With all the MXGP fuss over Ryan Villopoto this year is it easy to forget that there is another American making his own journey in Grand Prix. He might be at the other end of the career spectrum to ‘RV’ but Thomas Covington already has a year of FIM Motocross World Championship education, hard knocks and track knowledge.
Since a startling third place at the opening round in Qatar last season – the equivalent of scoring a goal in the first minute of a Cup Final perhaps – Covington has been wading through a difficult but character-building experience far from his native Alabama. For 2015 the recently turned 19 year old is set-up to attack the MX2 class, rather than be swept along in the pace and demands of the frantic division that sees riders from eleven nationalities going for spoils. Based in Holland, entrenched in the cosmopolitan Monster Energy CLS crew for a second term and sounding much more assured than the rookie of 2014 ‘TC’ could be the surprise name hounding the front in the 250s. Here is what he had to say in a quick catch-up where he chats about a year further down the road (just his second as a Pro), working with Tyla Rattray and his opinion on his countryman’s presence in Europe…
What are the big differences now compared to 2014? Last year was initially a wild-card appearance with KRT that became a full-time deal with CLS but you still jumped in the deep end…
Being here feels much more like home now. I have some friends over here and feel more settled. Things are really working out with the team because I have had much more time to test and make improvements. Last year I started GPs with KRT and didn`t jump on the CLS bike until the first few races of the season had gone. I was given [Alessandro] Lupino’s settings and there was no time to test suspension or anything like that. This time we’ve worked a lot with WP and made some big steps so that bike is better for me.
Are you still working with Johnny O’Mara? What changes have you made for another term in GPs?
I’m not working with Johnny any more because it wasn’t really working-out with me being half the year in Europe. He is still a good friend and will always be a mentor figure. I’ve changed my programme quite a lot actually and Tyla [Rattray] is helping me in that respect. It is a lot different and I feel different.
How so? How does he help?
Just advice and instructions with the days I should be riding and when I should be in the gym and what work I should be doing. He has that experience of winning a championship over here and also races back in the U.S. so I feel I can learn a lot from him and also from being around Ryan.
You had major adjustments to make coming to MXGP and there were some insecurities and injuries on the way…
It was a learning experience and it went how I expected with some hard moments. I took that good result at the first round in Qatar and I was talking with Steve [Guttridge, Kawasaki Motor Europe Racing Manager] and we said it was good in one way but also bad because I then had an expectation for myself each week that perhaps wasn’t realistic. I had to get the hang of GPs.
What part of it was the hardest to grasp?
The physical part. A lot of people forget that the Qatar GP was my first professional race. Until then the amateur calendar in the U.S. had consisted of 6-7 big Nationals usually running at 6-7 laps each. Last year I was riding a lot on Saturday and Sunday and I was trying to stay rested and deal with it all while being 100%.
There seemed to be a point where you were just drained…
I was riding too much away from the GPs. I was getting home from races on Monday and heading straight out into the sand and it caught up with me because at one point it was getting worse and worse.
What’s your take on the KX250F for this year? There have also been some changes inside the CLS team. It all looks a little more prosperous for you…
A big positive direction. We were testing for a week in France recently. I am really happy and I think it will show this year. I have two solid team-mates as well [world champion Jordi Tixier and MX of Nations winner Dylan Ferrandis]. Last year… I wasn’t happy. We had problems with the bike. Now I have no complaints. I think the engine is stronger. It has a lot more power and feels like my old race bike in the U.S. this will help for the starts because here they are ‘huge’. If you don`t get away at a track like Arco [Arco di Trento, scene of round four and the GP of Trentino, Italy] then it is so tight and one-line that you cannot get through the pack. In 2014 we didn`t have time to test properly and were trying different things at the races. We weren’t prepared but the situation has totally turned around now.
Will Ryan riding in MXGP push you a little bit off the radar in terms of American interest? Will that necessarily be a bad thing?
Some people watched last year, those who had seen my name in amateurs and were also following the GPs. Now that Ryan is here I think a lot of people, almost everybody, will look. They might also see how I am getting on in MX2 and that makes me more accountable. I’m going to go to the first few races with the goal to start the season in the right way and then – like everybody else I guess – hope to hit the top five on a consistent basis. I know I am doing all the work I need to do at the moment to get that job done.
Many people seem to think that Ryan will be especially fast in the opening rounds and at the modern, new-build circuits. From your personal experience on the range of GP tracks what’s your view?
I agree with that. I think Ryan will be really strong in Qatar because it is a fast track; it was certainly good for me. But I also think he will be good on the European tracks because he is one of the best riders in the world so should be able to adapt. It is going to be fun to watch him and Cairoli go at it I have to say. It will be pretty close.
Are you likely to hang out together this summer?
Yeah, we live about thirty minutes away from each other over here. I’m working with Tyla quite a bit and obviously he and Ryan are pretty close. I had a day off from testing the other day and went to hang out with them and watch them ride. I will try to learn as much as I can from both.