Last Saturday night, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson – in only his second supercross – holeshot and led the first eight laps of the fifteen-lap main event before finally getting winded and allowing Christophe Pourcel, Austin Stroupe, and Brett Metcalfe to pass him. We spoke with the Scottish-born, Canadian-raised 18-year-old about his performance and his upcoming date with the Ricky Carmichael-designed Daytona Supercross track.
Never. I’ve only been to Florida once, and I’ve never been to Daytona. Should be cool to go there and check it out again.
If you would, from the gate drop to the checkered flag, tell me about your race last Saturday night in the Georgia Dome.
Before the race, I actually felt pretty good. I was calm and relaxed and I felt pretty good. I felt pretty confident going into the race. I knew I could get the start – I got the holeshot in my qualifier. I just knew that if I got a good start, I could do pretty good. I holeshotted and led for the first eight laps and then kind of just stopped breathing, and then I just got really tired and almost hit a wall at, like, lap ten and just tensed up really bad and got arm pump and kind of ruined my race. At least the fist eight laps went good. It would have been nice to keep the pace I had going the whole moto, and I think I could possibly have won it. But oh well, it was a learning experience.
Obviously, you’re quite new to this discipline of the sport. Did you lose your rhythm and start riding supercross like motocross?
Supercross is more rhythm, but no, my lap times were good the first eight laps, and then once Stroupe got by me, if I could have just stayed with him and could have just kept the pace that I had, I think I would have been fine. My heart rate got really high and I had really bad arm pump. It was just because I was leading. I’ve never really led before. This is my second supercross, so it’s a learning experience. I know what to expect next time I lead.
During those first eight laps and before you hit the wall, how did you feel?
I felt pretty good. I didn’t know what was going on behind me. I could hear the crowd, but I was just pretty much just trying race smooth and smart, and I even made a couple of mistakes. I didn’t jump one of the triples two laps in a row and that, but I felt like I was riding pretty smooth at first.
I don’t know…. It’s different. I like it. Supercross is like a show, and outdoors is more grueling. But it honestly doesn’t bother me. I think it’s cool. It doesn’t make me nervous or anything. I just have to go out there and ride my best, and that’s all I can do. The fans don’t really pressure me too much or anything.
When did Metcalfe get you for third?
He got me around the eleventh or twelfth lap while I was doing my fade. He kind of stuffed me through some hay bales. I completely stopped. I went from running fifty-seven-second lap times to a minute and three, so I was just pretty much going backwards and waiting for that checkered flag. It felt like forever.
When you got off the bike and back into the pits, how did Mitch and the team feel about your race?
They were happy. They definitely weren’t angry or anything. It was a good stepping-stone for me to finally get out and lead, and they were pretty happy with that.
You were right there on pace with Pourcel, Stroupe, Metcalfe, and Barcia. I don’t want to put words in your mouth, but I wouldn’t think you were too intimidated by the speed they displayed.
Yeah, not really. I feel like I can run their pace, no problem. It’s just a matter of doing it for fifteen laps. And I think that’s where some riders can gap others – they can run that pace the whole time.
At Indy, you placed sixth in your very first supercross race. Did the result give you some confidence?
Yeah, it kind of just showed me where I was at. I mean, I definitely felt like I should have done a lot better, but at that race I just kind of wanted to get through it safely and have some points. I really expected myself to do better there, but I think it was good for me to work myself off of what I got there and go to Atlanta with a different perspective, and now I’m going to Daytona with a different perspective…. I mean, I feel like I belong on the podium and hopefully we can get there this weekend.
Let’s bring up Racer X Online and take a look at the Daytona Animated Track Map. You think it’s going to be gnarly with all the sand and ruts?
Probably [Wilson watches]. This track always looks gnarly. Long whoops. Double-double. The track looks really long. It looks pretty good. It’s just hard to tell what parts are going to get all rough.
Anything look out of the norm, other than it’s a long track?
No, not really. It just looks like Daytona when I watched it on TV – like it did last year. It’s just going to be rough. I think it’s going to separate a lot of guys so it should be good.
Definitely to be on the podium. I mean, that was my goal since the beginning, and I’ve yet to reach it. So if I get on the podium, I’ll be happy. The goal is to be on the box every weekend.
How do you feel now being a big-time professional as compared to, say, a year ago when you were still an amateur?
Yeah, it’s crazy. A year from this time I was getting ready for the Lake Whitney amateur national, and to be where I am now is pretty crazy. I never really thought I would be here, but it’s a great feeling.
While you were born and started racing in Glasgow, Scotland, you and your family moved to Canada, where, essentially, you were raised. I have to ask you: did you watch the Olympic Gold Medal game between Canada and the USA last Sunday?
Oh, yeah, I watched it. It was a good game – especially in that overtime. I don’t know, I think the Canadians, we’ve got the hockey down. That’s our sport. America has football.
I think all of Canada would have been heartbroken if Team USA had won, huh?
Yeah, it didn’t look very fun for Team USA standing on the ice after they just lost while Canada just celebrated.
Never. I’ve only been to Florida once, and I’ve never been to Daytona. Should be cool to go there and check it out again.
If you would, from the gate drop to the checkered flag, tell me about your race last Saturday night in the Georgia Dome.
Before the race, I actually felt pretty good. I was calm and relaxed and I felt pretty good. I felt pretty confident going into the race. I knew I could get the start – I got the holeshot in my qualifier. I just knew that if I got a good start, I could do pretty good. I holeshotted and led for the first eight laps and then kind of just stopped breathing, and then I just got really tired and almost hit a wall at, like, lap ten and just tensed up really bad and got arm pump and kind of ruined my race. At least the fist eight laps went good. It would have been nice to keep the pace I had going the whole moto, and I think I could possibly have won it. But oh well, it was a learning experience.
Obviously, you’re quite new to this discipline of the sport. Did you lose your rhythm and start riding supercross like motocross?
Supercross is more rhythm, but no, my lap times were good the first eight laps, and then once Stroupe got by me, if I could have just stayed with him and could have just kept the pace that I had, I think I would have been fine. My heart rate got really high and I had really bad arm pump. It was just because I was leading. I’ve never really led before. This is my second supercross, so it’s a learning experience. I know what to expect next time I lead.
During those first eight laps and before you hit the wall, how did you feel?
I felt pretty good. I didn’t know what was going on behind me. I could hear the crowd, but I was just pretty much just trying race smooth and smart, and I even made a couple of mistakes. I didn’t jump one of the triples two laps in a row and that, but I felt like I was riding pretty smooth at first.
I don’t know…. It’s different. I like it. Supercross is like a show, and outdoors is more grueling. But it honestly doesn’t bother me. I think it’s cool. It doesn’t make me nervous or anything. I just have to go out there and ride my best, and that’s all I can do. The fans don’t really pressure me too much or anything.
When did Metcalfe get you for third?
He got me around the eleventh or twelfth lap while I was doing my fade. He kind of stuffed me through some hay bales. I completely stopped. I went from running fifty-seven-second lap times to a minute and three, so I was just pretty much going backwards and waiting for that checkered flag. It felt like forever.
When you got off the bike and back into the pits, how did Mitch and the team feel about your race?
They were happy. They definitely weren’t angry or anything. It was a good stepping-stone for me to finally get out and lead, and they were pretty happy with that.
You were right there on pace with Pourcel, Stroupe, Metcalfe, and Barcia. I don’t want to put words in your mouth, but I wouldn’t think you were too intimidated by the speed they displayed.
Yeah, not really. I feel like I can run their pace, no problem. It’s just a matter of doing it for fifteen laps. And I think that’s where some riders can gap others – they can run that pace the whole time.
At Indy, you placed sixth in your very first supercross race. Did the result give you some confidence?
Yeah, it kind of just showed me where I was at. I mean, I definitely felt like I should have done a lot better, but at that race I just kind of wanted to get through it safely and have some points. I really expected myself to do better there, but I think it was good for me to work myself off of what I got there and go to Atlanta with a different perspective, and now I’m going to Daytona with a different perspective…. I mean, I feel like I belong on the podium and hopefully we can get there this weekend.
Let’s bring up Racer X Online and take a look at the Daytona Animated Track Map. You think it’s going to be gnarly with all the sand and ruts?
Probably [Wilson watches]. This track always looks gnarly. Long whoops. Double-double. The track looks really long. It looks pretty good. It’s just hard to tell what parts are going to get all rough.
Anything look out of the norm, other than it’s a long track?
No, not really. It just looks like Daytona when I watched it on TV – like it did last year. It’s just going to be rough. I think it’s going to separate a lot of guys so it should be good.
Definitely to be on the podium. I mean, that was my goal since the beginning, and I’ve yet to reach it. So if I get on the podium, I’ll be happy. The goal is to be on the box every weekend.
How do you feel now being a big-time professional as compared to, say, a year ago when you were still an amateur?
Yeah, it’s crazy. A year from this time I was getting ready for the Lake Whitney amateur national, and to be where I am now is pretty crazy. I never really thought I would be here, but it’s a great feeling.
While you were born and started racing in Glasgow, Scotland, you and your family moved to Canada, where, essentially, you were raised. I have to ask you: did you watch the Olympic Gold Medal game between Canada and the USA last Sunday?
Oh, yeah, I watched it. It was a good game – especially in that overtime. I don’t know, I think the Canadians, we’ve got the hockey down. That’s our sport. America has football.
I think all of Canada would have been heartbroken if Team USA had won, huh?
Yeah, it didn’t look very fun for Team USA standing on the ice after they just lost while Canada just celebrated.
