ASK THE MXPERTS: WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A PRIVATEER IN MXGP

One of the few MXGP privateers that raced  2025. MXDN was Jan Pancar (21) of Slovenia. The Slovenian team finished fifth overall with Pancar, Tim Gajser and Jaka Peklaj.

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A PRIVATEER IN MXGP

Dear MXperts,
Do they have true privateer racers in the FIM World Motocross Championships? It seems like everyone is on a factory team, and privateers are few and far between.

To answer your question, MXA’s Jim Kimball tracked down Slovenian racer Jan Pancar and asked him what it’s like to be a privateer in MXGP.

JAN, LET’S BEGIN WITH YOUR 2025 SEASON IN THE 450 WORLD MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS. YOU FINISHED IN 11TH AS A FULL PRIVATEER. Yes, I am likely the purest form of privateer. It is just me and my dad with no mechanic. Sometimes my girlfriend or mother comes to the races to help with cooking and cleaning, but otherwise, it is just me and my dad. Even at home, we prep the bike and do everything on our own. So, it was a pretty good result. I was hoping I could be top 10, but the small injuries that I had throughout the season hindered me a bit.

I SUSPECT THAT A PRIVATEER HERE IN THE STATES HAS MORE SPONSORS TO HELP THAN YOU DO RACING THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. I don’t know. Probably in the USA, it is a bit easier to get more of a budget, but here it is very hard. It is difficult to get on a factory team. There are a lot of good riders, and all the spots are full. My dad and I are trying our best to make it to a good factory team, so it would be easier on both of us.

WHAT WAS YOUR BEST FINISH THIS YEAR? Overall, maybe seventh, but I finished third in the first moto in the Czech Republic GP. That was a good result.

YOU HAD A FANTASTIC MOTO AT THE IRONMAN MOTOCROSS DES NATIONS! Yes, at the MXDN, I finished third in my first moto and led a lap, so I think of it as a big result.

Team Slovenia finished in the top five, which is our best result ever. And sitting here in the pits with me, you can see the setup is just me with one tent for the bikes. To be competitive against the biggest teams is a big result.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE? I live at home in Slovenia. We train on the local tracks. In the winter, we go to Italy, but otherwise, we’re just at home.

DO YOU HAVE ANY TRAINING PARTNERS, OR ARE YOU ALL ON YOUR OWN? Mostly on my own, but sometimes I train with Tim Gajser and Jaka Peklaj, with the three of us being the team at The Motocross Des Nations. We are the best three guys in the country.

WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF YOUR RACING NOW AS A PRIVATEER? Travel is the hardest for my dad. He must drive to the races, and he is still going to work every week. We always go as late as possible, and after the race, we leave as soon as possible so he can get to work. Of course, I may drive three or four hours so he can go to sleep, which is not ideal. Sometimes I must wake up at 5 in the morning to drive the camper. Then, of course, we will get home late to prep the bikes for the races. At home, I do everything, so my dad does not have to do it, because he still works. I don’t have any special parts on my bike. It is just what we can do on the engine with small things, and, of course, the electronic stuff and suspension. We do the settings on our own. Again, this is something we can improve on if I would get factory support.

ARE YOU GETTING ANY SUPPORT FROM KTM? I get the bikes and a budget for the parts. For next year, I am trying to get a better engine to be more competitive. We will see. KTM has had a bad year with the financial stuff, so surely they don’t have the same racing budget as they had before.

The problem is that the main KTM money comes from just motocross and enduro. All the other companies have scooters, street bikes and entry-level commuter bikes. So, it is harder for KTM to compete, but, in my opinion, it is the best privateer bike. It is good, doesn’t break, and I can ride it for 50 hours without any work on the engine, which for the privateer guy is perfect. You don’t have to work on the engine. You can just ride and rotate bikes, so I am happy with KTM.

HAS ANYBODY APPROACHED YOU FROM A DIFFERENT MANUFACTURER? Yes, a lot of people noticed me. Even some team managers have talked with me, but most of them just said that they would love to have me, but their team is full. It is kind of sad.

IN AMERICA, THERE ARE OFTEN FILL-IN RIDES. IF A FACTORY RIDER GOT HURT, WOULD YOU CONSIDER SOMETHING LIKE THAT? Yes, it is a possibility, but I would have to be a KTM fill-in rider because I have the contract with them. Plus, I can’t fill in at a Supercross because I don’t ride it. I am willing to move to the USA if I would get a good deal.

Valentin Guillod at the Thunder Valley National.

VALENTIN GUILLOD MUST HAVE OPENED THE EYES OF MANY MXGP RACERS WHEN HE FINISHED 16TH IN THE SMX 450 PLAYOFFS AND WAS PAID $31,000. Congratulations to him. He tried a few races at the beginning of the 2025 MXGP season. He was fast and close to me, but then he decided to go to America because they have prize money. We don’t get anything. You can win a World Motocross race and earn zero money. It is easier for privateers to race in America. Valentin did well this year.

SOMEONE IS MAKING LOTS OF MONEY IN MXGP; IT’S JUST NOT THE PRIVATEERS. It would be much easier if the FIM organization offered some prize money, like you have here in the USA. It would be easier for everyone. Of course, the top factory guys get a lot of money. If you are not in the top 10 and on a factory team, you are struggling to make it to the races.

HOPEFULLY, YOUR RIDE IN THE IRONMAN MXDN GOT THE ATTENTION OF SOME TEAMS. I hope so. If some teams have an offer or something, I can be contacted on Instagram and we can talk. I battled with R.J. Hampshire and accidentally caused him to crash. Another thing with being on a privateer team is that you do not have as strong a bike, so again, it is harder to get good starts. If I start in front and ride well, I could be top five for sure.

YOU HAD A GOOD YEAR! WILL 2026 BE THE SAME PLAN UNLESS YOU GET A FACTORY OFFER? Yes, I really hope a factory ride comes, but for now, it does not look like it. I am still open for offers, but otherwise, I am staying how I was in 2025 as a privateer. Of course, I will train hard in the winter and come out stronger in the beginning of the season.