Ben Townley signed with Kawasaki for a return to World Motocross in 2011, MXlarge caught up with him.
Great news for the FIM World Motocross Championships is that one of its favourite sons Ben Townley will return to the series in 2011.
The 2004 MX2 World Champion will race for the Monster Energy CLS Kawasaki team and his battles with four times World Motocross Champion Antonio Cairoli will without question be legendary.
We caught up with Ben at his home in New Zealand and he was as always the total professional. Here is a quick chat with the former World and AMA Champion.
New Zealander Ben Townley will be a favourite for the world title in 2011.
So Ben, welcome back to GP racing. I guess you were looking for teams on both sides of the Atlantic. Is that the case?
Actually I wanted to stay in America, I was set up doing something with Troy Lee Designs for this year and it went pretty well, like everyone expected it to go, I was pretty content in staying for another year and trying to knock off that title there.
Since the Motocross of Nations this has all come up and it’s been kind of everyone started thinking about it and talking about it. It’s been a lot of people in the background Monster, Pro Circuit and CLS trying to make it happen.
It seems to me watching you this year that you were making mistakes because you were trying to be in a place you were not ready to be in. Like you were trying to win races when you actually were not ready.
That has hit the nail right on the head Geoff. I look back on this year and looking forward to next year I don’t have a problem with my speed at all, which might have been a question mark to some people.
It was the time off that hurt me, my strength went, I had a problem with race craft, we would get down the line in motos and 25 minutes in I would start getting tired, I was making mistakes, but that came from a lack of racing.
There were a couple of times I was leading races and made those mistakes. I needed more time. By the end of the season I was putting full races together and I did that in that one moto at the MXoN.
That must have been frustrating to have those crashes, you were never a crasher in the past?
I was more frustrated because often they were small crashes and for sure I was searching there for a while to find out what was going on. After the season I downloaded everything with my team and everyone that helps me, it was really strange to make those small mistakes, so that was unusual for me. It was me trying to be back at the level I want to be at.
Antonio Cairoli, obviously you beat him in 2004 when he was younger and less experience. He has come a long way and you would agree one of the greats of the sport. I am also sure you feel like you have his number…
That is a fair comment. I have a lot of respect for Tony, if you look at where he came from since I left. He was somebody I beat when I won my world title and he has won three world titles since I left, he has become a huge name in our sport.
In the same token I am coming back to win a world title and I think he can be beaten. I have been up against him on a couple of occasions this year (USGP and MXoN) and I had the speed, so I think if I can put my whole package together then I think I will be okay.
It is a little like starting all over again. Your motivation must be huge at the moment?
I think it is, that is the comment I made to Lucy and my family today. This is a huge motivation for me, it’s probably a year earlier than when I wanted to come back to world championship racing, but at the same time the biggest thing for me is that it’s turned into something that is really great.
To mention a few things I worked with Harry (Nolte) when I won my world championship, I worked with Toon and Kees Van Der Ven when I won my world championship, I worked with Mitch [Payton] and Bones when I won in America, I’ve been a big Kawasaki boy for a long time and there are a lot of things that went well for me and to be able to be involved with those people again really makes me froth at the mouth really.
It gives me confidence and if I can’t do it with these people and this equipment then I will be searching a lot.
Townley will return to Kawasaki for next year in the GPs, a manufacturer he has had great success with in the past.
A few teams in Europe wanted to sign you, was there another team you looked at seriously?
I was really interested in riding for Sylvain [Suzuki factory team] and that is something I tried to make happen earlier in the year. I think he has one of the best outfits in Europe and probably when that didn’t happen I lost interest a little, and then I decided to stay in America and have another crack there.
But because of the MXoN this new ride has come up and because of all the people involved this is a huge thing for me. Kawasaki is something I am at home on to be honest and that was also a big part and now the connection with Monster Energy and Kawasaki has a worldwide theme and that is also something for the future of my racing.
I probably thought earlier in the year I would have been on a different team, but I am really happy how this has all worked out.
What will the next few months bring for Ben Townley?
Right now I am in the stages of putting it together to be honest. It came together yesterday. I will stay in New Zealand for now, I have four rounds of the Monster Energy Supercross series, two in New Zealand and two in Australia, and then I will be here in December and January and head to Europe in February.
We will do some pre-season races and start the championship. There is a lot to work out and it’s going to be an awesome year for me.
It’s great to have you back Ben, we all look forward to seeing you soon man.
It’s going to be good, I am looking forward to it, there is a huge family of friend’s people who supported me and helped me with my success and I am looking forward to coming back and setting up there.
Recent
