Racer X: Congrats on winning the championship. Has it sunk in yet?
Adam Cianciarulo: Thank you, and yeah, I would say it has. It’s a goal that’s been a lifetime in the making. It’s what I’ve been working for, and it’s all I’ve thought about. You put it up so high in your mind. I’ve always had high expectations for myself and have had a strong belief that I’m able to win at the top level. You do have to believe that you can win before you can actually do it, and you kind of convince yourself that it’s not that big of a deal. That’s kind of been my move, to feel like this was supposed to happen all along. That’s the mindset I adopted going into the season to make it seem lighter than it was. But now that I did it, there’s so much release in accomplishing the goal. I’m proud of myself for getting through all that stuff and getting to the point where I crossed the line as a national champion. It’s something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.

Now that you’ve got some time between clinching the title, has it delivered any new perspective on racing at all?
No, I wouldn’t say so. As a racer, you’re always looking for the next thing. That’s probably the way any successful athlete looks at things. You try to enjoy what you can, but my focus now is doing the best I can on a 450. It’s amazing how fast the focus goes from winning that national championship to what’s next. It’s almost instant for me. I found myself in bed a couple nights after I won, literally thinking about everything I need to work on to be better on the bigger bike and dissecting what I need to do to be successful at that level. I feel this past year I’ve really wrapped my head around it, that I do belong at the top, and I can do that. In a sense, I proved myself right, and now it’s on to the next thing. As big of an accomplishment as a 250 national championship is, I don’t want that to be my biggest accomplishment. I want to reach for the stars and get everything I can out of this sport.

After wrapping up the title, you gave Nick Wey a hug. What were you guys talking about?
There was just a lot of bro emotion there. I think I said something like, “We did it! We did it!” Moments like that are what you really look back at, I think. Just being able to share those moments with the people who’ve helped get you there, it’s unlike anything else. We’ve been really close these last few years, beyond just the training aspect of things. He’s been a really good friend and has helped me through a lot of things, with racing and outside of it. He and his family have been amazing. We accomplished the goal together, and we’ve made a lot of improvements over the last couple years. That was just a really special moment.

How’s the transition with the new team going?
It’s going great so far. I rode outdoors the first two days and then supercross. Just been testing and getting some settings dialed in. It’s been really smooth on my end. Any time you move to a bigger bike, there’s a lot unknown. I haven’t ridden a 450 much—maybe 15 times my whole life—but my mind was put at ease when I got on it. I felt relatively comfortable right away. Every day seems to be getting better and better, and I’m looking forward to getting some races under our belt.

Was Monster Energy Kawasaki always the destination, or were you in serious talks with other teams?
I’ve been with Kawasaki since I was seven, and I’m familiar with everybody. I grew up riding with Ryan [Villopoto] and Jake [Weimer] and all those guys, and I came up through Mitch’s [Payton] program. It’s where I wanted to be. If it could work out, that was the place I wanted to go. Obviously, you’re going to talk with other teams, but I think everyone knew pretty early my heart was set on Kawasaki, and I’m fortunate and glad it turned out the way it did. I can’t ask for much more at this point. I’ve got my foot in the door with the opportunity to be on a great team and prove myself in the premier class. I’m excited.

What are you going to miss most about Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki?
The people. I’ve been around the shop at Pro Circuit for years. My dad and I would come to California in the motor home, and we stayed in the back lot at Pro Circuit for what seemed like three or four months at a time sometimes. I was always in the shop. I was riding my Razor scooter through there when I was 12. They’re family over there. It’s a new chapter in my career, but it feels like a whole new career because I’ve been around the Pro Circuit guys for so long, and now I’m not going to be around as much. I’ve been with the team for quite a while, and we were all waiting on a championship. We all persevered as a group, and everyone was vested in me. They wanted to see me succeed. I really respected that and saw that everyone truly cared and gave everything they had. Winning the last championship I had an opportunity to compete for with them, you couldn’t ask for a better story.

What’s something you won’t miss?
Staying away from cheeseburgers. These last few years I’ve been on the heavier side, which is something you’re always conscious of on the 250 trying to get holeshots. You can’t ask for a faster 250 than what I was riding, but now that I’m on a 450, the extra power is pretty nice.

What’s your relationship like with your future teammate, Eli Tomac?
I haven’t spent too much time with him. He’s got his place in Colorado, and being with Pro Circuit, I didn’t see him too much regardless. He’s a guy who goes about his business, and he’s serious about it. I respect how he goes about things, and he clearly has a recipe for success. I look forward to being around that and learning as much as I can from him. Since amateurs, I’ve looked up to Eli and have admired how he rides the bike. I’m excited to learn everything I can from him.

Now that you’re on the 450, are you and Cooper Webb going to spark things back up?
Oh boy. I honestly don’t know.

That’s just a drama question for fun—you don’t have to answer it.
I get it, and I’ll answer it as truthfully a I can. I’m not sure how it’s going to go. It’s been a long time since I’ve raced Cooper. I raced him a little bit on 250s, but just a handful. I never even raced the guy in supercross. I’m not sure, we’ll see how it goes. I know for sure we both want to beat each other, and obviously he’s the champ. He’s proved himself, and he’s had a fantastic career so far. I look forward to the opportunity to challenge him, and all those guys. I don’t think it’s going to be any type of rivalry that it was, or at least was perceived as, when we were amateurs. There are so many good guys, and there will always be guys around and between us. It may be a little side story, but I don’t picture it blowing up into anything crazy. But I could be wrong! I’ve been wrong before.