So it’s been announced you’re switching to Pro Circuit Kawasaki. I guess for you this year, when did it become apparent that you're gonna have to pivot and go to a different program versus staying at KTM? Or did you know early on that that was gonna be the plan, [that] KTM was moving on to something different?
It's been kind of up in the air all year. I mean, it's been quite a stressful year for me because I've been racing every weekend for a ride basically. And even now it's finally just, just getting done. I think it was about the weekend before Budds Creek, before they brought JuJu [Beaumer onto the team], is when they told me that they weren't going to go with me. You kind of get a feeling before they say anything. But I think politically they have to say something that we're going with someone else or something different next year. So then it was like, yeah, I'm still fighting for a ride, and we’ve only got about five races left. So it was getting pretty serious, and I didn't really know. We had been talking to Mitch [Payton] for a while, but it was still up in the air, and nothing was done. So yeah, I was still stressed and still just, you know, fighting for a ride and basically a job for next year and luckily, I scored a deal with Mitch and the bike seems to be in a good spot. They seem like they found some more stuff with another year on the bike. I'm sure they'll find more in it and I'm looking forward to that.

So, switching to PC, it's a historic program obviously with the amount of championships and wins that they have. And I think for you maybe going to a little bit more of an establishment… like KTM is good, obviously, but this is a 250-only team. Does it feel that way to you? Does it feel like you're walking into, I guess, like a really historic type of place?
Historic for sure. I was actually at the shop the other day and they took me upstairs and showed me all the old 125 parts. Like I swear they could make up my dad's old race bike from when he raced the team with all the parts they've got up there. So definitely some history. Like you said, it's a 250 team only. So that's all they're focused on, which is great. I felt with KTM, it was hard for them to put all their effort into the 250 side when it needed because they also have the 450 guys and the 450 is the premier class. So a majority of the time there, those guys are gonna get the most attention. So that was kind of tough and I feel like just with the new bike that came out a year ago, or a couple of years ago, I guess now it needed a lot of time that the 450 got. It's [the 450] got enough power. You don't have to deal with the motor side of it. You can just focus more on chassis and suspension. With the 250 class, it's very motor dependent and power driven. So they got it good. We made a lot of progress, but it still wasn't where I wanted it, at least for me, and I feel like Mitch has the ability to cater to guys more separately because they have tried so much stuff and they have so much, even on the bike for the last few years, they've been on the same style bike for a while now too. So I feel like they got a lot of options and a lot of ability to cater to certain guys' style and riding.

Like you mentioned, your dad rode for the team. So, is there any sort of prior history with you? I guess knowing Mitch working with him in any regard, or going to the shop or being around your dad when he's there?
A little bit. Back when I was on, I'd say when I first got on the 65’s and even 50’s, I believe we always had a Pro Circuit pipe and silencer on my bike. Just because my dad, his last few years of riding for Mitch was his last few years as a pro. So he saw that connection and I think we got deals on pipes and stuff. And the last time I went to the shop was when I was on 65’s to either pick parts up or something. I can't quite remember, but that's the only somewhat connection. I haven't been there in a long time, and it was kind of cool going into that, the race shop and seeing all the old championship bikes in there and kind of reliving that moment. So I have a small connection, but definitely not like how my dad does.

Now going on to this Kawasaki, switching your entire program over, is there any one thing that you've pinpointed already that is like, 'Man, I'm really excited for this one specific thing'? Whether it's the bike, whether it's a different training program, living in California, whatever it is?
I think the first thing that comes to my mind is just trying something different. I've been on a KTM since the 65, so I've been on a KTM for some years now and I've never ridden a different brand bike. So I'm really interested to feel what something else is like. And also, I'm just happy to be in California again. It's home for me. It feels more normal. Florida, I lived there for a while and you kind of get the feeling of, 'Oh, this is a new home,' but it's never like being where you're actually from. So that's nice and refreshing again. I get to be where I feel comfortable and where I grew up and rode all of these tracks, growing up around here too. So I like that aspect of it, and I like the training aspect of it and being able to kind of fine tune the program for myself. I've been at the Baker's Factory for the last two and a half years and they've taught me a lot, so I'm definitely gonna use a lot of what I learned there, but I want to fine tune some stuff that I wasn't able to when I was there.

Switching to the bike. I don't think you have ridden it yet, but riding alongside and seeing them this season, they obviously kind of found something with the motor halfway through. The starts turned around a lot for them. Did that give you a little extra boost of confidence?
Yeah, absolutely. I kind of mentioned it earlier. They definitely found something better than what they had, and it seemed to really work with the guys. I mean, I've even had some incidences where I've just gotten pulled off the start when I beat the guy next to me on that bike. It's going to be exciting to feel what that's like. I haven't ridden the bike yet, so I'm gonna ride it very soon. I'm excited that it's also the same bike this year. So they have everything dialed. I know the 450 is a different bike. I think they [250] will get that next year. I think that just having the same bike that they've been working on the past few years is going to be good because they've tried a lot of stuff already and it's not having to start from scratch again. I think the program is going to be strong and ready to go right off the bat.

How much different would you say your mindset is walking into this program versus when you were a rookie on KTM? You kind of got thrust into being a pro. Now you get to be an experienced veteran walking into this.
Well yeah, not only that, I got thrown in very early, I felt like. I came straight off of 125 to 250 supercross, which was a hard learning curve and, of course, I learned quick crashing and hitting the ground, which was kind of expected I guess when you try and learn supercross that fast. But that is what it is, it's just how things go. Some things you feel like you could change if you could, but maybe was better that way. So, coming into this deal, I feel like now going to my fourth year, I've got the experience I need. So I feel like it's more just fine tuning on some small weaknesses to getting myself right there with those guys and being a podium guy every weekend. I feel like the gap isn't as big. I remember going to my rookie year. There's so much to learn. Learning whoops, learning supercross, learning the 250. Even the next year, learning a new bike and learning how to set up a bike and all that stuff. So I feel like I've got all that now under my belt and I've got that experience that I need to be out on the podium or win races. I just need to fine tune some weaknesses this offseason.

Like you had mentioned, you got thrust in basically 125 right to 250 supercross. It happened because of the KTM shift with getting GasGas and moving the TLD program over and all that stuff. But when you look at that whole timeline of how quickly you had to ascend to be a factory rider that's trying to battle for top fives and stuff like that, do you feel that you look back at yourself and wish you would have done anything a little bit differently?
Yeah, I'm happy with where I'm at and how things have gone. I'm not gonna regret the past at all. But, I feel like now, when I'm three years pro now on the 250, I'm like, 'Man, if I just had a few years on 250 or a year before I went pro, it would have helped me a lot.' But it is what it is, things happen for a reason. And yeah, maybe the sharp learning curve made me progress faster than I would have if I would have hopped on a 250 earlier. So it’s all learning and it's all been good. I just need to focus on myself now and just use all that experience and that knowledge and not make the mistakes that I did when I was a rookie or the last few years and just be a more solid guy.

Difference between programs a little bit. You were with Aldon [Baker] in Florida with KTM and now out here, Kawasaki has like a billion tracks in California it seems like. So you're gonna have a lot of different options when it comes to testing supercross and stuff like that. Does even that kind of excite you that you get to kind of change it up every day and not ride the same two supercross tracks?
Yeah, absolutely. That's heavy in my belief with supercross and just riding in general. It's so easy to get burned out when you're at the same spot every day and just every week throughout the entire year and it's hard to stay super motivated and focused. I feel like when we were in Cali on the KTM side, we tried to hit as many tracks as possible, as much as we could. But now like you said, with the PC deal, there's a ton of tracks. I think we got more than anyone. I think it's six or seven tracks. I'm looking forward to that and I get to ride Hemet and I get to go to Fox [Raceway]. Just riding different tracks I think and learning them fast, it helps for when you go to the races, and you have to learn a new track as well.

One other thing I wanted to ask you is when you were the KTM 250 guy, like it was just you. Obviously, Tom [Vialle] comes into the team this year, but you had said that they it felt like had a little bit of the focus was more toward the 450 program sometimes and maybe you guys didn't get the same eyes on you or whatever. But now at PC, you guys have a lot of 250 guys. How do you expect that dynamic to feel where you're all the same kind of team, the same level There's a lot of people there, there's a lot of riders, there's a lot of personnel all focused on this 250 effort.
I'm not sure how it works with the guys, if everyone's trains, like if the whole team still rides together, but with different trainers. I'm not sure how that works because I'm still new. I won't say that will be different because even at Aldon's, we still have a big group. Just half of us are 450. So I'm used to riding with a group of guys if that's what we do. But to have everyone on your team as a competitor will be different. I got a taste of it this year with Tom and I learned that there's just always extra motivation to beat your own teammate. I don't know why that is, but that's just kind of how the sport is. So, having more guys to focus on trying to beat every weekend and throughout the week will be some more motivation, I guess.