Dean Wilson is happy to be with the factory Rockstar Husqvarna team for the 2020 season.

MXA INTERVIEW: DEAN WILSON GIVES US AN OFF-SEASON UPDATE

Finishing sixth in the 2019 Supercross season was good for Dean Wilson, especially when you consider that he started the season as a privateer and had a crash with a two rounds to go to prematurely ende his season. Although his season began as a privateer with Rockstar and Husqvarna help, Dean was strong at Anaheim 1 by leading 14 laps and finishing fourth. Once Husky’s Jason Anderson was injured, a door opened up for Dean and he returned to the factory team for the rest of the 2019 season. While his Supercross injury carried into the 2019 outdoor Championship, Dean wasn’t sweating it as he had his 2020 plans in place as a full-time rider on the Rockstar Husqvarna team. Dean recently returned to Supercross and took a win at the Montreal Supercross in Canada. It was a few weeks after that, when we tracked him down while he was testing in Southern California.

BY JIM KIMBALL

DEAN, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO IN CALIFORNIA? I actually took a little time off after the Montreal Supercross. I just wanted to let my body heal, rest up a little bit before got back on with Supercross testing. I’ll have three weeks of riding before the Monster Cup, so I have a lot of time for that. It is important to use this time to rest the body, heal up, and feel good again. I think that is the important part of the months ahead.  

MONTREAL WAS YOUR FIRST SUPERCROSS IN QUITE A WHILE, HOW WAS IT? It was awesome. Obviously, as you know, it is not Anaheim or anything like that, but it is always good to run some races. I think these off-season races are really good for me to keep the pencil sharp, keep racing, and keep the intensity high, so it was awesome to win that race. I am stoked and had a lot of fun in Montreal.  

Dean Wilson is using some off-season overseas Supercross races to get ready for the 2020 AMA Supercross season.

I YOU GIVE ONE OF YOUR FANS A JERSEY FOR MAKING THE ULTIMATE FAN SIGN, WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? It is really cool to have the fans support, everybody cheering, and seeing all those things made up for me. It was really cool; I am really thankful and have a lot of gratitude for that. You know this is what I dreamed of as a kid. I was one of those kids when I was younger, looking up to guys like Jeremy McGrath, Kevin Windham, Ricky Carmichael and the list goes on. I just felt very appreciative of what everyone did in Canada and feel very, very fortunate to be in the position I am in.  

YOU LOOKED SO FAST THROUGH THE WHOOPS AND RHYTHM SECTIONS. Thank you. The track was not super technical. It was an easier track because you had quads racing on the track that night, and then you also had cars on the track, too. It was very fast, and whoops are definitely one of my strong points. They are actually my favorite, because as a taller rider, I have an advantage in the whoops.

Dean Wilson’s factory Rockstar Husqvarna FC450 under the tent.

WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING TO GET READY FOR A1? The team will be doing all of our testing and riding together, pushing each other. It is good to have teammates that are really fast. It keeps me on my toes.

THAT IS ONE OF THE ASPECTS THAT I LIKE ABOUT THE ROCKSTAR HUSQVARNA TEAM – TEAMMATES WORKING TOGETHER. Yeah, we have a good chemistry. We all get along, and we have that respect. I think that is the most important part, having that respect. What happens on the track stays on the track. I think that is why we all have a good team chemistry in the semi.

Dean Wilson reached the podium in third place at the 2019 Houston Supercross Triple Crown. 

IN RECENT YEARS YOU HAVE EITHER BEEN INJURED OR WITHOUT A RIDE, YOUR NEW CONTRACT SECURED, HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW? I am so happy being in the position I am right now because you know, last year, I was on the team, and did not get resigned. I pretty much earned my way back on the team, and they resigned me again, so I’m really happy about that and very thankful. 

DO YOU HAVE SOME OTHER OFF-SEASON SUPERCROSS RACES COMING UP? I have the awesome New Zealand Supercross coming up, and then after that, I have the Melbourne, Australia, Supercross. So I’m really happy to be doing those. It is a lot of fun racing in different countries. I approach those races like I want to win and I think that as a training tool during the off-season, racing is perfect. It is good to stay comfortable racing as I prepare for Anaheim 1 and the rest of the season. I think that is the best thing to do; try to win. Take it as just another race and gain more experience.

This was Dean Wilson’s privateer Rockstar Husqvarna FC450 pitted at his van during the 2019 Glendale Supercross, before he got the fill-in ride which turned into a full-time ride. 

DID YOU WANT TO GO THE MOTOCROSS DES NATIONS? I always want to do the Motocross of Nations. It’s one of the best races of the year, but with me recovering from my shoulder injury I did not get the invite initially. So, I made other plans. But Team Great Britain is really good, and they did very well at Assen.

ARE YOU GOING TO BE TRAINING WITH ZACH AND JASON AT THE BAKER’S FACTORY THIS SEASON? I was at the Baker Factory training with Tyla Rattray for the last three years, but now I’m doing it on my own with some help from a friend. I have trained with a lot of really good trainers, and the thing about the trainers is that you spend a lot of money on it. And with our career, we have to save up as much as we can. I have learned a lot and I have the discipline to train on my own, so I pretty much do it on my own now.  

After coming back from injury midway through the motocross season, Dean Wilson’s best finish was a 7th and he earned it at the final two rounds of the season.

PRO RIDERS DON’T HAVE A VERY LONG CAREERS, DO THEY? Yes, for sure not. That is why you should be smart with your money, and don’t do anything stupid. Just be humble and not blow all the money you are making.

DID YOU RECENTLY GET ENGAGED? I just got engaged. I have been with my partner Sarah for a long time, and it is time to step it up, I’m super stoked on that. She helps me a lot with making things a little easier on me and looking after me so I can focus on my riding and training. It is important to surround yourself with good people and she is the best, and she really looks after me. 

Dean Wilson throws a t-shirt into the crowd at the 2019 Nashville Supercross.

AS A WRAP UP DEAN, AT THE 2019 ANAHEIM 1 SUPERCROSS YOU BURST OUT OF THE STARTING GATE AND LED MANY LAPS, WILL WE SEE THAT AT THE 2020 ANAHEIM SUPERCROSS? That is the plan. I want to be as prepared as I can be and put in the best results that I can.  More importantly I want to know in my head that I have done everything I can to be at my peak. I just want to do my best and that is all I can do.