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Stefan Everts interview - Motocross Illustrated Feature
Interview Friday 24th February 2011 By Geoff Meyer
Ten Times World Motocross Champion Stefan Everts loves a challenge. In his racing career it was about finding a way to defeat his rivals, and now as team manager of the Red Bull KTM factory team his goal is the same and Everts is using not only his experience, but also the experience of a man who won his own battles on the track, but has risen to become the greatest team manager of all time, Roger De Coster.
With the Red Bull KTM team making their next goal to improve their results in America Everts has been busy flying from one end of the World to the other. It’s in a time when Stefan has become a father for the second time and also a period that will see his team prepare to defend World titles in both the MX1 and MX2 Championships.
We caught up with Stefan as he prepared for a quick trip to Austria where he needed to go over some things with the people at the factory. It’s not just the team where Everts is busy, but also future models. Life in the fast lane was always the pace Everts wanted to live, and it seems at the moment he’s faster than ever.
MXIllustrated: Stefan thanks for your time. Just wondering how KTM feel about the results at the moment in America. Disappointed, or happy?
Everts: I think we are happy, the team is working at its best, like never before. Of course Roger is the big man in this whole situation, he made a good team, good mechanics, and good technical people behind it. At the moment the results are not there, but with Ken doing his first Supercross he is excited, and sooner or later he will bring better results we know that. With the 350 it’s the first year in Supercross and with Andrew we knew we didn’t have the winner, we planned to have him more to develop the bike more and we want to get him on the podium sooner or later. We are happy with the progress with the bike. It’s a new direction for KTM in America; it’s a matter of time to build up the results.
MXIllustrated: I saw on the forums that some people were saying the 350 isn’t good on Supercross because Andrew (Short) isn’t doing that well. In my opinion I can’t see him doing any better no matter what he rides. The Supercross class in America looks so strong at the moment, something like in the 1980’s with Ricky Johnson, Johnny O’Mara, David Bailey and some of the other legends of that era. What is your opinion?
Everts: I fully agree, when you look who is on the start gate now with Stewart, Villopoto, Dungey, Canard, Reed, the class is very strong this year. Andrew was a top five rider before and if people expect him to go for podiums against those guys you can’t expect that. To blame it on the 350 isn’t correct. We know we need to develop this bike more for Supercross. We have proven we can do it on Motocross, but Supercross is a different ball game, and that takes time for Roger and the team. For Roger and Ian to move from another team and the progress they have made in the last weeks is incredible. If we speak after a little more than a year it will be very different.
MXIllustrated: Watching Kenny (Roczen) riding he seems so fast, but he’s making a lot of mistakes, why is that?
Everts: It’s the excitement, it’s too much for him and he is so motivated to do well, but he needs the feeling to be better, but at the moment he doesn’t have the experience. He knows he has the speed to be on the podium and he wants to show it, but he is still not putting the whole package together. We are all convinced that he will do it. In the Grand Prix he was improving at every race, but Supercross is a lot different. Basically he is just too excited.
MXIllustrated: You raced AMA Supercross for a short period, back in the early part of your career. How was that for you? You were a pretty good Supercross rider, your technique was good.
Everts: For me it was the same, my riding was good and I was fast, I was a potential top five rider at the time, and I was racing Bradshaw, Stanton and Bayle, the level was very high. I was trying to go too fast at the wrong moment and that put me on the ground a lot and I ate a lot of American soil.
Read the rest of this interview including Everts opinion of the Ben Townley versus Antonio Cairoli clash of 2011 in our new e-magazine Motocross, at www.motocrossillustrated.com
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