with ... Blake Baggett
Friday 11 February: Team Green graduate Blake Baggett makes his debut on the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki KX™250F this weekend in Houston. After a one-year hiatus from the green machines, Baggett is back and ready to prove that he has the speed to win in the highly competitive AMA Supercross Lites Eastern Region class.
Edited copy and photo courtesy of Ashley Little from KMC-USA.
Now in his sophomore year as a professional, Blake Baggett talks to Monster Energy Kawasaki about how this year is going to be different, the speed of the Kawasaki
KX250F, and how he’s more prepared than ever to stand on the podium.
How has the transition been this year back to Kawasaki?
It’s been really good to be back on a Kawasaki. That’s where I
![](/i/images/216e/baggot.jpg)
was my
whole amateur career, from 60s all the way until I raced pro for the
first time at the last three nationals in 2009. I really like the brand
and the people that surround it. Being away from Kawasaki for a year was
a little bit of a bummer, but it makes me really appreciate it when I
was given the opportunity to come and race this year with Mitch and the
Pro Circuit team.
What have you
liked most about the Kawasaki KX250F? It’s not only a brand new bike to
you, but to the team with the Fuel Injection and the Separate Function
Fork.
I
had
never ridden a 250F with an EFI on it. It was definitely a change for
the better. No matter where you are at, your bike is running amazing.
You can really do a lot with it and we are still learning how much we
can do. The things that you can change may seem small, but it makes a
big difference on the track. The forks are also new to me and I think
it’s a big help. It’s really hard to explain it, but they are super
smooth. I think it’s just easier to ride with them and ends up being
less harsh on the body. They seem easy to work with since we got the
set-up dialed pretty much right off the bat.
Talking about just supercross, what are your goals for the season?
I
am feeling really confident. I have high expectations and know that I
have the speed to win. I’ve done the hard work. I have the best trainer
out there (Aldon Baker) and I’m on the best team. I’ve been trying to
surround myself with good people, which makes a huge difference. The
only thing I can do at this point is wait and see how everything turns
out. Hopefully everything works out and I’ll have a championship.
You talked about having the best trainer out there.
How has this year been different compared to last year coming into the
season? Do you feel more prepared?
Well I
definitely I feel better this year. Last year I hadn’t ridden much
before the first race since I crashed two weeks before the start of the
season. This year, not only have I been able to put in the laps on the
track, I’ve got the confidence that I’ve put in the work before. It was a
little tough at first making the transition over to the new way of
doing things, but once you get into the groove, it becomes natural to
you. I feel so much more prepared than last year. Physically and
mentally, I am a lot stronger than I was last year. I guess we’ll have
to wait and see if it pays off.
Last year you were a rookie, now you have one year under your belt. How
do the nerves compare going into the first race last year versus this
year?
Last year I didn’t really know what
to expect. I felt a little blindfolded. I had done three outdoor races
and that helped to open my eyes a little bit. I learned that everyone
was very serious and they don’t mess around at that level. I was
definitely nervous at my first supercross. It took me a few races to get
comfortable and I think I did okay for my first season. I did make some
rookie mistakes, but I was also able to earn a win as well. That was a
huge confidence booster for me. I know a lot of people said I got lucky
at that race, but a few weeks later I got a second. I felt like I did
what I needed to do to back up my win.
It will be cool having
the first race at Houston since that was the race I got second at last
year. I think I’ll be nervous, but at least I’ll have some expectations
to go into the first race with compared to last year I was completely
new. I’m looking forward to it.