but raced outdoors. Last year, I broke my jaw and missed half of the east supercrosses. So it’s really my third season, but my second full season.
That’s not as much time as people probably figured you have under your belt.
Yeah, that’s true.
Good luck this weekend, Broc, and are there any personal sponsors you’d like to thank?
I’d like to thank the entire DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha team and all of their sponsors, and also TCX Boots, Hatch, Von Zipper, Leatt Brace, and Rockwell Watches. See you in San Diego!
