Cody Mackie has been a great story in the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross series, picking up a dream ride with Jeff Ward Racing Kawasaki and grabbing it with both hands.

The likeable 25-year-old has been gaining strength and confidence since joining the team for round four at Oakland, clinching a best result of the season at San Diego’s sixth round with 12th in the main event.

MotoOnline.com.au called Mackie this morning and spoke about his progress to date.

Last time we spoke to you was right before you clinched the JWR deal, so how what’s the experience been like for you so far?

It’s been a huge, huge eye opener to work with such a high profile team, so that’s been a great experience.

When you ride for a team in Australia, you sort of know what it’s going to be like, because you’ll have a mate on there or vice-versa.

But to come here and be on a team like that over here was a huge eye opener to see what it’s like, and it’s been nothing but a great experience so far.

Your best result was a 12th place finish at San Diego, but you have been in the main at other rounds as well. Was San Diego the highlight so far?

Yeah, that would probably be the highlight, or my heat race at Oakland. I dropped it and went right back, but then I really felt good on the bike and that was my standout to make it up to ninth there.

I’ve done four rounds with them, qualified for two, and missed out on two. I should have qualified at A2 but I was riding around like a girl, and then last weekend in Dallas I was really unlucky. I went down in the first turn and then did a full lap with the tough block cover on my bike.

I was getting flagged down and didn’t know what was going on, thought that maybe I had been disqualified or something, but couldn’t work out what for. Because I was in last after one lap, there were track workers in the middle of the track stopping me.

I was really mad, but then when I looked at it I was just thankful. I did every jump with the cover still on my bike and I didn’t crash, so I’m just thankful that it never got caught up.

You only had minimal time on the JWR Kawasaki before Oakland, but you made the most of it. Was it hard coming from the Honda, or a pretty easy transition since you had ridden Kawasakis before?

It wasn’t that hard really. At the end of the day it’s just pretty much riding a bike, so it all came pretty well easy and I was pumped about that.

In America you’ve been receiving pretty good coverage over there, so has the interest surprised you at all?

Yeah, it has. Well when I’d go on the sites I’d get a bit of press here, a bit of press there. To be honest, I think more people have worked out who Cody Mackie is around the world than what they have for the last 10 years of racing. I guess that goes with going on such a high profile team, so that’s helped me out a lot. I’m just thankful that people are starting to know who I am.

You’re working alongside and essentially riding for a legend of the sport in Jeff Ward, so what’s he been like?

Yeah, he’s been awesome. He knows when to talk, knows when to sit back and watch, plus gives good feedback. It’s not just Jeff on the team though, there are a lot of people on the team who are really knowledgeable.

My mechanic, Paul, is awesome as well. He’s there on the line with me and stuff, honestly hasn’t said a negative thing to me, which was a huge eye opener. I couldn’t believe it, to be honest.

I’m riding for a major team in America, and even though sometimes I’m not riding my best, they just find the areas that I am. They’ve never said one negative thing, never get angry, or anything.

Just to wrap it up, your future hasn’t officially been announced yet, but if you do continue for more races as it’s very likely, how can you keep progressing from here?

Yeah, I guess the team is pretty happy with what I can do on the bike. I can show it through the week and have been doing really good mid-week, with good times at the test tracks and things like that. I think that’s why the team has a lot of faith in me at the moment.

I might not be having the best results at the moment, but they have never said it’s been bad. I don’t think I’ve gone too bad, but what I can do, if I can bring that to the races, then my results should be a lot better than what they have been. If I can do that, then everybody will be happy I think.