Nicky beatty joins Cole Thompson as the canucks to cheer for once Monster Energy Supercross goes East.
Nicky Beatty is one of Canada’s young, bright stars with a boat load of talent and a big future ahead of him. Last season was a rough one for the kid from Sarnia, Ontario as bad luck and mechanical problems kept him from fulfilling his pre-season goals. Now it’s a new year and Beatty has some big plans that he thinks will help him reach the next level. We caught up with him as he was packing to head to Florida to start his training.
Here’s the face of a kid that says,” Getting my AMA pro license was easy. Not sure why others aren’t doing it, and gaining some valuable experience.”
Q: Hey Nicky, Happy New Year! How was your holiday season?
A: Thanks, you guys also. My holidays were great. We did a lot of family stuff, I spent some time with my girlfriend and mostly I just kept training.
Q: We haven’t seen you since Walton, what have you been doing since then?
A: I haven’t been doing too much since then, just preparing for 2013. After Walton I took a little time off to figure out a plan for this year. I was really bummed with how 2012 went; I never want that to happen again. In October we made the switch back to Hondas and so far it couldn’t have been any better. There is just something about those bikes that make me feel comfortable.
I raced in Michigan in late October and I actually kept riding around my house until early December so that worked out good. Since then it’s just been training, training and more training with my trainer Jim Farr. Physical and mentally I feel ready to go for 2013. I’m very excited.
Q: You mentioned that you were bummed with 2012, what exactly happened?
A: Well, I worked very hard in the off season to be ready. We spent a lot of time down south riding and training. When we arrived in Nanaimo I felt completely prepared to go nine rounds and do the best I could. However, while preparing my race bike we were given an ignition that just didn’t work. We found out weeks after that it was faulty and it wouldn’t allow my bike to rev out so obviously I was down on horsepower for the entire western swing. I didn’t know what was wrong, and when we tested it we got false readings; I thought maybe I was just off the pace. It literally took us until the Gopher Dunes National to figure it out and by then we were just so frustrated.
Q: That does sound really frustrating. Did you go east and finish the Series?
A: We didn’t go to Ste-Julie or Moncton, but we went to Sand Del Lee and I rode both classes; then we finished up at Walton. Looking back on it now, I wished we could’ve figured out the bike earlier and got some good results, but when you’re young and still learning, I think it’s better to face some adversity and build off it. This is why we switched to Honda for 2013 and why we are going to ride some Supercross in the USA.
Q: Well, it’s funny you should mention Supercross because that was my next question. What made you decide to roll the dice and try some upcoming East Supercross rounds?
A: Just like every Canadian kid, it has been my dream to ride USA Supercross since I was born and I’ve been counting the days until I could (laughs). Seriously though, my Dad and I were just talking about it one day and he said I should go for it. That’s what the older riders did in the 1990s and 1980s; they just went south and hit as many as they could to prepare for the season up here. It doesn’t really matter how I do, I mean, I guess it does, but I am just going for the experience.
Q: So is your plan to be on the line in Houston in February?
A: For sure! On Monday we are headed to Florida to do some riding and get some time on the bike. Then I will start riding some Supercross down there then we will head over to Oklahoma to ride Supercross before Houston. Marshall Plumb from Dunlop is a long time family friend and supporter of mine, so he is going to hook me up with Trey Canard so I can ride with him at his track.
Q: That is awesome, how cool will that be? That type of riding may be exactly what you need before Houston.
A: I hope so! Like I said, Marshall has always been so good to us and he is excited for me as well. It is going to be such a good experience and also it will be a great way to prepare for the 2013 Canadian Nationals.
Getting to practice with Trey Canard in Oklahoma can bring nothing but good things for Nicky to hone his SX skills
Q: At least we will have someone to cheer for in Toronto this year.
A: Oh man, I am so excited for Toronto. The moment I decided to do this, my family and friends all went out and bought tickets. There will be an entire Nicky Beatty section for sure at the Roger’s Center (laughs).
Q: Why is it that more young Canadian riders don’t race Toronto? I mean you always see a few of them there watching. Was it hard for you to get your SX license?
A: It was easy to get my license, I just had to make some calls, get a concussion test and that was it. I don’t really know why more riders don’t do it. I understand why the top Canadian riders don’t do it because they get paid to ride the Nationals so they can’t afford to get injured, but for the young riders like me who are trying to get better and build a name for themselves, why not go and ride it?
Q: Hopefully you will prove to everyone that it can be done and then more guys will do it. So your plan is to ride some Supercross and then do the entire Monster Energy Motocross Nationals.
A: As of right now that’s it. Hopefully everything goes well and I can stay healthy. I am also going to try and ride a few outdoor nationals in the USA this summer so that should be fun. I really want to do well in Canada this summer and make up for last year.
Q: One last question Nicky. I guess you picked Davi Millsaps to win Anaheim 1.
A: Yes, like everyone else (laughs). I actually had Chad Reed to win but I was super happy to see Millsaps win. It was a great race. I hope all of them will be that exciting. It will be interesting to see if he can do it again this weekend.
“Hopefully everything goes well and I can stay healthy. I am also going to try and ride a few outdoor nationals in the USA this summer so that should be fun. I really want to do well in Canada this summer and make up for last year.”
Q: Wait, I actually have one more question for you. What sponsors would you like to thank?
A: MCR, Bentley Graphics, M10 Designs, Forma Boots, Orthoflex, Scott Canada, Matrix, Atlas Braces, Guts Racing, FMF, Hinson, MSR, Acerbis, CV4, G2 Ergonomics, Dunlop, D&D Grips, Pit Posse and Outlaw, Sharky’s Gym, my trainer Jim Farr, Championship Powersports, and last but not least, my parents, I would not be doing any of this without them.
Q: That is a long list Nicky, you are very lucky to have so many people supporting you. Well, all the best and good luck in Supercross. I’m sure all of Canada will be keeping a close eye on you.
A: Thank you, I will try and do Canada proud. I can’t wait to see everyone in Toron