It’s not often a rider is pumped after finishing in last place, but then again, it’s not often you see a 40-year-old racer qualify for a supercross main event. In fact, it’s only happened once (so far), and that was on Saturday night at Anaheim 2, where Billy Laninovich took the final spot in the 250SX LCQ to become the oldest rider in the sport’s history to put it in a main. We got in touch with Laninovich to get his thoughts on a historic night.
Racer X: You made it! How does it feel?
Billy Laninovich: Dude, it’s crazy. Crazy, crazy, crazy. It’s more crazy just because of the circumstances. I crashed in San Diego, and I wasn’t able to ride all week. I went in on Saturday just to try to ride. I was pretty far off on times, I was rusty, and my body hurt so bad. I could barely get on and off my bike. My body is so jacked up right now, it’s so messed up. I’m hurting so bad. Not just from getting landed on in San Diego, either. I haven’t really been able to ride, I think Saturday was like the seventh time I’d ridden since A1, and that includes the races. I feel like I lost all my fitness. I haven’t been able to ride my mountain bike for like six weeks. Just the soreness, from doing practice and the three main events, man, I am hurting so bad. I just want to be able to put in a good three or four days of riding, consistently, to work on my fitness and speed. I’m going to take advantage of the break to go visit my family in St. George [Utah], and I’m going to bring a bike with me. Kenny Roczen has a track in Mesquite, which is about 45 minutes from my parents’ house. He said I could come down and ride with him, so I’m going to try.
Well, coming into the season you were pretty confident you’d be putting it in the mains. But after the first three, were you starting to have feelings of doubt?Yeah. I thought I was going to be able to get into the mains easier, but those boys are going fast. I can’t expect much though. I rode my 250 two times before A1, it was only the third time I’d ridden a 250F in 12 years. My suspension was totally off too, I had my 450 suspension on my 250. So, looking back now, it wasn’t really there. I think I would have been better if I had my bike dialed in for A1. And the mud races, man, I haven’t been in a mud race since 2008, I think. Like 16 years or something since I’ve done a mud race. Coming into this weekend after getting landed on, my body is so messed up. I could barely get out of bed on Sunday and Monday. I did a bunch of rehab, and after kicking the week off just hoping to be able to ride, to qualify was amazing. It’s all by the grace of God, man. It was pretty amazing that I made it in. I hope I can heal up so I can go qualify for some more! These kids are going so fast. I know I’m nowhere near where I used to be, but I think I can be closer. If I can be within a couple seconds of these guys, which I know is a lot of time, I’d be happy with that. I think this weekend I was five to seven seconds off a lap.
Yeah, but you weren’t at 100 percent.
Yeah, that’s true. I’m just glad fear hasn’t taken over. My worst fear, a big source of stress and anxiety when I was racing, was starts. I hated starts. I was always a good starter, but I hated that first turn. I was always scared of a first-turn pileup or getting landed on in the first couple laps. Jumping those jumps, with everyone around you, it’s gnarly. Then, I come back to supercross, and I get landed on! One of my worst fears happened! But I know God has me here for a purpose, and he for sure had his hand on me during that crash. How I don’t have a broken femur, broken, hip, or something broken, is just amazing to me.
It is amazing, regardless of age. I saw a few angles of that crash and it wasn’t good.
No. If you get a good enough video and slow-mo it, his bike was completely on top of me. How I didn’t get a footpeg, or a burn, I don’t know. As we slid down the landing I came out from under the bike, thankfully, and then it was just my legs that were trapped. It should have been so much worse.
Check out Billy's crash from San Diego (looks painful):
Talk about the LCQ at A2 for a minute. At what point did you realize you were getting in?
They flooded the track man. It was so, so slick. I have no idea why. It was so slick. I didn’t get a great start, I was probably mid-pack, or farther back, but I squeezed down into the inside. But then there was total chaos. Some dude on a Honda got clipped and just ate it right in front of me. I have no idea how I didn’t hit him or his bike. I somehow moved over and got around it. I think I came out of that in like fifth or something. From right there I was like, ‘Oh wow, I think I can do this!’ When I first came off the start I was like, ‘Oh no, oh no, oh no, I’m in trouble!’ Then I came out of the corner in fourth or fifth and it was like, ‘Here we go!’ I just got a big gap on the guy behind me and rode a smart race. I wasn’t really pushing it, but I was sticking right there with the other guys. I was just cruising around and kept it on two wheels.
What’d it feel like when you crossed the line?
Oh dude, I was so stoked. I was looking at the board, just to be sure, even though I knew I was in fourth. I was just so stoked. I wasn’t too stoked to have to go race three main events though. [Laughs] My body was hurting so bad at that point!
Was your phone blowing up after the LCQ?
Oh yeah, I had probably over three hundred messages between text, calls, and social media. I tried to get back to each person and write at least a thank you. It’s time consuming.
Being older and having the benefit of perspective, do you enjoy this achievement maybe a little more than you would have enjoyed achievements when you were younger?
Oh yeah, yeah. Dude, I’m not supposed to be out here at 40 years old, competing in supercross. These kids, I could be their dad. I was talking to Hunter Yoder on Friday, and he was like, ‘You’re my dad’s age.’ He could be my son and I’m racing against him! I think Hunter said he was born in 2004, so he was a year old when I won in San Francisco in 2005.
That’s wild. What’s it like racing against these guys? Do they talk to you? Do you interact with them?
I don’t even know these guys. I don’t even know what they look like. I know their last names, but with the helmet off, I have no idea who they are. I’ve been out of this sport for so long. I’d watch it on TV, but you know how it is, you don’t get to see their faces. I have gotten a lot of love from the riders though. They’re happy I’m out there. But the younger riders, I don’t even know these guys. They’re walking by me smiling and saying hi, and I say hi and smile back and I think, ‘Who’s that?’
So, what’s next from here?
The goal is to get my body healthy. I could probably take two weeks off to just try to heal up, and I doubt it would be 100 percent by Arizona. I’m going to try to push through the pain and try to ride as much as I can. Hopefully my body can heal up so I can get a few consecutive days to work on my riding. My corners suck so bad. I really struggled this weekend too, it was pretty soft and rutted, which I haven’t ridden since 2012. It’s not like I’m practicing on a rutted track. I’ll just be cruising the next couple weeks though. I think my bones are bruised because they’re super tender to the touch. If I push in deep on my leg, the bone feels bruised. My left hip, my left femur, my lower right leg, my lower back, and my tailbone, I’m banged up. Sitting down in the corners where it was choppy, my tailbone was killing me. Then in practice I tried to triple on to one of the tabletops and I came up short. I smacked my face right on the handlebars. They went in between my visor and chin guard, and I got a big ol’ shiner. I can’t catch a break right now. [Laughs]. Welcome back to supercross! I just really appreciate everyone helping me get here. Shout out to all my sponsors, and to the people who are donating to my race program, 90 percent of this is coming out of my pocket. I’m just very thankful to everyone who has been donating and helping me be able to come out here, enjoy it, and have fun.
Well, congrats on making it happen man, everyone is pumped for you.
Yeah, I finally got it! I was actually debating if I should stop now that I did it, because I’m so beat up and it’s so, so gnarly out there.
You wouldn’t be able to stop now. Getting in the main is only going to add to your motivation. Get out of here with that.
I know. [Laughs]. We’re going to keep going as long as I stay healthy. If I get hurt, I’m done. As long as I’m healthy, we’ll keep going. I don’t know, maybe we’ll do something next year too. Use this year to get my feet wet, and really come in next year prepared. We’ll see, that’s a long ways out.
