I’ve read in recent interviews that you have done that you very much like the process of being a professional supercross and motocross racer. The way you explained the process and what it means to you is very interesting. Can you talk about that?
Yah, I really do like the process of it all. I’ve always kind of enjoyed it. I mean I think a big thing for me is to wake up and have purpose each day and really fine-tune myself and I enjoy the work art of our job and the part that some racers don’t really enjoy so much. I really enjoy the gym and the long bike rides and the long testing days at the track. I enjoy testing myself and my body and testing myself mentally. I really do enjoy the process and I think that’s what keeps it that much more enjoyable for me because we do the process. That’s kind of the words for it, but the day-to-day and week-to-week grind and the work is a huge portion of our life. You kind of need to enjoy it.

Your 2022 250SX East Region Supercross series really reflected what a standout racer you were. You were third in the opener at Minneapolis, you won at Arlington, and you were third, second and second at Daytona, Detroit and Indianapolis, respectively. You were really on a run and in a spirited fight with Jett Lawrence for the championship before you got hurt on press day at St. Louis. Your injury notwithstanding, it was a good series for you, wasn’t it? 
Yeah, totally. Obviously it was a step in the right direction with where we were going and then I had a super-small mishap. Honestly, I landed on a Tuff Blox on press day and that’s what took me out of the series. I now obviously need to minimize those little things and stay completely focused and completely locked in and respect what I’m doing every time I get on the bike. I want to keep myself out of those situations and I think we’ll be in a really good spot to fight to be our best every time in 2023.

Yes, and as you have just addressed, this can be a brutal and unforgiving sport at times, can’t it?
Yeah, it totally can be brutal and unforgiving. That’s something I’ve learned over the last few years. I’ve learned that you can’t let yourself ride the highs and the lows because if you ride that wave too much, personally, the highs are so high and the lows are so low and they seem so hard to understand. For me, I always have to make myself realize that things can be a lot worse, you know? When something like that happens and when everything seems to be going so right and then it goes completely wrong and you can’t find the reason to understand why, there is always a why. There is always a reason why, so I think taking full responsibility of those types of things is super-important for me. I don’t want to blow off stuff like that as something just happened. I want to learn form it. That’s super-important for me and I need to learn from it and to grow.

I watched all of you guys up at the Kawasaki test track last week and it was easy to see that it is time to go racing for everyone. What do you think about everything? As far as you, the bike, the team, is all in order and where you want it to really be?
Yeah, I’m really happy with everything. I mean my program has stayed very similar pretty much since I’ve gotten on with the Pro Circuit team. I’ve had the same trainer in Nick Wey and so-on. This year the biggest change we have made is that we have been really riding with the Kawasaki 450 guys pretty much every single day no matter what and I think that has made a big difference. I think the way the tracks break down and I think just the camaraderie and being able to be around the 450 team and feeling that pressure and having a large group of people with the same views just brings everything up another notch. I think that’s been really productive for us this year. Like I said, I think that we have just been able to do a lot of good work. We’ve had a few changes here and there with the bike that I think that we have made good progress on. I also feel like I have progress with myself, as well. Like I said before, at this time of year we are just a week away and we are ready. Let’s go racing.

How is your health and everything? Are you where you need to be?
Yeah, my health is totally good. I’m solid and really ready to go and feel totally primed-up to race.