Racer X: Congrats on winning the championship. Has it all sunk in yet?
Thank you! I think it’s finally starting to sink in now. It’s been amazing. It feels amazing to finally get the championship.
You’ve been close the last three years.
Yeah, definitely. I came in and I won my first pro race back in 2016—I went 1-1. I was winning a lot of races in my rookie season, but then I was bombarded with injuries. I’ve gone through so many injuries, I can’t even list them all. It got to the point where it felt never ending, and I missed out on the championship three years in a row. That was tough because I felt I had the speed and skill to win. I was just missing pieces of the puzzle, but this year we changed it. I came in with new motivation and learned from the mistakes of the past years. I was able to have a pretty dominant season.
Talk a little bit about the injuries. Some of them weren’t exactly normal.
The first year, I hit a photographer. It was weird. I’m not even sure how it happened. He was standing on the down-ramp of a tabletop in Germany. It’s kind of a turning tabletop, and you can’t see the down-ramp, and I smashed into a photographer. I tore a ligament in my hand and had to have it operated on. In 2017 I tore the ACL in my knee for like the fourth time. To go through another big injury like that was tough. Last year was the hardest one, though: I injured my foot and had to stay off the bike. I spoke with several surgeons, and the risk was just too great; the damage would have been permanent if I would have continued. At my young age—I was 22—I had to opt to forfeit the championship and look after my health. It was tough, but looking at it now, it was the right decision.
Does all that frustration make finally winning it even better?
It does. But more than anything, I just appreciate it more. As a kid, I had a lot of success. Going out and winning was normal for me. I kind of knew I was going to go out and win. Now I appreciate it a lot more. Every time I win, every time I’m on the top step of the podium, I always take a moment to realize how special it is. I don’t take it for granted these days.
You were in control of the championship all year. Did it finally feel like it was your year, or were you cautious with those thoughts based on what happened the previous three years?
I felt completely different from the beginning. I swapped teams and had a fresh start. I was stuck in a rut, and something needed to change. I had a really good feeling on the bike right from the get-go, and to win my first race at Valkenswaard after only having a few days on the bike, that set me off on the right foot and gave me a lot of confidence. I had a different mentality this year. I had a lot of motivation to dominate and put the hammer down. I felt like it was going to be my year all year.
After winning your first pro race, did you think it was even possible you wouldn’t win a title until 2019?
[Laughs] It’s funny you say that. If you’d have told me after I won my first pro race it was going to take four years to win the title, I would have laughed at you. No way. I was confident I was going to win it that first year. And the next year, I was confident it was going to happen. Four years later—that’s a long time after winning your first pro race.
New Zealand has produced some pretty big names—Shayne King, Ben Townley, Cody Cooper, Josh Coppins, and plenty more. How cool is it to cement your name in with those racers as one of your country’s greats?
It feels amazing. When I was a kid, I was sitting in front of the TV watching those guys. I remember telling my parents, “That’s going to be me one day. I’ll be over there winning races one day.” To win this championship, it’s exactly where I wanted to be as a kid, and those guys inspired me a lot. I’m hoping I can do the same for the young Kiwi kids coming through, to show them it’s possible to reach your goals.
What does the future hold for you? More GP races? Any visits to race in the USA?
Right now I’m signed for two more years with Kawasaki, so the plan is to deliver two more titles. That’s what I’m focusing on at the moment. I don’t want to be a one-time wonder. Right now I want to put my name in with the greats and win more championships. I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities to come stateside in the future.
You once raced Hangtown on a 125 and smoked everyone. What if you came and did some of the 125 All Star races at the nationals?
How cool would that be? That would be awesome, I’d love to. I’m sure something could be sorted out there. It’s been a long time since I’ve ridden a 125, but I was actually thinking about getting one, just to have some fun on it.
Where do you stand on racing with the men? Is that something that interests you, either in Europe or in America?
I think for sure I’d like to do it one day, but right now I think it’s the wrong thing to do. I’m kind of just starting off with my career, and I have a lot of improvement ahead of me with my speed. Right now I’m focused on delivering more championships. 
