MXA INTERVIEW: JORDON BAILY TALKS HIS FIRST PRO SEASON

On Jun 27, 2018 Last updated Jun 27, 2018

Currently seventeenth in the 250 National championsip is Orlando, Florida’s Jordan Bailey. While seventeenth is well outside the top ten, he has finished a moto in 13th. It’s only been a handful of races into the 250 motocross championships, and I expect to see top tens soon! Could his sand experience help in the next race at Southwick?

BY JIM KIMBALL

JORDAN, TOUCH SOME OF YOUR AMATEUR CAREER HIGHLIGHTS? Obviously being from Florida, the tracks are really good, and it helped me prepare well for my amateur career. I met a few top guys when I was young which helped, and got me started in the sport. I always excelled at Loretta’s, felt great there, and was able to end up winning seven championships. I won a lot of other championships everywhere, but just being from Florida, I think the sand gets your balance good. Some tracks in California, it took me a while to get used to, but I cannot say that I had any bad times. It was great, I am thankful for all the opportunities people gave me, and I am glad to be here.

YOU WERE A TEAM GREEN PROSPECT FOR SOME TIME, HOW YOU ENDED UP BEING AT ROCKSTAR? Yeah, my beginning 250-year, I went to Team Green and it was a big step. I was there for two years, and the guys gave me the best equipment out there at the time. I ended up winning Loretta’s, and it was a hard decision to make, but I felt really comfortable here at Husqvarna, and I am super excited to be part of this program. Everyone here is amazing, and I just love being on this team. It was a hard decision to make, but Team Green was a big help to get me here, so I cannot thank them enough too.

CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS TEAM, AND HOW IT IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TEAMS? Obviously, I never truly experienced being on another team, but just being on this team, you have a lot of resources to be successful. You have the resource of training with Tyla Rattray, and Aldon Baker. They are the best trainers in my opinion at this time. Also, everyone seems pretty laid back. When it is time to do work, everything is serious, but we are all here to help each other, and it is a different atmosphere for sure here.

When it is time to do work, everything is serious, but we are all here to help each other, and it is a different atmosphere for sure here.

YOU USED TO TRAIN AT MTF RIGHT? Yes, I trained at MTF throughout my amateur career, and they thought me just about everything I know on a motorcycle. I made the switch to Tyla Rattray about a year ago, it is local in Florida, and is only about an hour from my house. It is just a structured program, but it has not been something that is insane. People always think that we are doing crazy, but we are not, we are just doing it and doing it well. We just do the best that we can. We prepare just as good as everyone else. We have the equipment, the resources of the track, and Tyla puts just as much time in training as we do on the bike, as he does off the bike. Obviously I do not train with Aldon. He has his own deal, but it is all overseen by Aldon and his facility is top notch for sure.

ARE YOU ABLE TO LEARN MUCH FROM YOUR TEAMMATES? Yes, we all ride the same track in Florida, so we get to watch each other. Of course they are all injured right now. I have learned a lot from Zach. He is just raw speed, and his aggression is amazing. Jason has taught me a lot. Dean Wilson has taught me a lot. We have all trained together, and work together, so we all build off one another. We are all friends here. We race hard, and we might be frustrated for a little while with one another, which is rare, but we forget about it within a hour. Then it is back to work, we all try to get better, and we are all friends.

HANGTOWN WAS YOUR FIRST PRO RACE. HOW DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT WAS IT FROM THAN THE AMATEUR RACING YOU WERE ACCUSTOMED TO? It is quite a bit different. Obviously, the motos are longer, and the intensity is just more. Coming from the amateur ranks, as much as you prepare for it, you have to race in order to experience it. I was a little nervous there. The first moto, I was not too excited about how I did, and then the second moto, unfortunately, I got tangled up in the first corner. But that is racing, and I did the best that I could. I think I got 19^th and then moved on to Glen Helen and I felt a lot better. I seemed more like I was ready. Every weekend I feel a bit better, but starts are so important, and mine have not been the best. I keep feeling better, but this is just a process that I need to continue getting used too.

YOUR GLEN HELEN RIDE WAS A LOT BETTER I did not get a very good finish in the first moto, and it was kind of an eye-opener, like now it is time to go! In the second moto, I got a better start and was in the top 10 for a little bit, but then dropped back to13^th, which I was okay with. Obviously, I want to do better, but if we just keep building every weekend and just do the best that we can, I think by the end of the year, we will be pretty good.

YOU ARE FROM FLORIDA; DO YOU THINK YOU WILL HAVE ANY ADVANTAGES AT SOUTHWICK? I would like to think so, but all these guys are so talented and good at what they do that there is really no advantage, it comes down to who wants it the most. Obviously I will feel more comfortable at Southwick being that in Florida, I ride the sand a lot, so that will help. But these guys have been doing it long enough that they can ride pretty much anything at full speed no matter what day it is, rain or shine.

DO YOU HAVE A GOAL OF WHERE YOU SEE YOURSELF WHEN THE SERIES IS OVER? I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I just plan on keep building every weekend and do the best that I can. By the end of the year, I want to be inside the top ten consistently. But there are a lot of fast guys and it is not going to be easy, which I know. I am just going to take it step by step and see how good we can do.

NEXT YEAR, I WOULD IMAGINE SUPERCROSS AND MOTOCROSS. Yes, I got my Arenacross points so that is done with. I am happy to be done with that and just look forward to doing Supercross after this. And then obviously it will be my second year of outdoors.