MXP Chatter: Scott Donkersgoed

Scott Donkersgoed is a perfect example of the Paul Brandt song “Small Towns and Big Dreams”. Born is Listowel, Ontario, Scott has wanted to be a factory mechanic for a long time and each year he has honed his craft with various riders on various teams. For 2013, Scott is down in California working for Kyle Chisholm on the Monster Energy Supercross tour. However, this summer Scott has landed the coveted job of wrenching for this country’s fastest rider, Colton Facciotti. We tracked down Scott to see just how excited he is about this season.

Q:  Hey Scott, how are things.

A:  Things are good, just chilling here on a Wednesday evening working on Kyle’s race bike for this coming weekend.

Q:  Well, before we talked about the future, let’s talk about the here and now. What did you do today? Please give us a glimpse into a typical mid-week day of a Supercross mechanic.

A:  I got up at 7am and did my usual stuff to get ready for the day – breakfast, coffee, check the internet. We have a box van that we use during the week for testing so I had that ready to go last night. From there, I drove out to the Yamaha test track and met up with Kyle around 9am.

A day at the test track is pretty standard actually. We usually test a few things and run some laps then Kyle will do some motos while I run the clock. Everything these guys do at this level is very methodical. They’re true professionals and they know what they want out of the bike. Riders like Kyle have been doing this 365 days a year since they were kids so they know what works and what doesn’t work.

Today we tested some new suspension settings we received from Enzo so that was good. It’s obviously still early in the Supercross Series so we’re still trying to find that perfect balance for these West Coast tracks.  After riding today, I came home, washed everything up and got it ready for the next day. You know, it’s not that glamorous but at the moment I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.

Q:  I understand that you had a special visitor at the test track today.

A:  Yes, Rickie Fowler was out there today hanging out with Travis Baker. At first I didn’t know who he was but Kyle pointed him out and then I recognized him. He was a pretty cool dude, just hanging out talking to everyone.

 

Q:  Look at you, hanging with the stars. After two rounds, are you and Kyle happy with how things have gone?

A:  Yes and no, I mean you always want to have better results, but considering how deep the field is right now and the bad starts he has got, things are good. If you want to run up front you have to start up there. Kyle has passed a bunch of guys the past two weekends but it has been tough. He felt he actually rode better at Anaheim than he did in Phoenix, but there is still a little room for improvement.

As I mentioned before, he is a professional and he is a rider that thinks everything through. He is never going to impress you with his blinding speed, but in a 17 round series you know he will be there in the end. For that reason we’re not getting stressed after just two rounds. Everyone knows the real series begins in the East so we’ll see then.  That is one thing that is very hard right now. You work hard to get the bike set up for the West Coast tracks then before you know it you’re heading East and the tracks are completely different. Having said that and from looking around the pits, I think a lot of riders are a little off right now with their set up.

Q:  You mentioned Chisholm’s patience and longevity. In 2012 you were working with Kyle Beaton. We all know what happened in Moncton but before that he was struggling big time. What are your thoughts on what was wrong with him?

A:  That’s a great question and one that I have thought about a lot, even now I sometimes think about it. My opinion is that it was a few things that built up over time and that led to some issues that Kyle felt. I was there after his motos, felt his arms and they were pumped right up so he had those issues. He had great speed for 15 minutes and then would just fade from arm pump. I think that once that happened a few times, then it became a huge mental thing and he would almost just be waiting for it to happen again.  You know, Kyle is sometimes not the most positive person so with everything he had been through in previous years he was kind of like “here we go again, another bad summer”.

It was frustrating for the entire team. There would be times that we would be sitting on the starting line and Kyle would look at me and tell me he was getting the holeshot.  Every time he told me that, he did. His last start in Moncton before he got hurt, he told me that. Looking back, the only thing I wished he would’ve done was move to Ontario after Edmonton to try something new. I honestly think that might have made a difference.  The kid is just awesome though, both on and off the track and I still feel awful for him for what happen in Moncton. I actually read the other day on twitter that he has the green light to begin to put weight on his foot. I couldn’t believe that. It’s been like six months since he broke it and he isn’t walking yet. This sport is so tough right now. There isn’t a lot of money and it’s tough to stay healthy long enough to even try and make money. Today’s riders have to be smart and a bit lucky, for sure.

Q:  I don’t think there is one person in Canada who doesn’t want to see Beaton succeed; he’s just a likeable kid. We have spoken about the past and the present, now let’s talk about the future. This summer you’re going to be wrenching for Colton Facciotti. How did this come about?

A:  Last year at Walton was the first time I spoke to Andy White about it. He told me there might be an opening and asked if I would be interested in doing it. Of course I was but my original plan was to work the entire year in the USA. I didn’t mean to string him along but I guess I did a little because I just didn’t know what was going on down here.  Anyway, it all worked out and once the Supercross Series is done I will officially be Colton’s mechanic for the rest of 2013. I couldn’t be happier to be with the best rider on a team that is so hungry to win a championship. I think it’s going to be a great summer.

 

Q:  With Colton coming off such a sub-par year in 2012, what do you think he needs to keep that from happening again?

A:  Well, it’s tough to avoid an injury like he had; that it just part of the sport. I think this year he is in a lot better spot mentally; the bike and team aren’t new anymore so he knows what to expect. I think I bring a lot to the table as far as experience. I have seen top mechanics down here work and I know how hard they are on their riders. They work hard on the bikes and in turn they expect nothing less from their riders. I know Colton is a hard worker and a great rider. When you combine all of this with the amazing new KTM450, I think it’s going to be a successful summer.

Q:  Will you have any time to work with Colton before the Supercross season is over?

A:   I think he is coming out to California soon so we will definitely be going riding together and hanging out. Once the Supercross Series heads east I will be flying back and forth from California so if Colton is here we can hang out. It’s going to be great. I would like to thank KTM and Andy White for this opportunity. I hope we can win a championship together.

Q:  We are less than five months away from Nanaimo and with the full National schedule being released this past week, the excitement is beginning to build for sure.  Well Scott, thanks for doing this and best of luck for the rest of the Supercross Series.  We will see you in Toronto in March.

A:  For sure you will, I can’t wait to see all of my friends and family. Thank you for the call. It’s nice to know you guys are thinking of me.