MXP: Hey Newf! We’re just over a week away from Christmas, and all that comes with the big day. Even though you pretty much have everything, what is on your Christmas list this year? Keep in mind your wife reads this each week.
RL: Honestly, this will sound lame, but Randi and I have both decided not to get each other things this year. We are hoping for Meston to get selected for one of the KTMJRSX rounds, plus we want another summer of travelling the country just like the past few years. For us, it’s important to live life and build memories with our kids, and we all know that is not cheap. As long as our kids are happy on Christmas morning, that’s all I can ask for.
MXP: That doesn’t sound lame at all Newf. Good for you and Randi. This past week, there has been some talk in the last week regarding the MXoN and who should run Team Canada’s effort in 2023. The race is in France so obviously, the costs will be high to get our team overseas. How do you see this process playing out in the coming months, and would you ever consider putting your name in? We could do it together (laughs). A Palms/Newf project again. Just like when we ran the Two Wheel Kawasaki pre-season test program in 2000.
RL: Finally, there are some positive steps in the right direction regarding the team. Everything I have heard is for the better and hopefully it opens the door for Kourtney Lloyd to get back involved in the team. There is no question that this is a passion project and if you look at it from a logistic side of things, there’s no one better than Kourtney who can facilitate this. There is clearly a reason why Club MX hired her to do WSX. In my opinion, it will take a team to make the best possible effort. The team needs to be made up of like-minded people with the same goal of providing the best possible experience for the riders while also focusing on results simultaneously. It needs to be a somewhat normal atmosphere for the riders, so this is where guys like Derek Schuster and Kevin Tyler come into play as they are doing this week in and week out. This is why I believe Kourtney is the best fit as Team Manager, and then you add Derek or Kevin to help out. It’s fun to think about doing it one day, but for guys like me and you Palms, we should let the professionals handle it and we can just go and hang out (laughs).
MXP: This is a great time of the year as all of the factory teams in the USA are doing their team intros, and we get to have our first looks at their bikes and gear. From what you’ve seen, which rider or team has impressed you the most?
RL: Who doesn’t love this time of year? Seeing all the new bikes and gear increases the excitement level coming into A1 in January. The Suzuki and Roczen look is awesome in my opinion; his gear and the bike look really good. Maybe it’s because we are not used to paying a close look to Suzuki but I like it. Factory KTM is a close second for me, and I just really like the clean look of the KTM’s.