When are you coming back to racing?
Ideally I’d like to do the last couple rounds and do the two USGPs. That’s my goal and that’s what I’m pushing for. But it has to make sense on both sides. I have to be ready. I don’t want to go out there just to ride, I want to go out there and be strong and ride how I want to ride. They deserve that, and obviously Josh [Grant] is doing awesome for them right now and there’s no reason to upset that. If I’m not ready and able to take over that role there’s no reason for me to upset that until I can come out there and be competitive. I still can’t ride yet. Everything is healed it’s just really weak. This labrum, this process has been hard. My shoulder is still pretty weak.

That’s big of you. I’m not sure some other racers would have the same attitude when not racing is coming at their expense, to a degree.
It does [come at my expense]. I need to be out there to secure a ride for next year and take care of my livelihood. But at the same time I have to be happy for him in stepping into the role and doing awesome. I can’t hate on that. There’s no reason for me to come out and produce Kawasaki a result that’s not up to par with that.

Is getting extra racing in part of your reasoning in doing those GPs?
Absolutely. But even if I did all the Nationals I still wanted to do the two USGPs. Just to do it and say I’ve done it. I want to race against people I’ve never raced against in my life and experience their type of racing. And to be on our soil, our time zone, our food, that’s an advantage anyway. To be able to do a GP on my terms, that’s a lot easier than flying to Europe and trying it. I haven’t been racing all summer, so any kind of racing I can do, I’m all for it.

What are your thoughts on the Nationals so far? What’s been your biggest surprise?
I’d say it’s the biggest surprise, but I’m not really surprised about Ken Roczen. It’s a surprise that he’s been so dominant, but it’s actually not a shocker. He’s such a good outdoor rider, which he proved in 2014. Last year he struggled a little bit with injuries, and maybe some setup issues, but they seem to have figured it all out. I was at Glen Helen and he made it look easy. He was behind [Ryan] Dungey for about twenty minutes then just walked away. Obviously his forks broke, but he made it look easy. And not to mention third place was way back, so it’s not like Dunge was going slow! It’s been crazy to see that, but also kind of cool to see. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens after this off week, with guys like Jason Anderson, Trey Canard, Cole Seely, ad Eli Tomac—they all want to be up there. We’ll see if they can close that gap at all. I think you’ll see them bridge the gap or be separated even more.

What’s more surprising to you, Roczen’s dominance or Tomac not winning a race yet?
A lot of people discount what Eli is coming back from. As a person that’s been there with injuries, unfortunately a lot in my career, it’s hard to come back from that. People don’t give you the recognition you deserve when you come back from an injury that’s had you out that long. Not to mention getting used to a new team and new bike. He was on Hondas his entire professional career, so at this point to get used to a new bike, even without injury, would be difficult. The bikes are all really good at this level, but you have to get used to it, and the team. When you’re with a team for more than two years you gain a comfort with the staff and they start to learn you and what you want out of the bike. It gets to a point where they know what you need without you even saying it. They know how to make you happy. I can definitely see they’re learning that, he’s gotten better on the bike. So, I think yes, it’s surprising Eli hasn’t won yet, but at the same time you’ve got to give him credit. He’s coming back from two major surgeries on his shoulders, and the whole key to riding is holding on with your legs and arms. I think he’s handling it great. I know how hard he works and how bad he wants to win, and I think you’ll see a win out of him pretty soon.

Bad start aside, I think that second moto at Thunder Valley was the best we’ve seen him ride so far.
Yes, absolutely. Speed wise, he was there, but you can’t give Kenny, or anyone like that, a head start. You’d have to be from a completely different planet to catch those guys, a totally different animal. Even if you’re two seconds faster a lap it’d be really hard to catch them with starts like that.

Who’s surprised you the most in the 250 Class?
One hundred percent Alex Martin. He’s made some big changes to his program, and I’ve been around him because I’m good friends with Cooper Webb and I know his trainer, Gareth Swanepoel, pretty well. I know how their training works, and they’re all riding together and pushing each other. These guys are all able to set their egos aside during the week and realize that if one guy’s faster than the other, it is just motivation to help them push. I’d say it’s a similar thing going at Aldon Baker’s facility, with those guys pushing each other and maintaining a positive atmosphere. I’m sure there are days when people are bummed, you don’t want to be the guy who’s the slowest, but you have to realize it’s better for you. The only way to simulate a race is to basically get a bunch of guys together, put the egos aside, and push each other. Maybe a guy starts this far ahead because his laps are a certain amount slower. I think these guys have found this recipe to push each other and maintain a healthy environment. It’s awesome to see, and I’m really happy for a guy like Alex. You talk to him and he’s so humble. He just likes working hard, and I’m always happy to see the big changes someone is making pay off. It’s always a risk, you don’t ever know if you’re doing the right thing.

He’s got a unique opportunity to ride with his brother quite a bit. Do you think riding with the champ so frequently helps him get a better idea of the pace it takes?
For sure. You’re always chasing a carrot during the week no matter who you are. When you’re riding with Jeremy Martin every day you’ll see that he’s faster here, he’s faster there, whatever. It can only benefit you. It might be hard to stomach sometimes, but it’s only benefitting you. It’s awesome to see. I know growing up with my brother, he was always better. You might not think about it, but subconsciously it’s there and you want to beat him.

Who’s poised for a breakout ride?
We’ve already seen some success with Cooper Webb, but I think this off-weekend is really going to help him. He hasn’t been able to practice much. I don’t think he even rode outdoors before Hangtown, maybe one day, and he was still a contender. He didn’t get a chance to prepare. Once we get going on the middle part of the series I think he’s really going to rise to the occasion. He’s got this desire, this fuel in him, and I don’t really know how to pinpoint it, but he has it and it’s something that’s going to be tough to beat. There are tons of guys who can go fast, obviously Joey Savatgy is riding awesome and Jeremy Martin is going to come on strong and he’s got the number one plate for a reason. The other Star guys are going to step it up, and the GEICO guys are going to figure some stuff out too.

You mentioned that fire Webb has. I agree with you and I’m not sure how to describe it, but I think Tomac has the same thing. It’s almost something you can see in their eyes.
Yeah, I think it’s the same trait. I think it might be a little different, especially in how it’s expressed, but it’s the same thing. Cooper is pretty vocal about it and Eli isn’t really vocal at all, but it’s the same desire that, since I’ve known both those guys, all they want and know is to win. If they aren’t winning it’s just not okay. When you beat a guy like that you have to be ready for the attack they’re going to put on. All they’re thinking about is how to beat you, so if you’re beating them you’d better be on your toes. They’re trying to figure it out, and the past proves that Cooper and Eli have figured it out.

Yeah, these first few races I’m watching Tomac getting beat by Roczen and I’m just wondering what’s going through his mind. It’s never been a consistent problem for him before now.
No, not even on 250s. Kenny would beat him sometimes, but Tomac would usually answer it. I think that’s got his blood boiling a little bit right now and I’m sure he’s working hard to stop it from happening.