2010 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) champion Josh Strang has been keeping it old-school in the States this year. After failing to secure a team ride for 2013, the 25-year-old from Inverell, NSW has bought his whole set-up and bikes and is still sticking it to fastest off-road racers on the planet.

MotoOnline.com.au caught up with Strang this week to find out what’s been ticking and how the privateer life has been treating him in the US.

Josh, so far it looks like you’ve had a pretty mixed season so far. You’ve had four podiums, but there have been a few 11ths and 12ths in there too. How do you think 2013’s gone for you so far?

It’s been a bit up and down, for sure, and some of the results through the middle of the season haven’t been what I wanted. Because I’m running my own deal I probably wasn’t as prepared as I could have been entering the season, but think I’m starting to turn it around now. I want to win races and with the way I’m progressing we should be in pretty good shape later on.

So what’s the deal with you being a privateer this year? I mean, you were with the factory Suzuki team for years and won a championship for them in 2010. How did you find yourself without a ride?

I had a pretty bad season in 2011 that ended with me breaking my leg and not being able to defend my title. Last year I rode a KTM in the WORCS races on the west coast, but that series is dying and there’s no money to be made there. I was living in California at the time, but I decided to rent it out and move to North Carolina and return to the GNCCs where I can try and make a living out of it.

There were no rides left for me in 2013, so I’ve formed my own team – I’ve bought my own van, trailer, bikes and stuff. I’ve received support from Rocky Mountain Motorcycles, Amsoil and Maxxis, and while it’s been tough setting everything up, I’m pretty proud of what I’ve achieved.

You’ve finished second in the last two GNCC races at Ohio and West Virginia; do you think you’ve found your feet now as a privateer?

Yeah at the start of the year I wasn’t familiar with the Kawasakis I bought, and after the fifth round I took my suspension to the same company I used at Suzuki for them to work on. Straight away I felt more comfortable on the bike and the past two races have proved that. I still have a way to go before I can run with the two leaders, Charlie Mullins and Kailub Russell, but I’m feeling good and have to work on the sections of races I didn’t focus on earlier because of a lack of preparation time.

You’re 56 points shy of second place and 61 off first, with five rounds remaining. What’s your goal for the rest of the series?

I want to win races. There’s still a lot of racing to go and I’m concentrating on getting my whole set-up to where I want it. At this stage the championship is probably out of reach as Charlie and Kailub are a long way in front, so I want to concentrate on having fun at each round and the wins will come from there. Then next year I can focus on winning that championship again.

Even though you’re the top-placed privateer in the series at the moment, it must be hard from a financial point of view to make a living when you’re not on anyone’s payroll.

Oh definitely There are very limited rides available and it’s difficult for me because I see Charlie and Kailub still making a lot of money – probably as much as they were four or five years ago – and I feel like I should be on the same amount.

Racing was so much easier when I was at Suzuki; everything was handed to me and I was making money, but this year has been tough. At the same time I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot this year; there’s no use crying about what I think I should be on, and I’ve got to go out and focus on racing and having fun.

Let me tell ya: for someone who’s been in the US for seven years, you’ve still got a very Australian accent.

Yeah, I do my best to keep it and don’t want to ever lose it! If I talk to my Australian mates and say something slightly different they give me a bit of stick, but most of the time they’re just trying to wind me up. I think being in North Carolina has helped too. There are no big Californian egos here where they pretend to barely understand you when you speak. I find the people a lot more accepting and down-to-earth on the east coast.

So is the US home for you now? Do you have any intentions of returning to Australia?

Well, apart from family I don’t really have anything there in Australia. The US is my home at the moment and I don’t know what I’ll do when I’m done racing. I’m only 25. I’ve probably got five or 10 years left and I’ll do it until I either stop having fun or it stops being financially viable (laughs). After that, who knows where I’ll end up.

Awesome. Thanks for the chat, buddy. Good luck for the remainder of the GNCC series.

Thanks, man!