MxLarge Story
Dean Ferris interview - Following in big footsteps
Interview Thursday 20th October 2011 By Geoff Meyer
Australian Dean Ferris will make his presence felt in the 2012 FIM World MX1 Championship. Having raced a couple of GP’s in 2010 he realized that it was Europe and not America where he wanted to build his career and the final aim is to be World Motocross Champion.
Coming off a tough Australian Motocross Championship, which he led for some time because an injury rocked his chances Ferris has the same mentality as Chad Reed and Andrew McFarlane when they arrived in Europe back in 2001 and his passion for winning is legendary in Australia.
Riding for the ICE1RACING motocross team of former Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen Ferris will also have some support from the Kawasaki factory and if he can use this opportunity then the sky is the limit for the 21 year old Aussie.
Preparing for this weekend’s opening round of the Australian Super-X series Ferris is confident he will make his presence felt in the 2012 World Championships. We gave him a call and had a little chat.
MXlarge: Dean, congratulations on the GP deal. How confident are you that you can make it happen in 2012?
Ferris: I did a one year deal. I know I have the talent and determination to make it happen and I think I have a good head on my shoulders, I am pretty confident about my future here in the GP’s.
MXlarge: Why the Grand Prix’s and not America?
Ferris: It’s been my dream to be World Motocross Champion and it’s been my dream since I was younger. I mean GP’s compared to America, maybe being World Champion appeals to me a bit more, I do have goals to eventually go to America, but I think I will be in Europe for a few years. Hopefully being a World Champion comes off.
MXlarge: Of course in the early 2000’s we had a lot of Aussies and Kiwi’s coming here to learn their trade.
Ferris: I have always looked up to riders like Reed, Metcalfe and McFarlane and they came to Europe first, I don’t know for what reason, maybe it made them tough or they learnt a lot here.
MXlarge: You have already experience the feel of the FIM World Motocross Championship. Obviously that experience in 2010 made up your mind.
Ferris: I came and looked around in 2010 and I was like, yep, this is where I want to be, and I pulled it off, so I am happy about that.
MXlarge: For an Australian it’s tough to live in Europe. I remember many years ago both Craig Dack and Jeff Leisk not being able to handle it here, and Chad only hung around for a year. How do you find the lifestyle in Europe?
Ferris: I am cool with living in Europe, I know what to expect and I know what the food is like and there are 16 rounds and between that you also have National races in UK or Belgium or whatever. I am going to be a full-time racer; it will be more of a lifestyle at the track, which is what I am looking forward to. I will be in Australia for a few months in the year and you know when I am done with my career I will go back there, so I am not going to miss anything. I just want to be a full-time racer.
MXlarge: Where will you be based?
Ferris: I will be based in Belgium and we will spend some winter months doing testing in Spain with the team and then Belgium for the whole season. Obviously most of the guys will be there and it’s pretty handy. I’ve already spent four months of my life living there, so I know the deal and I have good friends to train with.
MXlarge: You compete in the Australian Super-X series in the coming weeks, how important is that Championship for you?
Ferris: It starts this weekend and it runs five weekends straight, so that finishes maybe the last weekend in November and I want to win the title. It will help me out in the long run and I don’t race for second place. I am there to win every time I can.
MXlarge: Is a holiday on the cards before you come back to Europe?
Ferris: I will then take a holiday in December and do some jet-skiing and some fishing or whatever and then come January it’s time to put in some hard yards towards the World Championship.
MXlarge: Racing in October and November, is that a little advantage for you over the other GP guys?
Ferris: Maybe it is, because I guess guys are on holidays in October and November and I will be staying fit and racing. So I get some bike time, but by the season comes around in April I am not sure it is an advantage for the GP’s. I want to keep doing Supercross in Australia and also do some Supercross in the states later in my career.
MXlarge: I know you didn’t come here for more money, because as one of the top guys in Australia the money is pretty impressive. Here you are somewhat an unknown quantity aren’t you?
Ferris: It is a little pay cut to come here, but it’s what I expected and it is what I am worth, unproven in the GP’s and I have proven I can run with some of the best in the World in Mackenzie and Coppins. I mean it’s time to come here, I could chase the money in Australia and get bigger and bigger, but before you know it I am too old to come here, so it’s time to bit the bullet and come here and hopefully I can make it all happen.
MXLarge: MX1 in Europe is tough, maybe 15 or more guys who can win a moto or a GP. How are you going to prepare for that?
Ferris: I mean that is a tough class, top 15 are just smoking fast, but I think first year I want to be consistent, I don’t want to go crazy and put pressure on myself. I will slowly build up. I want to be inside the top ten for sure. I mean Billy showed at the British GP his pace was good and I spoke to Josh and Billy and they were confident that I have the speed.
MXlarge: I remember when Chad started his assault on the 250cc class in 2001 he nearly didn’t qualify for the first round in Spain and then ended the season second in the World, even won a GP. How will you attack the 2012 series?
Ferris: I am a racer, I am going to pin it, I don’t want to put big expectations of myself to try and make top five straight up. It’s going to be tough, there is a lot to the GPs and from the first practice session you need to make it happen, because if can also go the other way if you don’t start strong straight away, it can then snowball into a really bad weekend. I found that out last year at a couple of GP’s. You need to be smart how you qualify and then how you do the qualification race, you need to weight up all the options. You need to use your head in the GP’s.
MXlarge: Opening round in Valkenswaard, you shouldn’t have too much trouble with that place should you?
Ferris: I haven’t looked at the calendar, but I know that we start in Valkenswaard and we have some tracks like that in Australia. It’s a hard track and you have to be fit there, but we will see how we go, it’s a big step.
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