Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson got off to a fast start in the 2011 East Lites Supercross season. The Scottish-born Canadian finished second in the first Lites main of the season in Houston then improved on that by one position with a win in Atlanta at the next round. At that point, he was tied atop the points standings with GEICO Honda rival Justin Barcia. But the wheels started coming off, so to speak, at the next race at Daytona, where he fell twice in one lap and could only muster an eighth place. Then, he tried even harder at the next round in Indy, which didn’t help, landing him sixth. Finally, in Jacksonville, he got back up on the box with a second-place finish, and this past weekend in Toronto, Wilson put on a masterful performance on his way to his second race win of the season.We caught up with Wilson following the Toronto round and chatted with him a little bit about the 2011 season.
You had kind of a bad streak there and then, two weekends ago, you grabbed second. This weekend, that was a pretty dominant race as far as reeling in Justin Barcia and coming from, like, fifth or sixth or wherever you were and taking off with the race win. What’s different now from when you weren’t doing that well? Well, when I wasn’t doing that well, I was just getting bad starts and then I was just crashing. So, you know, obviously I didn’t get the greatest start in Toronto – I think I was, like, eighth off the start – and then I just got through the pack without crashing. And, you know, Daytona I crashed a bunch and at Indy I was behind, and I crashed as well. So, I just stayed up on two wheels and just made it through the first couple laps and then started catching up to Justin Barcia. That was just the main difference. I mean, I felt like at Indy and Daytona I had the speed, it’s just things weren’t going my way at all.You were so smooth, too; that was the other thing. And the track seemed really technical and difficult.I don’t know, I just… From the very first practice, I told my mechanic Paul [Perebijnos] to write on my bar pad, and he wrote, “Relax and be calm.” Because the way the track was, it was really slippery, like there were little pebbles and rocks and it was really easy to fall, I felt like, because it was slippery. So, I just told Paul to just write on my bar pad. So, in the main event that’s all I was trying to do, was just to be relaxed and calm. And that’s pretty much what helped.
So, you’ve got quite a few points still that you have to make up, but you’ve got three races, right?I don’t know; I’m pretty far off the championship. But all I’m going to do is just do my best at each and every round and enjoy myself, and that’s all I really can do.You talked about Blake Wharton running into you in Jacksonville, and this weekend he took out Ryan Sipes for the lead, so do you have to pay special attention to him now?I feel like I really have to work on my starts, then I don’t have to worry about anybody. And, I mean, I’m not really making it easy on myself. Like, neither of my wins were a nice holeshot and win; it’s been a come-from-behind. And with Wharton, it’s just weird because he never rode like that before, so when he comes in and almost takes you out, like, three times, it’s just unexpected. Barcia must have taught him some stuff because he seems like he’s pretty good at the whole [rough riding] scenario. That’s just the main thing. I don’t think Sipes was expecting him to just go in there and clean him out.Probably not…And, like, in Jacksonville I wasn’t expecting him because he never rode like that before. So, I don’t know; somebody must have got to him and told him to get going or something because he has definitely gotten a lot more aggressive over the past couple weeks.
So, what do you think about all this drama Florida? Talk to us about it…[Laughs] I think it’s sweet. I mean, I don’t know, Bubba was only having a bit of fun. And honestly he just had fun with the wrong person and it kind of bit him in the ass. So, that’s a shame for him, but I don’t think people should hate him or anything for it. Everybody shouldn’t be giving him a hard time. And he was just trying to have a bit of fun but just with the wrong person. I mean, we’ve all done stupid stuff. But, it’s just – obviously he wouldn’t have done it if he knew it was two undercover cops. I mean, that was just luck of the draw. Obviously he didn’t know. He was just having fun and then, I don’t know, I guess he got spooked off and got out of there, away from them. But I feel shitty; I feel kind of bad for him because he’s going through a lot of crap now for it.
Have you started testing for outdoors yet? No, and I don’t really know what the plans are. I’m sure after the last round, or the second-to-last round of the East when we have that break, we’ll be doing some outdoor testing.
What do you think about the outdoors this year? You know, I definitely want to be in the title chase but, you know, it’s a long series to outdoors. And it’s the same old phrase that everybody else says, but it’s true that you can’t win the championship at the first round, but you can lose it. So, it’s a long series and you don’t have to go out in the first round and be a hero. I mean, look at last year: Reed won and Alessi was up there and Tomac was up there the first round. And then at the end of the series I don’t think any of those guys…or maybe Tomac was in the top five but they were not championship contenders. So, you know, you’ve just got to pace yourself.
With that last race being in Canada, and you sort of denouncing your Canadian roots for your Scottish roots, did you get any haters up there? No, but my mechanic said there were a couple haters that came up to him and were talking some sh-t. So, I didn’t. I had nothing to do with it, so I didn’t have any problems. The Canadian fans were great to me.
