Evgeny Bobryshev interview - USA?

Posted on January 04, 2021

Russian rider Evgeny Bobryshev is like many of the more experienced/veteran riders at the moment looking to find a way to make a living from a sport that is unforgiving and takes hard work. As the youngsters move up from MX2, and push out the older riders, names like Desalle, Paulin, and Bobryshev salaries suddenly become hard to find.

The always friendly and pleasant Bobryshev has seen it all in a sport where he rode for teams like Vangani KTM, CAS Honda and HRC, has seen a downward spiral since he left HRC a few years ago.

Now, as COVID 19 has punished the World, getting a ride in MXGP is tougher than ever, and with a GP win to his name, and a career that has been rewarding, Bobryshev might just have to leave MXGP and race in Germany, England or maybe USA.

We caught up with Bobby and asked him about what is going on, and he told us about the plight to keep racing. Contact with BETA for a factory ride, but with a very small salary or possibly racing AMA Nationals. A good interview with one of the nice guys of the MXGP paddock.

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MXLarge: Evgeny, how are you doing?

Bobryshev: At the moment I don’t know for next year. We stopped the contract with PAR Husqvarna, and we had planned to stay together for 2021, but unfortunately, they lose some sponsors and they couldn’t offer me anything because they don’t have a budget. I have been looking at a few different things, but at the moment I can’t say too much.

MXLarge: You have been racing Grand Prix for a long time, and we see this year Gautier (Paulin) and Clement (Desalle) both retire because they can’t get a ride for 2021, or at least a ride that will give them the money they are used to. Did you start racing the same time as them or later?

Bobryshev: Oh, no, I started after those guys.

MXlarge: Let’s say you don’t get anything. Are you comfortable with the idea of retiring, or is that something that isn’t a possibility?

Bobryshev: That is a difficult question. For sure, I won’t race for free, but that is the problem at the moment with this time of the year that some riders are not getting paid. In my case, I would stop racing Grand Prix, because if you don’t have the right support, the right money, then you put so much effort for good results and it makes you upset when you are riding top 15 but you you’re your potential is to be up front. I would retire from Grand Prix, but I would still do some racing. For me it would be difficult to stop completely.

MXlarge: A lot of riders looking for a ride and not so many seats left. You do have a lot of personal sponsors or not, that support you anyway?

Bobryshev: No, not the last years. I had several good sponsors from Russia over the years, but they have all stopped now. Now I just have from the team, what the team pays. Also, some small private sponsors. You need a food salary to do GP, you know how it is, from November you are flat out, racing, training, racing, you are flat out.

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MXlarge: Have you had any contact with teams?

Bobryshev: Yes, a few teams from ADAC, the German championship. So that is a good series and good competition and if you can get a good agreement that would be easy. It is near my house and it makes life easy and more fun, than doing the GP at the moment.

MXlarge: There are a lot of former GP riders just doing their National championships and still making good money. Tommy Searle or Jake Nicholls in England for example. You don’t want to stop but doing those national series would be great. Any Dutch teams interested?

Bobryshev: No, I am not interested in the Dutch teams, just Germany, because you can make good money over there you know. England, I didn’t look, but I am looking at doing the AMA Nationals, that is also a possibility. At the moment all the teams are concentrating on the supercross, but that is for later. I might know more in February or something.

MXLarge: You have contact with teams in America?

Bobryshev: I have contacts, but they don’t know at the moment. I don’t have the right answer for that at the moment.

MXlarge: I guess because MXGP is such a high level at the moment, to go there would be pretty exciting and we see Max (Anstie) is doing well over there. To do the AMA Nationals would be awesome for you.

Bobryshev: Yes, you know, I have some possibilities or maybe look for some private sponsors to get a team and a budget. Why I want to go there, we are planning to maybe move there to live, so it would all go together. It would be nice to do the Nationals and then see how life is there. I like the US and my wife also likes it.

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MXlarge: So, as we speak now, what at the chances of you doing MXGP in 2021?

Bobryshev: You know, at the moment it is ADAC, AMA Nationals and then probably MXGP or maybe even England in third place and then GP.

MXlarge: Is that sad for you?

Bobryshev: You know, I raced GP my whole life, but everything has changed, especially with COVID, there are no rides now for me. You know, I had an offer from BETA racing, but it was such a funny offer, just like, you risk so much and they put on the table an offer and I think to myself, no chance I do that. I can better stay home than race for that offer.

MXlarge: Did you ride the bike at all?

Bobryshev: No, I didn’t get that far, first I need to agree to ride for them if we agreed for this amount of salary, but they didn’t come back to me. That is the problem, guys like Desalle, Paulin, they stopped because they don’t get the right contact.

MXLarge: I am guessing those guys went from earning 600,000 or 800,000 to earning 100,000?

Bobryshev: I think even less than 100,000. That is the problem, there are guys who are happy to ride for nothing, the younger guys, but I am not a young guy, I don’t ride for nothing anymore. Some riders are happy to just get a bike and try and progress that way. It is a different time for me now.

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