On The Pegs February 2019 - Volume 4 - Issue 2 | Page 56

On The Pegs
P 56
On The Pegs
Vol. 4 Issue 2 - February 2019
P 57
ing the rally bike, especially riding in the desert at high speeds. You can see Ricky
Brabec or Toby Price, kids who grew up in the desert pinning it. They have a tal-
ent and an eye and a way to adapt better than I do, because it’s just not natural.
So I’ve had to learn that. Some of it I think is just mentality. How far you’re willing
to push the edge and play with that fire I was talking about earlier. Sometimes it’s
scary, but some people don’t think about it and other people do. It’s one of those
things with rally. You know it’s there but you just don’t want to talk about it. You
have to be aware of what you’re doing.
Those bikes look really awkward to ride. What does it feel like compared
to a supercross bike?
Honestly, they’re just like a motocross bike with a tower on it and a lot of fuel.
So when they don’t have any fuel, I can rip the thing. It’s super fast. I can go re-
ally fast, especially on a motocross track. But when it’s full of fuel you’ve got to be
careful. I love it. It’s fun. That’s why I got hooked the first time I rode one. I’m like,
‘This thing’s amazing!’ So that’s part of the joy of it too. You get to ride these re-
ally cool bikes that are unique and one-off. That part’s fun for me.
So for a race that long, you’re obviously not going 100%.
It’s like when you run a marathon. At mile one you might not be at 100%, but
you’re fully engaged at 100%. The rally is the same way. You’re kind of pushing
towards that edge the whole way. Some days your body responds better than
others. The thing that people don’t realize too is you don’t get any sleep. You
wake up really early, 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. You’re on the road, transferring
or the liaison to the special stage and it’s dark and you’re tired. You race, come
back. You try to scarf some food or whatever and next thing you know you’re
working on the road book. You’re working on your road book until it’s dinner-
time. You try to eat food really quick. You’re lucky if you get a shower and brush
your teeth. You’re doing your meeting with the team, and then you’re trying to
go to bed then 11:30 at night and you’re waking up at 3:00 or 4:00 again. It’s like
that for ten days in a row and then riding all day. It’s hard. That wears on you a lot.
Tell me about the vibe in the pits. Is it more relaxed than, say, at a super-
cross?
It’s not more relaxed than in supercross and motocross. It’s just as serious. It’s
not more serious or professional, I would say. But the mentality between the rid-
ers, it’s like a brotherhood because you’re all kind of risking your lives, so you’re
there for each other. You’re racing against the clock. Where motocross, you go off