A Forgotten Column, a Gopher, and Dean Wilson on Filling In at Honda HRC Progressive

Ok, so MTB ride and the column. Got it. Ride done, drive home….

And then, well, I forgo my column! I don’t know, man, I’m old and getting dumber I suppose but it never came across my mind to get the award-winning Observations column done! I had a busy few day’s, people! Blame Gary.  

No excuse, I suck and I’ll be better but in the spirit of doing SOMETHING this week so Weege doesn’t fire me, I did call up new Honda HRC Progressive rider Dean Wilson to talk about his fill-in ride with the red riders.

So, here you go, please enjoy and after all, not everyone loves Observations columns but everyone DOES love Dean Wilson, right?

Racer X Online: Dean Wilson is going to get to ride a Factory Honda 450! This is awesome. It was a really cool deal. The video was amazing. Let’s backtrack a little bit. There was talk of a fill-in. You and I were texting a little bit. There were other guys to think about. When did Lars [Lindstrom, team manager] first reach out? I’m sure you texted him. How long ago did this start?
Dean Wilson: We’ll rewind back. Jett [Lawrence] injured his knee, and I was racing in the UK. I was like, “You know what?” I knew it probably wouldn’t happen, but I was like, I’m just going to shoot my shot. I know Lars very well. If people don’t know, he actually wrenched for me in 2014 for a few races when I filled in for Chad Reed on TwoTwo Motorsports. We’re pretty close. We know each other well. So anyway, I texted him and said, “Hey, if that bike’s available, you know who to call.” He’s like, “We’re probably not going to fill it, but if we do, I’ll keep you in mind.” So, I’m like, “Yup, all good.”

Then the next week, Hunter [Lawrence] gets hurt. He already knew I was there. I was not going to be that annoying guy that’s calling every day. He knows. He’s got a lot of on his plate. So, I kind of turned Paul Perebijnos at Renthal, a good friend of mine. I turned him into my agent, because he’s best friends with Lars. I had Paul deal with it.

You also said to me, “Put in a word for me with Lars.”
Oh, yeah. I was telling everyone. It was a little bit quiet for a couple weeks on what they were going to do. I didn’t hear. It was actually longer than I thought for how long it took. I got back from the UK and that was before supercross. My original plan was I was going to race five U.S. supercross rounds, starting from Birmingham, for Quad Lock Honda. That’s what I was contracted to do. So, I’m thinking when I get back from the UK, I’m hearing good things. I’m hearing it’s going to happen, but I’m not hearing it from the horse’s mouth. I’m just hearing it from everyone else.

I get back from the UK. I go watch Daytona Supercross. I talked to Lars and he said, “We’re going to do it. It’s going to be the last four rounds.” To be honest with you, I was a little bit deflated in a way. I was really excited, don’t get me wrong. But I didn’t know how much of a rush they were in, so I was thinking we’re going to put you on the bike and we’re going to have you race in like a week or two. But this was like the absolute best case for me. I said to Lars, “Can we please at least do five? That’s what my original plan was.” So, we got the last five. I was like, “Perfect!” I do not want to take out of context that I said deflated. I just thought we were going to start right off the bat. I was ready. I wasn’t ready for supercross, but I was ready to get on the bike. So, I’m excited. This was the best case because it just has given me time to build myself up, get ready, build up my laps, because I needed that. I was racing in the UK, but I was doing seven-minute races. So, I rode at the Lawrence compound for a couple weeks on a stock bike, just to get going. I had some suspension. Then I flew to California last week and I got on the factory bike. So, I’m on my second week on the factory bike.  

I’m actually surprised that no photos or anything leaked out. Obviously, Lawrence compound and even in Honda Corona track. I’m just surprised, but that’s good.
Test tracks are a little bit died down right now. Everyone is out East and stuff. So, it was pretty cool because it was one of those situations where a lot of people kind of already knew, but everyone was pretty cool about it. They tried to keep the surprise a little bit, just more for the fans. Lars was like, “We want to do something really cool for your intro. My boss would love if you could do Grandpa Earl.” I was like, “Let me think about it, but it’s kind of a pain in the butt. The makeup and all that.” Then I thought about it. I was like, “You know what? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Why not just go all in?” So, I was like, “Yeah, I’ll do it.” Last week, I went out to Torrance where Honda is the night before and then my makeup guy showed up to my room at 4:00 in the morning and we started makeup at 4:00. Then we started filming at 9:00. Then we kind of had a little shot we were going to do. It was actually a really fun day.

Usually, it’s a bit of a drag. I can’t even move my face in that stuff. It’s superglued on there. But we had good fun with it. Then we get to the track, and obviously everyone is seeing the riding part on the track. I’m wearing these Gaerne boots that are from, like, 1960. I had an open-face helmet. I put my knee braces on underneath the jeans, but the track was really hard-pack and crusty. I’m like, “If I case one jump, it’s not going to be good.” It was scary. But it’s been a lot of fun. I feel like a kid again. My first day riding the Factory Honda, I’m not joking, I felt like I was 17 riding Mitch’s [Payton] bike for the first time. You have that gratefulness. When you haven’t been on a factory team for that long, it’s just very exciting. I’ve always seen that bike. Always wanted to ride that bike. Just like how I was a kid with Mitch. Just to get on that bike, it was unbelievable. It was awesome.  

From what I understand, Lars had a big part of planning that video and coming up with the concept and everything else and clearing the lobby. I was watching the video. It’s good. It’s funny. When you grabbed him and he got aggressive, I laughed out loud. I was like, this is awesome.
It was good. The whole lobby scene was real. Obviously, a little bit was scripted.

The secretary was in on it, right?
No. That was completely real.

She seemed like she didn’t know what was going on.
I know. When I get that kind of reaction it just gives me way more confidence. If I talk to someone and they’re a bit weary of the situation, I lose my confidence. But that time, she didn’t bat an eye at me. Then I just start rambling on more. She had no idea.  

Earl had to be a little bit more PG for the Honda Corp, but everyone liked it. At the end, people loved it. If you can stoke them out and the fans, that’s what it’s all about.  

I’m like, “Hey, when is the video dropping?” And Lars is like, “Well, there’s some lawyers looking at it.” Honda lawyers, or whatever. I said to him, because I’d already seen the video, “The open-face helmet?” The first thing I thought of was the open-face helmet on a supercross track. Maybe that’s it.
I don't know. I can’t remember who said it, but he was like, the last time an open-face helmet was on the Honda track was Johnny O’Mara.

For sure. Obviously Yarrive [Konsky] is a long-time sponsor of yours. He’s happy, right? Are you going to ride a Quad Lock logo or something?
Yeah, I got one on my helmet. Die-hard Honda guy for 20-plus years. I was really stoked that he was all-in on this deal. Martin and them were ready for me. I was all set for Quad Lock Honda. I was like, “Guys, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m 33.” They were totally cool with it and helpful. It always helps when it’s that easy.

You’re on this bike, and yes, it’s sort of like your farewell and it’s a dream and everything, but you’re a racer and there probably is some pressure for you. How do you feel?
Honestly, I don't think there is pressure, unless I put it on myself. But to be real honest with you, I’ve been absolutely all-in on this. It’s not just go wave to the fans. I really have been working. I’m putting my all into it. You get this opportunity, I just want to see how well I can do and be smart, but I want to do well, for sure. I’m not expectations and putting a number on anything. I just want to ride my best. When you put numbers on shit, you can kind of just add a little bit of pressure to yourself and that’s the last thing I need. I’ve really, really locked in the last six weeks. Haven’t even had a glass of wine in about eight weeks. So, I’m doing everything. I even got a six pack. It’s good. I wanted to go all in and do my best and see how I can do.

The question I think a lot of people want to know is the bike. I rode it at Washougal and I am a shitty Vet B rider. I rode the bike, and I couldn’t believe how easy it was and how fast it was. It was like a perfect set up of motor. Maybe the supercross thing is faster. I rode the outdoor setup. But it was amazing. It was so powerful, yet so smooth. Lightweight. Where are you at with this bike?
Man, you pretty much explained it. It was everything I thought it was when watching the guys. It’s lightweight. That was the thing I said. The engine feels real light. It’s not powerful like it rips your arms off. Very smooth. And it’s torquey. The other thing I noticed when I first got on the bike, I was riding it like my bike and I was hitting a lot of the turns in second gear. I ride the bike a lot in first gear. So, it’s got a long first gear, and it’s insane off the starts too. This is going to be a big thing because If I can’t at least get a top-three start on this bike, then all chances of ever being a good starter are just a dwindle.

This is what was so cool. Hutch [Grant Hutchison] brought the laptop down to the start, and that’s just what is so cool. Just the power. The original setup they had, if I did my start correctly, it was absolutely a holeshot. It was perfect. But my consistency was just not there. To be honest with you, it was my first time doing starts. Paul P. shows up. I got ten guys watching me. I haven’t done starts in like a month and a half. I’m not even the greatest starter to start off with. So, there’s a bit of pressure. Pau talking shit in the background.

What we ended up doing was toning it down a bit more for me, just to be more consistent. I think the more I get more comfortable and whip it, they’ll up it a little bit more. But the first set I had was unreal. If you aced the start, it was absolutely a holeshot. Like I said, it’s just most the consistency factor. So, it’s pretty cool having Hutch like, “Let’s try this. Let’s try that.” We didn’t start for probably over an hour.

I hope Lars listens to this. I’ve told him, anybody can start on this thing. You just got to get it right. So, he gets mad when I say that, but we’ll see if Dean can pull this.
I adjusted to the bike really good. The other thing that was just unreal was the suspension. The first thing I noticed was how plush it was. I noticed it the first lap when I would roll a jump. I could feel it in my knees. I felt it right away. The beginning is plush, so when I jump and I land in braking bumps, sometimes I’ll brace for it hands and kind of squeeze the bars. It just absorbs it. If I clip something with my rear wheel, it absorbs it really good too. So, the suspension was unreal as well. So, I’m trying not to be like that new guy that joins the team, and the bike is just absolutely unbelievable, but it really is. You know how everyone is when they talk about the best bike, but it’s really been awesome.

It’s going to ruin you for every bike that you have to ride after this.
I know.

You did the UK AX stuff. Did you enjoy it? Obviously getting back home, where you’re from. I was following you on social media. It seemed like you had a good time. How was that off-season?
Yeah, it was a lot of fun. It was called Arenacross World Tour. So that kicked off January 4th. It was really good. I still was healing from my shoulder the first few rounds, so it took me a little while to get back to where I needed to be. It was fun. I won every round of the British series, which was cool. We raced in London. We raced in Belfast, Ireland. We raced all over. It was a lot of fun. It was really enjoyable. The fans were awesome. It was just like a breath of fresh air. After the race, I would be watching the supercross because we were five hours ahead, so we’d just be watching it. I’m just watching all these guys getting injured.