American Honda’s Trey Canard was one win away from a clean sweep and one million dollars at the Monster Energy Cup on Saturday night. Canard, in his first MEC appearance, came up just short as untimely crashes in the third main cost him the million and the overall. Still, Canard, who entered the race as one of the hottest riders, had plenty positives to take back to Oklahoma. We caught up with him after the race.
Racer X: That was a bummer. You won two out of three; you were flying. Let’s look on the positive.
Trey Canard: Yeah, it was a bummer for sure. I didn’t see it coming. I don’t know if I maybe I charged in too hard. I think what ended up happening is he hit it and it kind of blew up some dust, and maybe I just wasn’t seeing clear enough and obviously got way too close to that Tuff Block. It just grabbed my foot peg and just pitched me on the ground. And then with Mookie [Malcolm Stewart], I thought he was going further outside than he was. It was so hard and slick I couldn't stop. But, [it was a] good night. Obviously a bummer, but I feel so good about the team and the bike again. Good things.
You’re on a roll right now. Off the start in the third main, you clipped that Tuff Block and got a little sideways.
Someone came over on me and I kind of... probably thinking about that truck a little too much. I got way squirrelly, but it’s all right.
This kind of track, the start was very, very important. It was hard to separate anybody. You had good qualifying times, and therefore you got good gates. That was really a key all day, qualifying well?
Yeah, I think so.
Hard to make up time?
There’s no separator. Everyone was pretty much greasing that triple-triple-triple in the mains. The Joker Lane was kind of a good passing place. It’ll be what it’ll be.
What were your thoughts on the line for the third race?
I was actually surprisingly pretty good. I felt pretty good about it, felt good about my gate position. I ripped out of the hole. Someone came over, and maybe someone didn’t want me to have a truck.
