Headed by Team Principle, Yarrive Konsky, the Carlton Dry Honda Thor Racing team has made significant changes to both the team structure and bike setups to ensure they can bring home a championship next season. We talk with Konsky to find out more.
Transmoto: You've signed Ben Townley and Brad Anderson for 2012 in the Pro Open class and we heard you signed Ford Dale on as the Lites rider?
Konsky: Yes. We've signed Ford Dale to ride for us in the Lites class this season. We believe in his capabilities and that he can learn from Brad and Ben. We've also scheduled him to go to Millsaps training facility for preparation for the SX championship. I believe that type of training makes a big difference.
How did the contracts with Anderson and Townley come about?
We contacted Brad in August last year to discuss what he was looking to do next season. He had a successful year, finishing fourth at the Des Nations, winning the Red Bull Pro Nationals MX1 class and British Motocross Championship and, during a brief trip to Australia in 2010, he won at the Raymond Terrace MX Nationals round. We made an educated decision based on his abilities and results and after reviewing his lap times we knew he would be competitive in Australia.
We also decided to talk to Ben Townley in August. He was extremely open with us about wanting to compete in the US next year. He wanted to race the Monster Cup to show his speed and, while he got the results, unfortunately the economy has made it difficult for a rider of his calibre to get a deal with a team that would be able to provide him with the best equipment and support he wanted. So after considerable lengthy talks we were able to sign him.
Why did you feel the need to look overseas for riders?
Honda is a powerful brand and we needed proven riders to compete for the championship. The level of competition overseas has demonstrated that it's greater than Australia - purely based on competition, population and resources. The constant drive to be faster and stay on top of your game, both in Europe and the US, means that riders seem faster than the current national riders in Australia. I daresay that we will get critisised for not hiring Pro Opens riders from Australia, but it's imperative that Honda positions itself on top. With competition such as Mackenzie, Marmont, Simmonds and Waters we needed a winning team. Honda have however supported Jake Moss this year and Michael Philips.
Do you think overseas riders are faster because they have a different training regime or technique?
I don't believe their technique is different. But the opportunity to take advantage of some skilled trainers and a consistent drive gives them the opportunity to progress. Look at Jay Marmont. He has been successful here and abroad which proves he has learnt what it takes to be at the top. Having his brother compete with him every day obviously drives them to be faster and I think it has helped both of them. But not all national calibre riders have that opportunity. The need to push your limits every time you ride has to be there and that's hard to find in Australia. Again, when we looked at hiring Gavin Faith for Super X last year, all we had to do was look at his training and work ethic and it was an easy choice. Look at Matt and Jake Moss training with their Dad. Matt just took out last year's MX and SX Lites championships and has headed to the US where he is already proving himself. Obviously it comes from personal will and desire, but having a full time trainer/practice mechanic/friend or family critiquing you everyday makes a big difference. A true example is the year Daniel Reardon excelled. He and Mike Ward worked hard together everyday.
We've been hearing you've signed new sponsors this year. Can you tell us about it?
We spoke with Ben at lengths, even prior to signing, with regards to putting our team in a position where we could win. Ben was very free with information even though he knew he might not have signed as he was pursuing opportunities in America. We discussed engine components, tyres, brakes, triple clamps, and linkages. The team was like a sponge, taking in every bit of information. Most of the changes we're making are things we feel will help the team win. We will be running with Pirelli tyres this year. We will continue running with Braking Discs; they are very capable and both James Stewart and Chad Reed ran them last year. There are also some new outside signings that we will announce later in the month. One exciting signing is Monster Energy. All three riders are receiving support of varying degrees from Monster.
You also mentioned that Carlton has signed for another two years.
Yes, we've signed on Carlton for the next two years. The motocross campaign for Carlton has been their biggest campaign yet. They've said by the end of the year they will give away 30 CRF450 race replicas, 1000 caps, 800 hoodies and 500 toolboxes with Carlton Dry Honda Racing graphics. They wanted to target a young male audience and they believed motocross, supercross and FMX provided that.
Thanks for the interview, Yarrive.
No problem.