Now in his sixth year of racing the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, Cris Prebula has figured out how to start making things come together at the races.
The old saying, you don’t know what you don’t know, applies to many things, but it especially rings true in motocross. No matter what level you’ve achieved, there’s more to learn, and even just breaking into the pro ranks requires a tremendous amount of knowledge. This is something privateer Cris Prebula has figured out, and now, in his sixth year of racing the nationals, it’s really starting to show. The Michigan native has ramped up his program this year and not surprisingly, he scored his best-ever moto finish, a fourteenth, at Spring Creek in the 250 Class. We caught up with him to learn more about how things have been coming together for him.
Racer X: Cris what’s up? You’re fresh off your best moto finish ever, a 14th in the second moto at Spring Creek. How’s that feel?
Chris Prebula: Super sick! I thought I was going for 16th, then 15th maybe, then a lot of guys started going down and that helped out a bunch. [Laughs] But it was super sick just running up front with those guys. If I had more time I could have gotten more.
Was there anything different about the day for you? Were you feeling especially good?
Not really. I don’t like the track too much. Last year I didn’t do very well there, but this is the first year I went and it hasn’t rained. It was a lot different. We’ve been running a good routine lately though, and that helped.
You’ve been doing this a while, but this is kind of your second year of consistently making it into the races. Is the familiarity with the tracks starting to help at all?
Yeah this year I haven’t even gone to any LCQs and I’m super pumped on that. We’ve been working on sprint speed out at Moto Sandbox in Florida.
You dislocated your shoulder during supercross. Have you dealt with any lasting effects from that?
I dislocated my shoulder in the first timed qualifier at A1 going through the whoops. Luckily, they were able to pop it back in, but I missed Oakland. I came back and didn’t do very well in San Diego and was just trying to ride the track and get through it.
Well you’re definitely doing better this summer. Talk about some of the changes you’ve made to your program. It seems like you’re taking it more seriously lately.
We switched suspension and I got a fulltime mechanic. We’re definitely doing a lot of work with testing with Enzo, and just trying to get the bike to work super good and feel comfortable so I can put it wherever I want. I’ve been training a bunch more, cycling a lot, and I’ve been eating a lot better. The food program the last couple years wasn’t the best. [Laughs] We’re doing a lot better with that. I hired a nutritionist and we’re trying that now, and so far I’ve been doing pretty well. We’re doing better.
Is it eye opening to start seeing what all the pieces of the puzzle actually are?
Yeah, 100 percent. I didn’t know any of this stuff until the last couple years. I knew fitness and eating good were important, but there’s more to it. You need a mental coach, supercross is so mental. You’re just trying to survive—we’re literally going to war with the track every weekend. It’s definitely crazy how much more we know now. Even people back home don’t understand how much preparation goes into just getting to the track, let alone trying to put it into the motos, then the top 20, every weekend.
Yeah, even just the logistics of trying to find a hotel near the track can be a lot every week.
Luckily we got a camper with a toy hauler in the back that we live in. My fiancé and I have been living in it with our two dogs. We snagged up a mechanic with a dog too. He’s got a van and we’re cruising around the country now.
Man that sounds awesome. You’re 25th in points now, what are your goals for the rest of the season?
I’m trying to get to 20th in points and get a two-digit number. That’s all anybody has ever looked up to in pro motocross, getting enough points to get that two-digit number. Being able to say you’ve done it. Giving people someone to root for is awesome—it’s super sick having people there with you and behind you.
On your Instagram it says you’re part owner of a construction business. Are you working during the week too?
Not right now. The last couple years I haven’t, but before that I did. I wouldn’t ride throughout the week much, or I’d get to the track super late and only be able to get in one 30-minute practice. My dad owns the business, it’s all family-owned, and my parents back home are working really hard to keep me going.
Oh man, that’s really cool. It’s got to feel good to have that kind of backing.
Oh yeah. I don’t know what I’d do without them. I couldn’t do it without any of my sponsors. Estate Jewelers Toledo, Pirelli MX, PR Racing, Mika Metals, UFO, Imperial Construction, CPR MX, Championship Powersports, Gladiator Sweat Shields, Ryno Power, Flow Vision Company, Twisted Development Racing, Guts Racing, Moterex, Point Place Powersports, Garage Door Stuff, Tyler Athletic Fields, Twisted MX, Ditch Witch Midwest, Moto Tags, Mandell Street Garage, NBK Farms, Mudge Property Maintenance, Luxon MX, and Team Solo MX. They all make it possible.
