MXP Chatter: Pat O’Connor

Ever since the 2013 Monster Energy Motocross Nationals ended in August, we’ve been trying to catch up with Leading Edge Kawasaki Team Manager Pat O’Connor. The Leading Edge Team with their riders Brett Metcalfe, Teddy Maier, Austin Politelli and Tyler Villopoto not only took home both the MX1 Championship and the MX2 Championship but they spent more time on the podium than any other team this past summer. It will be really hard to top the success they had this year, but with the solid program they have in place for 2014, you can bet they will try. We finally caught up with Pat to see just how excited he is for the new season.

Q: Hey Pat, how are you tonight? Are you driving, it sounds noisy?

A: I was but I pulled over as soon as you called. This week has been really crazy. Even though it’s the off season it seems like things haven’t stopped.

Q: It was good to see you in Chilliwack last weekend. What did you think of the racing?

A: It was good. It was a bummer what happened to Jess Pettis on Thursday, but he’s young and he’ll heal up fast. Other than that I thought the racing was great, all the top guys were going really fast and it was good to see another big crowd there. I was hurting on Sunday and Monday though, those fumes were hard on me.

Q: Yes, I was the same. I was coughing for a couple days, but it was all fun though. Okay, let’s talk about this past summer. First, Teddy Maier: I thought of all the riders in 2013, Teddy Maier had the toughest luck. Would you agree with that?

A: For sure, he had a number of things happen to him that were unfortunate. In Calgary while battling for the lead, a little piece of wood cut his radiator hose and caused a DNF. At Gopher Dunes, he was involved in a small, first turn pile up and again his rad hose was ripped off. He was so fast all summer but he just had things happen to him. I think if you were to take away the bad luck then Teddy would have finished second in the MX1 series. However, that’s racing and he knows that. There were times during the season when he was really frustrated but he never quit trying. He works hard. He will be back in 2014 with us and he’ll be ready to go.

Q: Speaking of 2014, is everything set with the team?

A: I would say that everything is 99% set with everyone. Like I said, Teddy Maier will be back with us, plus we hope to be lining up in both classes with the number one plates. We’re very excited for 2014. The Kawasakis are pretty much the same bike so we’re already ahead on testing. We learned a lot from last year’s bike so we should be ready to go. The chemistry of our team is very good, we have fun at the track, but we also worked very hard to get the job done and represent our sponsors well.

Q: It sounds as though 2014 is setting up to be a very exciting season. Let’s now talk about Austin Politelli. He was great in the west but in the east things started to slip a little bit. How nervous were you after the Quebec round and what did you guys do as a team to get Austin turned around?

A: I think he just got a little nervous in the east because he knew it was his championship to lose. He came into Gopher Dunes a little sick and I think the heat of that day really took a toll on him. He also had a hard crash with a lapper that kind of rang his bell a bit and that certainly didn’t help. After Gopher Dunes it took him a few weeks to get back on track. Although we were getting a little nervous, we tried to stay positive with him and just helped him get through it. Over the years we’ve learned that there’s no point in yelling or getting mad, that just makes things worse. We all stayed calm and it worked out in the end. Had Kaven not got hurt then it might’ve been a different story but that too is racing. 2014 will be even tougher for everyone.

Q: Well, I’m glad it all worked out in the end. From a media guy and a fan looking at things from the outside, it seemed as though Brett Metcalfe was just a joy to work with in 2013. Not only did he win the MX1 championship, but just the way he handled himself throughout the summer was amazing. Am I correct in saying this?

A: No, you’re spot on Palms. After we signed him, I was a little concerned because I wondered if we as a team could give him what he would need to be successful. He was coming from a factory team in the USA and I figured his standards would be really high. However, right from the first time we met him he was great and he expressed to us that he was just happy to still be able to race and get paid for it. There wasn’t one instance that he came off the track in 2013 and said he was unhappy with anything. If he had a sub-par moto, all he would do was get ready for the next one. Brett is a true professional and I think he helped elevate motocross in Canada this past summer to a new level.

Q: I’ve said this before but I believe that having Brett here made all the riders around him better. Not only did he ride amazing, but I think we saw riders like Tyler Medaglia, Jeremy Medaglia, Bobby Kiniry, Cole Thompson and Teddy all elevate their riding as the series went on. Did you see that also?

A: Again, I think you’re dead on and trust me, Brett saw it too. He knew that the east would be tougher and he prepared hard for the final five rounds. He also didn’t let it bug him when he started to lose a moto here and there. He knew that as long as he didn’t make a huge mistake that he would be okay. That’s what happens when you bring a world class rider to a series; he makes the series and the riders better.

Q: I guess there’s always a risk when you bring in a top rider who’s been racing at a high level for a long time. We’ve seen it not work before.

A: For sure, but we got lucky with Metty and he was great. Seeing his professionalism and work ethic also helped the rest of team raise their level. As a mechanic, you don’t mind working until 1am because you know the riders are putting in the effort as well. That’s what makes a team successful.

Q: Well Pat, thanks for your time. I’ll let you get back on the road. If we don’t speak before the holidays, Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

A: Thanks Palms, same to everyone at MXP. You guys did a great job this summer and we can’t wait to work with you in 2014.