When we last saw Josh Grant, he was riding to second moto win at the USGP at Glen Helen with Monster Energy Kawasaki—a ride he picked up after TwoTwo Motorsports folded earlier that summer. The former race winner wasn’t able to secure a ride this off-season and has yet to receive a fill-in opportunity. With help from Pala Raceway and his own company, HLTN CO, Grant decided to contest round nine of Monster Energy Supercross in Daytona—his first race of 2016. Having ridden only ten to twelve times, according to Grant, since the USGP, a seventh was more than most expected. We caught up with Grant after the race to see what the future holds.
Racer X: Coming off the couch, just hop in the top ten, get a seventh. How do you feel about that?
Josh Grant: I feel good. It was a good weekend for me. I don’t know what to think. I did this on my own. It was something I didn’t really expect. Obviously those guys have been in the season for I don’t know how many races now and I was a little bit nervous on where I was going to land, but at the same time just stoked to be here.
So why Daytona? What made you pick this race?
I just have a lot of friends out here. We had some plans to do a fishing trip and my buddy was like, “I’m only taking you out on the boat if you go race Daytona.” So I was like, all right. We only had two weeks left to get ready and just decided to do it.
You’ve obviously been riding though.
Yeah, I rode two weeks before the race, and then the last time I lined up was the GP at Glen Helen.
But were you riding around at home, just riding having fun?
Yeah, I went to the hills. I went and did a couple Glamis trips. That was it. So the last five months I think I rode about ten to twelve times.
So did you get tired out there?
I got a little tired, yeah. I’m not going to lie. My arms were a little smoked. But fitness-wise I felt good; it’s just some of that riding stuff that you got to really work on and I wasn’t fully there but good enough.
Overall other than just your result, how do you feel like the day went?
Couldn’t have gone any better. Practice was good. I had a little crash in the second practice. The heat race was good. I got a really good start up front and just went for it. I knew it would help me out transferring from the heat instead of going to the semi and the LCQ. Just tried to avoid that so I could have a good solid 20 laps, and that’s what it took.
Do you plan on doing any more?
No. I have no plans to do any more. This was the only one I budgeted with the Pala guys and my own company. The only way I’ll go racing is if an opportunity opens up for me on one of the factory deals or something and I can get support that way.
So is that part of what you were hoping with this?
No, not really. I knew if I did good it would probably spark some interest in people, but at the same time I knew the sport’s brutal and people crash and things happen. Just put yourself in the right position.
You said Pala was supporting you and your company, was that it?
Yup. Just Pala and Hilton Collective [HTLN CO].
Anything else you want to add?
No, just thanks for everything.
