Coming off a seriously impressive 11th in Moto 2 at Thunder Valley, I caught up with the Kiwi Flyer to see how the series has gone thus far, and get his thoughts on the calibre of competition running through the whole AMA 250 Pro Class.

You've made it to the Great Outdoors! Is it everything you expected it to be?
I came here with quite an open mind, I didn’t have any expectation on how things would be so I’ve really been able to just roll with whatever hurdles come up. Racing in Europe has really helped me here and just being a bit older has made it easier. I’m just stoked to have made it here because it was a hell of a mission to make it happen. I always wanted to race in America as well, but I just ended up in Europe and got stuck there. Now I love doing this again and I’m having so much fun!

Tell us a little bit about how you got state-side and what it took to get there. Are you doing it full privateer or is there some small satellite team support happening?
So I’m a full privateer in terms of I’m not riding on a team. I talked about this campaign back home for a long time and I never pulled the trigger on it. But at the start of this year, I booked my flight and then everything else kinda fell into place with a lot of organising and planning, etc. I was here for about two months just riding and training by myself, then my girlfriend has come over and she helps out heaps. And then for the races I have a mechanic. Kawasaki NZ have been a massive help with bikes and parts, and then a lot of people and companies have helped me out financially to get here and stay here, and then my family are helping me however then can too. But I run my own programme which is pretty cool and it’s super stressful at times, but I’ve made it pretty far and it’s going pretty well all things considered.

Let's be honest - a near Top 10 at an AMA outdoor is very impressive. Has going from being one of the fastest riders in the country, to now battling for a spot inside the Top 20 been a bit of a transition?
I knew I wasn’t going to be a top guy here, not straight away anyway. And like I said about being open minded, that has helped me. I really want to do better so I’m going to stick at this as long as I can.

I worked a lot on my mental side the last year in a lot of aspects of my life, so it’s a constant thing. But specifically for outdoors, I just worked as hard as I could and tried to focus on the here and now and just be patient with it and whatever comes from that I’m happy with…knowing that I did everything I could.

What are some of the major differences when you compare the Outdoors to the NZ MX Champs?
These guys here just go wide open from gate drop to checkered flag and there’s no rest - from 1st to 40th everyone is pretty fast. The tracks get gnarly too but not like our tracks at home. The bumps here are a lot more rolling and flowing rather than square edged like at home. We have two times 30 minutes +2 lap motos here with only an hour between, so being fit and recovering quick is massive.

What are your ultimate goals in regards to your results, by the end of the Outdoor season?
I really want to stay here and get some kind of ride on a team, I’m not here on a massive budget so I’m making the most with what I’ve got. I’d love to get into the top 10 in the next couple races. I’ve put everything into this and really bet on myself to make it work, so whatever the outcome I’ll be happy knowing I couldn’t have done more. I have a few more races to show what I can do.

Are the plans to head back to NZ after the season?
Honestly I have no plans to come home, I don’t even know what I’m doing after high point. I’m living out of a van right now because I’ve travelled east for the races. I love NZ but I’m really just 100% focused on this weekend and then the next, and then I’ll make a new plan- haha.

Best of luck mate - all of NZ is cheering you on.
Appreciate it! I love to see all the support from back home. We need more kiwis over here having a go. You don’t have to be the best in NZ to race here, just need to book the flight and make it happen. Experience is invaluable.

You can follow Josiah’s racing by following his Facebook Page or watching the AMA Pro Motocross races however you can. I haven’t seen Josiah on TV yet but after his 11th place in Moto 2 at Thunder Valley, getting inside the Top 10 almost guarantees some air time from Jason Weigandt.

Images: Josiah’s Facebook Page

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