This is a good short read! - SG
Last week Jeff Matiasevich sounded off about the legends rematch race
at the Rockstar Energy Drink U.S. Open at the MGM Grand Garden Arena
in Las Vegas. This week Damon Bradshaw weighed in on the rivalry with
Matiasevich, and one thing is confirmed, they clearly don't like one
another.
Although it has been years since they last banged bars, Bradshaw has
jumped into a boot-camp training regime. "If I get my ass kicked, I
know that I have done everything to get ready for this race," he
said.;
On getting involved with the legends rematch race at this year's
Rockstar Energy Drink U.S. Open:
Bradshaw: We talked about this race in the past, and it struck an
interest to me. In the beginning it was going to be me, Stanton and
Bayle. I was really excited. I told Todd Jendro I was in, but the
other guys decided not to ride. Todd asked a few other guys, and they
said no. At that point, I said to him that from an advertising
standpoint, call Chicken. I have wanted to ride, but I have been busy
with my family. This came at a perfect time. It wasn't like I was out
of shape, but I needed to get in gear. It took some time to get a
bike, and I was anxious to get one so I could see where I stood.
Yamaha sent me a 450F, and I put together a deal with Monster Energy
and Fly Racing.
On the start of the rivalry:
Bradshaw: We both have our ideas of when it started. It started in
1989, and there were only a few times that we raced against one
another that year. There was always talk about who was faster, the
east coast or the west coast, which added to the hype. We never raced
until the tail end of our amateur days. I do not know why I don't like
him. I just don't. Maybe it's because he is from California and I am
from North Carolina. For some reason, we found one another on the
track. It ballooned from there. It motivated me, and I loved the
animosity we had. When the fans liked it, it made me push harder.
On the only time the two held a conversation:
Bradshaw: I was in Monterey, Calif., for Yamaha's race of champions
and I stopped at a bar. I was talking to a few road race guys, and I
saw Chicken at the end of the bar. I grabbed Chicken and shook him
around. We started talking, and it was good that we had a few beers in
us, so it was pretty mellow. We talked about the race and the rivalry
then went our separate ways.
On the rivalry heating up:
Bradshaw: The closer it gets to race time, the more the rivalry heats
up. I have said several times that I want it to be fun. I want it to
be a good race. I want it to be tight, and when we leave, we are
healthy. I don't want either of us to get hurt even though I don't
like him. It's going to be exciting and interesting to see where we
stand with one another. You can ride and practice all you want, but
until you are on the race track with the fans, you never know.
On the pressure to hit one another on the track:
Bradshaw: I do not think about that. No, I am not anticipating hitting
him. I want a close race for five laps. We want to win, and I want the
fans to talk about the race for years.
On growing a mullet for the race and his bike:
Bradshaw: I have decided that I will have a mullet. If you ride a two-
stroke bike, you have to do so much to get the bike ready. With the
450F, I built it and rode it out of the box. It's easy to maintain it.
The last year I rode arenacross, I had a 250 two stroke, and I wanted
to call Mitch Payton and ask if he would send that exact motor.
On one incident that stands out:
Bradshaw: There were so many. Everyone remembers the race at Sam Boyd
in Las Vegas. That was not the worst. Some of the battles we had,
anger got in front of us. I didn't care about the championship; I had
tunnel vision and chicken was at the end of that tunnel.
On being nervous:
Bradshaw: Chicken was always a better supercross racer than outdoors.
I really don't know where we stand as far as speed. I look back at
when I started racing arenacross and think about that time when I am
training. Every day that I ride, I get better. I try and push myself.
My timing is good. I started riding outdoors, then went to a safe
night track and then I began riding at this local track that is
arenacross-style. It was good to ride that track. When you are coming
out of those corners on a 450f, you have to stand up and hit the first
obstacle. That is tough.
On his gear:
Bradshaw: I will be riding with Fly Racing. I talked about using the
AXO or Fox stuff, but I worked a deal with Fly, and they are local to
me here in Idaho. I have built a relationship with them. Doug Dubach
is helping me as well.
On respecting Matiasevich:
Bradshaw: I do not have a problem giving credit where credit was due.
If I lost, I lost. Chicken was better on the 125cc bike and I was
better on the 250cc bike. As bad as I didn't like him, if he beat me,
he beat me.
On reading the comments that Matiasevich made last week:
Bradshaw: I have not. I do not get on the Internet, but I have friends
that follow it. I like hearing the comments, though.
On Matiasevich's comments regarding the rivalry impacting their
championship hopes:
Bradshaw: I think that is accurate. There were times where everything
went out the window when we had issues. Didn't think about
championship. I did what I had to win the and the championship didn't
matter. I do not regret it at all. I think about them from time to
time. I used that rivalry for motivation. I remember when I would
battle with Jeff Stanton. The guys at Honda would see it coming and
they would pull him off the track. I loved that stuff. I always like
to race with someone that raced me the way I raced them.
On racing again:
Bradshaw: It is good to be needed. The nerves will be there in Vegas.
It's been a while since I have been in a small venue racing a
motorcycle. I have learned through Monster Jam that the smaller the
arena, the more intimate it is. I have a lot of pressure in Monster
Jam, and I think it will be the same on my motorcycle.
On taking Matiasevich out at Bercy:
Bradshaw: It is true. I do not remember trying to stop when I took him
out. We were over there and racing for the purse. It was a right hand
turn, and we were both in the corner; he got the bad end of the deal.
I do not think it was a t-bone, but it was a hard hit. There were some
times that the banging was deliberate.
On what's missing in today's racing:
Bradshaw: I don't think the anticipation of a rivalry is there in
today's racing. There isn't that 'whatever-it-takes' attitude. The AMA
needs to keep an eye on it, but it helps the sport to have rivalries.
There used to be three of four guys in arenacross that would bump and
grind, and it was awesome. There needs to be safe racing. Jeff Stanton
and I hit one another so many times, and it was different than the way
Chicken and I did it. I couldn't race Chicken the way I did Stanton.
Knowing there will not be fines at the race:
Bradshaw: It's neat that you don't have to meet Roy Janson, who worked
for the AMA at the time, after the race and get a fine. After the talk
I had on the Racer X Pod cast, I was at Glen Helen and was talking to
Roy Janson. Chicken walked by and Roy called him over. He looked at me
and just walked by. I didn't hold much back on the podcast interview,
so I am sure I pissed Chicken off.
On preparation:
Bradshaw: If I get my ass kicked, I know that I have done everything
to get ready for this race. It is motivating to get back to riding.
You go out and ride, and some days you realize how fun it is. I would
never go race supercross again, but it's fun and I feel good. It's
nice to feel so motivated. I am excited about going racing.
Tickets are now available for the 10th anniversary of the Rockstar
Energy Drink U.S. Open at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas
October 10-12, 2008 at www.ussx.com, or by phone at 702-474-4000 or
the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office. Regarded as one of off-road
motorcycling's premier races, the Rockstar Energy Drink U.S. Open is
the final 'major' race of the motocross season. All tickets subject to
5% Las Vegas Entertainment tax.
Posted on www.MXNewsfeed.com
XML Sitemap