Catching up with ... Paul Carpenter
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Interview by Allison Kennedy Davies
Photos by James Lissimore
Monster Energy Cernics’s Kawasaki’s Paul Carpenter
knows what it takes to win a championship in Canada. After winning the MX1 title back in 2007, Carpenter raced the AMA Nationals last summer, before deciding to take another shot at the Canadian crown with long-time Kawi manager Billy Whitley this year. Paul was quietly consistent at the first two rounds, but at round three he made his presence known with a moto win and his first overall of the series. We caught up with Carpenter this week to see what he thinks about what is suddenly shaping up to be a three-man race for the title.
knows what it takes to win a championship in Canada. After winning the MX1 title back in 2007, Carpenter raced the AMA Nationals last summer, before deciding to take another shot at the Canadian crown with long-time Kawi manager Billy Whitley this year. Paul was quietly consistent at the first two rounds, but at round three he made his presence known with a moto win and his first overall of the series. We caught up with Carpenter this week to see what he thinks about what is suddenly shaping up to be a three-man race for the title.Hey Paul. First off, welcome back to Canada.
Thanks. It’s been good so far.
Where are you now? Have you been flying back and forth?
I’m in New York. We’ve been going back and forth every weekend but our flights have been getting all messed up every week. It’s kind of been a nightmare. But we only have this last one that we are flying to in Winnipeg this weekend and after that we can finally start to get to the East coast and I think we only have to fly to one more.
I’m in New York. We’ve been going back and forth every weekend but our flights have been getting all messed up every week. It’s kind of been a nightmare. But we only have this last one that we are flying to in Winnipeg this weekend and after that we can finally start to get to the East coast and I think we only have to fly to one more.
So, it took you three weeks but you got your first overall and your first win this weekend in Edmonton. Tell us how that felt?
It did take a few weeks. It was tough. I think the guys have stepped it up since I was up there in ’07. I was riding hard but I was getting frustrated. Little things were happening, it seemed like each moto something little would happen and mess me up. I never really got going you know. Basically this weekend it seemed like I got a decent start and was able to get up front with those guys and it just made the biggest difference in the world. Once I got up there, I was like ‘Oh, all right, I remember this now!”
So it must have felt pretty darn good then?
Oh yeah, it felt really good. It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been working my butt off and getting frustrated, but like I say you can only do what you can do. Those guys were riding really well. It’s a long series and I think it’s going to be tough for anybody so hopefully all three of us—the guys who are running for a championship right now—can stay healthy and I think it’s going to be a battle.
That’s pretty exciting for Canadian fans. It was just enough of a streak for Colt that everyone was starting to wonder if he was going to walk away with it, but I think things are about to get interesting.
Yeah, for sure. The other thing is that he’s been getting every holeshot. How can you compete with the guy? I say this not in a bad way but there are only eight or nine guys that are running close to the pace up front and it’s hard when those guys are getting out front and you are starting 18th. By the time you catch up and get around them, they are already gone. Colton’s been lucky—well I wouldn’t say lucky—he’s been on top of his game and he’s been getting every start. That makes a huge, huge difference.
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| Carpenter knows it's a long season yet ... and he knows from experience what it takes to win. |
In the first moto, it was a battle between Facciotti
and Klatt
. What was so different about moto two?
and Klatt
. What was so different about moto two? Well, the first moto my goggles were broken. I had no lens in my goggles, once I got into third I just rode around. The second moto, basically I got a better start and saw where they were and then I realized that Colton was up front. I got behind him and I realized that he wasn’t actually going that fast. He wasn’t unbeatable. I just basically stayed on him and stayed on him until he made a mistake and once he made a mistake I capitalized on that, and passed him and put in a few good laps and got away on him a bit.
What has Billy been saying after the first few rounds?
Billy just says, “We’ve gotta do what we’ve gotta do and have fun.” He wants the best for everybody on the team. Of course he wants us to win, but he knows you’ve got to give it everything you can and just go day by day and see how it plays out. As long as everybody is safe and healthy and everyone has tried their hardest, that’s all you can do and I think that’s all he’s really asking for.
Tell us a bit about how Kamloops and Calgary went for you?
For one, both times our flights got jacked and I just went in with a really bitter attitude and we just had a lot of stuff go wrong. We flew into Kelowna and had to drive and a lot of stuff was already frustrating me before we got to the race. At the race, I did everything I could. I mean the tracks were good, the guys were riding well, and I did everything I could. I had a crash in the second moto and things just didn’t work out the way I would have liked them too. In Calgary, I got right behind Colton in the first moto right off the start. He put about three or four seconds on me right away and we stayed that way pretty much the whole race. Dusty was behind me for most of the moto, right there, and we just basically went 1-2-3. The second moto…well all year so far really, I believe it comes down to who gets out front, because all three of us are fairly close in speed. So, whoever gets out front is going to have a nice easy race, that’s the way I look at it. I don’t think it’s going to be easy for anyone. Especially when we get out East, I think it’s going to be a little tougher. The tracks get a little tougher, I think, they get a little rougher, the weather will get a little humid, and I think that there are more things that can play a factor out here, rain or whatnot, who knows what we’re looking at. I think that it’s not even close to being over, that’s my personal opinion.
You’re now sitting third in points, just four points back from Dusty and 21 points back from Colt. What’s the plan from here on in? Obviously you need to do yourself a favour and get some more starts.
Yeah, definitely, that is obviously key. That for me is my biggest thing. I just think I have to be smart in the motos too. I have to be a guy who maybe doesn’t necessarily win every moto. I think you are going to have to be smart throughout the year, because at some point, somewhere, I think one of us is going to make a big mistake somewhere. I think it’s going to be who can make the least amount of mistakes, along the line, and basically capitalize on the mistakes that are made.
You mentioned in a pre-season interview that Facciotti is a confidence rider. Do you think it was key that both you and Dusty gave him a run for his money last weekend? Do you think he’ll be able to pick up where he left off in Morden?
I mean I don’t think he’s going to crumble…he’s fine as far as that goes, but I think that it does make a difference. If you’re Colton and you get out front and you’re used to running away with it, if you have a guy who’s on your back for two or three laps but all of a sudden he disappears and you are gone, obviously you are going to be confident that you can do that same thing at each and every race. Now, you’ve had a guy who rode behind you for two or three laps, caught you, passed you, and pulled away from you. Now you are going to start thinking, hey, that could happen again, and I think that’s the thing that not neccessarily breaks his confidence but makes him think about who else is out there …
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| Carpenter leads Facciotti at the Edmonton National. He went 3-1 for his first overall of the series. |
Last time you raced Morden it was a mudbath, what do you remember about the track? What are you expecting?
Yeah (laughs) it was. I don’t have a clue what it will be like on a dry day. Saturday’s practice was pretty good as I remember, I honestly don’t remember very well. I think we only got a few laps before it started raining. I literally can’t even remember what it looks like, it was such a mud race, I don’t remember the jumps or anything, and so it’s kind of like going there for the first time. I hear it’s a nice track if it’s dry, so I’m looking forward to it. I didn’t think I was going to like Edmonton, everyone said it was so fast and there was nothing to it, but I actually felt it was a good track. It got rough, it got a little choppy, it had a couple of different sections where could do different things, it had a few different lines.
What did you think of the East coast tracks?
I like all of them. I really liked Ste-Julie, and Gopher, and Walton, Riverglade
, even Sand Del Lee. I think the East Coast tracks get a little rougher. I think both of those guys are in shape this year. There’s not going to be an issue about that. In the long run, I think the rougher tracks are my best shot. If it comes down to a knock down, drag em out fight, I think that’s my best opportunity.
I like all of them. I really liked Ste-Julie, and Gopher, and Walton, Riverglade
, even Sand Del Lee. I think the East Coast tracks get a little rougher. I think both of those guys are in shape this year. There’s not going to be an issue about that. In the long run, I think the rougher tracks are my best shot. If it comes down to a knock down, drag em out fight, I think that’s my best opportunity. So, does it feel good to be back in the mix here in Canada?
Definitely, it feels good. When you go to a U.S. National, you know you are going there for a 10th or something close to a 10th, that’s your goal and that’s kind of frustrating in itself. No one even cares about a top 10 anymore. It’s really nice to be racing in a place where you have the potential to win. It’s nice to at least have a shot at a moto win, or an overall win, or even a championship. It’s also nice to be somewhere where things are a little more laidback, a little less pressure. It’s a little more fun to ride your bike again. The races are cool, all the people seem to get along, there’s no big drama. It just seems like maybe Canada is a little bit more grown up about it.
How about Jack and Bobby? What have they thought so far?
Jack’s had some good and some bad races but I think for coming up and not really knowing what to expect I think he’s having a good time. Same for Bobby, he’s had some bad luck and some stuff go wrong for him and I think it’s not quite as easy as everybody expected, but they’ve been having a good time. The only thing that’s been killing us is getting messed up in the airport each weekend. It’s like we’ve been in the airport all week.
Has much changed since you were here in 07?
Well, I think the riding pace has picked up. As far as the CMRC, I think they’ve done a little bit better job listening to the riders. Each week there is a meeting and the riders can tell them if there’s a place that needs attention on the track, the CMRC is out there and they do a good job of listening and handling stuff. I think everyone has done a good job of making the series a little more professional. It runs very smoothly, so far these first three rounds, basically everything has been very close to on time, it’s been very professional. It seemed like in ’07 at the first few rounds, it could go either way, they could change the time at a drop of a hat, whereas this year I think it’s run a little more like the AMA, it’s pretty professional how it’s done. I think they’ve done a great job. The people are friendly and not everyone has such a chip on their shoulder. Everyone is happy to be there and the racing is the racing but at the end of the day, everyone shakes hands and carries on.
So, it’s on is it?
Well, I would say so. I think both Dusty and Colton are thinking it’s on. We are only three rounds in so far, and there’s a lot of racing left to do. You can say it’s on, but you’ve also got to be smart about what you do and putter along and do what you can do.
Well, you obviously know what you need to do to win…
Well, hopefully (laughs).
Good luck, hopefully it stays dry in Morden and your flights are on time.
Yah, well we are going through Chicago again so … maybe. (Laughs)
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Recent comments
Thanks!
Good first day!
I miss being at the races :(
they spelled justin gosselins
Tougher Than a Two Dollar Steak
Formo
really? i've seen him at all
jay burke is planning on
Mommy #47
Fantasic photos as usual,