Privateer Profile: Michael Willard
March 18, 2010, 4:00pm
The Fifth Dragon is back: the Honda of Troy motorcycle dealership is again in the mix of American supercross in 2010. They’ve joined together with Kilbarger Drilling LLC and Eleven10Mods to form a four-man race team focusing on the Eastern Regional Lites supercross series and the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Two team riders—Levi Kilbarger and Michael Willard—have made all four Lites main events thus far this season, and they’re sitting fourteenth and fifteenth in points, respectively. We caught up with Ohio’s own Willard for today’s Privateer Profile.
Racer X: Michael, what’s up?
Michael Willard: Not much, man, just driving to Dallas.
Yeah, there’s actually a story behind it, but it’s all good.
So did you ever think that one day you’d be riding for the notorious Honda of Troy race team?
No, not really! I don’t know, I always thought the team was really cool back in the day, and they always had a lot of good riders, but I never really thought I’d be riding for them.
Though the team is completely new, everyone in the industry knows the Troy name.
That’s what everybody says—everybody knows Honda or Yamaha of Troy.
How’s the program going so far?
Pretty good. It has its first-year flaws, but every weekend it gets better. Everybody is new at it, so we’re all trying to work together and get things worked out. The bikes are really good, and that’s half the battle.
When were you approached about riding for the Troy team?
About a month before the season. At that point, I didn’t have any offers for anything, so I was probably going to just get a job, work during the week, and then race locally on the weekends to try and make some money. But this deal came about, so it’s good. My deal is a little different on the team, where I have to pay for some of my own expenses, but it’s all good.
Your teammate Levi Kilbarger is riding really well this year too.
Yeah, he’s riding real well. We recently went down to MTF, where he does all his riding, and man, those guys are set up really good down there. They had replicas of Indy, Atlanta, and Daytona—it was badass! No wonder those guys do so good, man. They dial in the tracks.
Have you just been staying back in Ohio this winter?
Yeah, I just bought a house in Newark, near my parents, and I got engaged and have a kid on the way. So I’m just trying to get stuff straightened out and preparing for all of that.
Last weekend in Toronto you caught and passed Nico Izzi. Tell us about that.
Yeah, well, in the qualifier I got a terrible start and came from last to ninth, so I didn’t have the best gate for the main. On the start I got pushed way outside and got caught in the bales and had to come up from last again. Then everybody just kept messing up in the main and I kept making really good passes. There wasn’t a whole lot separating everyone, but it seemed like I was just riding smooth. I was catching Izzi, and I didn’t even know what place I was in by then. It took me a couple laps to get around him, but I’m not sure if something happened to him or his bike.
Oh yeah, man, I was real pumped.
What’s your best finish in supercross?
A ninth. I think I got a ninth in Seattle one year.
It seems like you guys have to practice some starts.
Yeah, especially me. I think the bikes are so fast that I just light the tire up like a hot rod. I keep telling my mechanic I need a bigger tire. But yeah, every week we’re getting stuff more dialed in. It’s good.
You have some people you want to thank, Mike?
Yeah, I just want to thank Honda of Troy and all of the team’s sponsors; we couldn’t be doing this without them. I’d also like to thank my mom and dad.
The Honda of Troy/Kilbarger Racing Team would like to acknowledge the sponsors who make this effort possible: Honda of Troy, Kilbarger Racing LLC, Eleven 10 Mods, WAR - We All Ride, Fox Racing Shox, Cycra Racing, Motorex, TAG Metals, Yoshimura, Motion Pro, Renegade Race Fuel, Faction Mx, N-Style, Dunlop, DP Brake Pads, QTM, G2 Ergonomics, ARC, Boyesen, Light Speed, Hinson, RK/Excel, Ride Eng., Hammerhead, Straight Shot Air Filters, Bell Helmets, Hot Hedz Designs, Von Zipper, Total Image AutoSport, Kicker, ICW, Rocks Racing Services, Injectioneering, IMS Foot Pegs, Franklin Equipment, and Gabriel Logan
Racer X: Michael, what’s up?
Michael Willard: Not much, man, just driving to Dallas.
Yeah, there’s actually a story behind it, but it’s all good.
So did you ever think that one day you’d be riding for the notorious Honda of Troy race team?
No, not really! I don’t know, I always thought the team was really cool back in the day, and they always had a lot of good riders, but I never really thought I’d be riding for them.
Though the team is completely new, everyone in the industry knows the Troy name.
That’s what everybody says—everybody knows Honda or Yamaha of Troy.
How’s the program going so far?
Pretty good. It has its first-year flaws, but every weekend it gets better. Everybody is new at it, so we’re all trying to work together and get things worked out. The bikes are really good, and that’s half the battle.
When were you approached about riding for the Troy team?
About a month before the season. At that point, I didn’t have any offers for anything, so I was probably going to just get a job, work during the week, and then race locally on the weekends to try and make some money. But this deal came about, so it’s good. My deal is a little different on the team, where I have to pay for some of my own expenses, but it’s all good.
Your teammate Levi Kilbarger is riding really well this year too.
Yeah, he’s riding real well. We recently went down to MTF, where he does all his riding, and man, those guys are set up really good down there. They had replicas of Indy, Atlanta, and Daytona—it was badass! No wonder those guys do so good, man. They dial in the tracks.
Have you just been staying back in Ohio this winter?
Yeah, I just bought a house in Newark, near my parents, and I got engaged and have a kid on the way. So I’m just trying to get stuff straightened out and preparing for all of that.
Last weekend in Toronto you caught and passed Nico Izzi. Tell us about that.
Yeah, well, in the qualifier I got a terrible start and came from last to ninth, so I didn’t have the best gate for the main. On the start I got pushed way outside and got caught in the bales and had to come up from last again. Then everybody just kept messing up in the main and I kept making really good passes. There wasn’t a whole lot separating everyone, but it seemed like I was just riding smooth. I was catching Izzi, and I didn’t even know what place I was in by then. It took me a couple laps to get around him, but I’m not sure if something happened to him or his bike.
Oh yeah, man, I was real pumped.
What’s your best finish in supercross?
A ninth. I think I got a ninth in Seattle one year.
It seems like you guys have to practice some starts.
Yeah, especially me. I think the bikes are so fast that I just light the tire up like a hot rod. I keep telling my mechanic I need a bigger tire. But yeah, every week we’re getting stuff more dialed in. It’s good.
You have some people you want to thank, Mike?
Yeah, I just want to thank Honda of Troy and all of the team’s sponsors; we couldn’t be doing this without them. I’d also like to thank my mom and dad.
The Honda of Troy/Kilbarger Racing Team would like to acknowledge the sponsors who make this effort possible: Honda of Troy, Kilbarger Racing LLC, Eleven 10 Mods, WAR - We All Ride, Fox Racing Shox, Cycra Racing, Motorex, TAG Metals, Yoshimura, Motion Pro, Renegade Race Fuel, Faction Mx, N-Style, Dunlop, DP Brake Pads, QTM, G2 Ergonomics, ARC, Boyesen, Light Speed, Hinson, RK/Excel, Ride Eng., Hammerhead, Straight Shot Air Filters, Bell Helmets, Hot Hedz Designs, Von Zipper, Total Image AutoSport, Kicker, ICW, Rocks Racing Services, Injectioneering, IMS Foot Pegs, Franklin Equipment, and Gabriel Logan
