We talk with 2-time Australian motocross champion Dean Ferris about High Point, the Motocross des Nations and his plans for next year.
What happened to the contract you had earlier in the year to race 2018 in America?
The deal wasn’t viable in the end. When I weighed up all my options, I’ve got a successful team and program here with all the tools to give me the success that I’ve had. It was a long shot going, there’s a lot to get set up and everything needs to be spot on, so in the end it was the wisest decision to stay here.
What happened at the Motocross des Nations?
I did a bit of motocross testing before I went and changed my set up, and I haven’t changed my set up in two years. I thought I was going down the right path but I really wasn’t, I really struggled with it. By the time I realised, it was too little too late and I had to deal with what I had. Also, I was kind of overcommitted and underprepared, I was trying to do supercross and motocross and that was the downfall.
I was still on my bike [at Motocross des Nations], the ’17 model, I kinda had it planned that I needed to change my set up a little bit for the bigger track after my American experience, but it definitely didn’t work. In the end, the set up that I was riding on all motocross season would’ve worked perfectly.
In terms of your race at high-point, you performed well in that race, did you expect to do that well on a largely stock bike?
Actually, the bike was exactly what I had here in Australia, it was a good bike. But yeah, I did. I thought I would be at the front. It wasn’t an outstanding ride, it was just that I rode quite normal, quite well.
What was it like making the transition from the smaller Australian tracks to the bigger American style track?
I adapted to it quite easily and felt like maybe the bigger tracks really suit me. The track was easy to adapt to, the weather was quite hard coming off three months of cold weather here [in Australia] and going straight into that summer, it was like thirty-three degrees and really humid. I really suffered with that, but the transition to the track was easy for me.
You’ve said that your still keen to do some riding over in America next year, have you got any concrete plans as to where and when?
Not really. I would like to go in that June race again if the opportunity comes up, and possibly do three of them and make the trip really worthwhile. There’s also a few at the end of our motocross season, but probably a guest ride would be easier for sure, rather than taking all my own equipment.
After your race at Highpoint, there was some talk about offers from U.S. teams, are the offers from the U.S. kind of like winning the lotto in terms of money and support that they offer?
I didn’t really have that many offers because I didn’t really venture that far past Yamaha. But, no. Not the offers that I’ve seen anyway.
There has been a bit of talk comparing you to Chad Reed in terms of being a top Aussie rider looking to go over to America and make it big, and you ended up getting Reedy’s famous numbers at the MXdN, was that a happy coincidence do you think, maybe a sign of things to come?
[Chuckles] No I’ve never thought of it like that, just luck of the draw I guess.
What’s it like racing now with a child? Has it changed in any way?
Not at all. The program is the same. Whenever I head out to the practice track my daughter comes with me. The only thing is, it’s got to be super organised when we travel, but we’re quite lucky that she’s a little angel and everything has been quite easy. But no, the goal is still to win races and championships.
On that note, you’ve signed with Craig Dack and CDR Yamaha again, were there any other offers from Australian teams?
Nah. It was either CDR or America.
Was the contract for next year better contract you had for this year?
I can’t answer that.
with Jack Tizzard