MXA MINI-VIEW: MIKE BROWN

On Mar 31, 2016 Last updated Jul 30, 2016

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Mike Brown in practice for the 2016 Two-Stroke World Championship at Glen Helen. He finished 4th overall in the 125cc class aboard his Husqvarna TC125 .

Mike Brown is 44 years young and is still competing with the fastest guys on the planet. He has raced everything from Supercross to Baja with a 2001 AMA 125cc National Championship and a WORCS title to go with it. He earned third overall in the FIM 125 World Championship and holds an Endurocross X Games gold medal. Mike is one of the best all around riders the world has ever seen, even as a Veteran. We caught up with Mike and talked about the past as well as the present.

Tell us about your 2001 AMA National Championship? It was good; the highlight of my career was winning the championship.

What have you done since then? In 2006 I went to Europe and stayed over there for a couple of years to race the MXGP’s. For the last 10 years I have raced offroad. It has been a big change over from Supercross and motocross. It doesn’t matter what type of terrain I’m riding, I just love riding dirt bikes. I really enjoy the training aspect of it, it is a big part of my life.

How does offroad differ from motocross for you? Desert terrain is always different. If you race, lets say a GNCC, all the courses are different. In Endurocross, they are all different. In motocross, which I’ve raced for 20 years, most of the tracks are pretty similar. You go back to the same track and it is pretty much the identical from the year before. Often the next lap in offroad the terrain and lines change. For me, it has made me a better and smarter rider. Even though it is more laid back, you are out there for a longer period of time. The people are friendly, everybody hangs out, talks and goes home. It was a good change for me in my career.

Two-stroke or four-stroke? Probably four-stroke. I was back on a 125 for the two-stroke race, but it has probably been 15 years since I’ve rode one. It’s fun and light, but it is a lot of work. You pretty much have to be wide open everywhere. It is a tiring bike to ride.

Do you plan on racing an AMA National this year? Maybe the Muddy Creek National. It is near my hometown and it would be my last one. This is my last year racing professional, but we’ll see. I’d like to make one more national before I retire. We’ll see how it goes with Husky and everyone else.