MXP: This week the WLTN Kawasaki Team announced the signing of Dylan Walsh to their team. Dylan raced the final round last year at Walton Raceway and finished 6th OA in the 250 class. What are your thoughts on this signing, and do you think Dylan will be a title contender in the 2025 Triple Crown Series?
RL I’m interested to see how this all goes. I like that it adds some International flavour to the series, which always helps put more eyes on the series. He was decent last year when he came to Round 8 at Walton, but not as good as I thought he should be. Yes, I know it was his first time on the bike and with a new team, but I’m sure the WLTN Kawasaki Team is hiring him to win. He is having a solid SX season, so hopefully, that momentum will carry over to the summer and we will see Dylan in the mix. It’s not going to be easy as the 250 Pro class looks to be the tougher of the two classes in my opinion.
MXP: Now that you’ve spent some time in a Team Manager role with the GDR Honda Team, can you shed a little light on how frustrated Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki Team Manager Mitch Payton must be feeling right now? His riders seem to show a little progress, and then mistakes and crashes put them out for weeks at a time.
RL: Poor Mitch Payton is all you can really say. Each year you build your team with the best possible guys that you can, and with the hopes of success. Sometimes, it just doesn’t work the way you plan it, but honestly, what is happening with PC Team is just wild. All of his guys are capable of winning, but the injuries just keep happening year after year. If you look at it from the GDR Honda Team side, we had a multi-year run of domination and it almost feels like you can’t lose. Then Dylan gets hurt and it just knocks the wind out of the entire team. It’s frustrating for the team, and for the rider. But, at the same time, it puts things back into perspective and proves that everyone is human. Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game.
MXP: In recent weeks there has been a lot of drama in our sport with the Lucas Mirtl/ Lawrence Brother situation, and now the Daniel Blair/ Ricky Carmichael back and forth. Is this type of drama new, or are we just hearing more about it because of Social Media?
RL: I don’t really think it’s new, to be honest. Social media has for sure made everything in life more public, and it has also given people a platform to air their issues or frustrations. I feel like back in the old days people would just deal with this crap face to face, whereas now it’s easier to do it behind a screen. Right or wrong, drama can be both good and bad for the sport. I personally don’t like the Blair/RC stuff because it seems really petty in my opinion. There are always two sides, or sometimes three sides to every story. Sometimes, we only hear one side and people automatically jump on the bandwagon and attack. That part I hate!
