Photo by Russ Erbe (From Erbeman photos)
The Monster Energy AMA SX series is now six rounds down, and two rookies have really stood out in this years’ title chase. One of those rookies is the Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki rider Brett Metcalfe. The 26 year-old—originally from Mannum, Australia—may be a rookie this year in the 450 SX class, but he is far from new to the fans of MX and SX.
Brett has been a professional racer for a while and moved to the US back in 2005 to chase his dreamof being an AMA National Champion. He has been working on that goal ever since. Brett, since moving to the States, has raced for ten titles; 2011 will be eleven. In those ten tries, he has been in the top ten nine times in points and in the top five the last six series he has raced in. The man they call Metty, has been one of the most, if not the most, consistent riders at the top of this sport in the last five years.
Since I started writing about my passion—motocross and Supercross—I have had the opportunity to talk with some of the best riders in the world. I have also talked to some of the nicest. Brett Metcalfe may be the most down-to-earth making my conversation with him probably the most enjoyable 15 minutes I’ve ever spent talking with a rider.
I called him up a few days after A2 to find out how his rookie 450 SX campaign has been going and, being a fan, I had to ask a few burning questions any fan would have asked.
How do you think your 450 season is going so far this year in SX?
I think it’s going well. I’m learning, improving each week now and getting stronger. It’s the first time for me riding 450 in supercross, so it’s just about me getting accustomed to the Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki and trying to get better each weekend. I started off pretty solid, and I feel like I’m riding solid. It’s just working on the small little things to get better and get closer to the top.
I’m on Twitter, and I asked people there for a question for Metty. @pollo2911 wanted me to ask if the series was going the way you expected overall.
I think everyone would like to be up at the front—and that’s where I was hoping to be each weekend—but the field is definitely stacked. I feel like I’ve had some really good rides, just a couple mistakes, like when I fell in LA. I’ve had a couple bad starts along the way, and that didn’t help out. In this field, you can’t really get those bad starts. With the talent of 450 riders this year, it is kind of like racing the Lites class: you got to get the starts. This year the 450s are no different. I just need to stay confident and consistent. I would really like to get up into the top five and, by the end of the season, maybe step up on the podium to see what that feels like.
Back at Anaheim II, I noticed you and Davi Millsaps had a crazy battle. Was that battle as fun as it looked?
Nah, not really! (Laughs) It was frustrating, and the track was tough which did not allow many options. If you went inside, you couldn’t really triple out, and with the really long rhythm sections, if you missed a lane or missed the first three, the whole lane was really jacked. So with a mistake in there you could lose a lot of time, and that could really cost you. That wasn’t really the case for me though. I would keep going inside and try to make a pass which would not allow me to triple out and would cost me time. Overall, though, the battle was definitely fun. At the same time, it was frustrating to try and find a spot where I could make a move. Davi kept it clean and solid, and we were the only guys at that time battling, so that was fun. I’m just glad I got by for that extra spot and put another point on the board.
Speaking of back at A2, did you even look at that big quad Stewart was doing? Did it even enter your mind?
(Laughs) No, it never really entered my mind. Obviously, you look at it in practice. Heck, everyone looks at it and thinks this might be possible. There’s always the crazy factor of what you “could” do. I knew right away it was possible but something I wouldn’t do. Typically, I don’t want to pull the trigger on something really risky. I’m just not someone known to do something like that. I will say it was really impressive watching James do that in the Main Event, though, lap after lap.
It was insane. (Laughs) The other quad even made that one he was doing every lap look small.
(Laughs) Yeah, both those quads were huge. They were fast; they were big. I hope the fans realized how darn technical those things were and how much skill it takes to pull stuff like that and be consistent with it all night.
For jumps like that one I’ve been told–because I would never jump something that big–that it is all about being comfortable with your setup. How are you feeling with the setup on the Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki? Did you start with RD1’s setup and work off of that?
They started with similar stuff. I guess they would call it their baseline setting which is kind of what they have developed over the last couple of years with Ryan and the riders previous to that.
Yeah, I guess RC and Reedy would give a good base. (Laughs)
Exactly. My setup was combined with their stuff, and because I am a little lighter and smaller they kind of adjusted around that. So yeah, we started there, but our bikes are for sure a little different with different settings. Coming into the season, and during the week, we have been testing a lot and getting my setup better. I’m getting more comfortable every week. What I find really difficult, though, is I ride hundreds of laps at the test tracks in Southern California with all the hard pack, but when we get to the tracks, all the dirt is totally different.
I’ve talked to riders before about their setups, and some riders don’t put much weight on it. Are you someone that puts a lot of weight in to setup and being super comfortable?
Yeah, I think it’s important, and the guys that say they don’t care, it’s probably because they were comfortable with the first thing they rode. Once you get to that point, you don’t really need to play around with stuff. Sometimes when you start searching for something that’s not there, you think something is not right and end up spinning around in circles. There’s a whole mental side to that, and that can take you down too. I guess in short: yes, I put a lot of weight on my setup and being comfortable. Every rider has a sweet spot he likes. At most, after that, it’s just a couple clicks here or there.
LP over at LPmotocross asked me to make sure I asked about last year’s outdoors because you absolutely killed it last year, getting second in the championship. You kind of flew in a little under the radar but did you expect to do that good?
I don’t want to sound like it was nothing. (Laughs) I was really stoked to finish second in the championship. I really didn’t think I would get second in the championship. I mean, I thought it could happen, but to pull it off was definitely surprising. I did go feeling the championship was going to be a good one for me. I always felt like if I got the 450, I could excel outdoors. You know a lot of people were surprised, but the two years prior to that I finished third overall both years outdoors on the 250. That somehow went under the radar too.
I think the reason you were under the radar was because you weren’t able to pull off that elusive win. You got so close in ‘09, though, at Budds Creek. On the last lap, before they called the race from the rain and flooding, Weimer sneaks by you. They call it one lap early, and we don’t have this conversation. Then in 2010, you ran out of gas with a quarter lap to go. I felt like reaching into the TV to give you gas. How bad did those hurt? Being a fan, it hurt watching both of those.
(Laughs) That was pretty hurtful man. You know, I love Southwick, and that race is a race that everyone on the team put so much work into going there. We spent a couple weeks out there with Ziggy and things were really starting to click for me. I was starting to come around strong with podiums, and I really felt like, “Man, I’m going to win this national.” To have that first win right there and to run out of gas, man! It was painful for me, but it was frustrating and painful for the team, because I know how much they wanted it. Obviously they felt bad because she ran out of gas, but hey, it’s not the first time that’s happened. It is just part of racing and things like that happen. It was definitely painful for me. (Laughs)
You have a ton of fans. When I asked for questions for you I got twenty. I asked you one already, but I selected one more from the bunch. @MarkN449 wants to know if you could take an outdoor venue of SX off the schedule, which would it be and what would you put in its place?
Ah, that’s pretty tough, but I don’t really enjoy Washougal. It’s kind of a bad thing to say. I mean I love going there. The area’s beautiful. I don’t know if you have been up there, but if you ever get a chance to go it is beautiful.
Brett, you just picked my favorite, and home, track. I’m about forty minutes from there as we speak. Not sure if I’m a Metty fan any more. You should just have been nice and said nothing. I see how you are.
(Laughs) No, no! I love it and all. It is a historic track, and it’s been there forever, but there are just things about it I don’t like. They have made a lot of improvements, though, and the last two years it has been the best it has ever been. Things like the soil quality and the width of the track were not always good, but like I said, they have made a bunch of improvements. Also, the way the track is dug out real deep, those walls on the sides form. That can be dangerous at times. Overall, though, they have made great changes up there, and I think it is beautiful like I said. It’s just not my favorite.
Nice save, Brett. Nice save. We are all good now. So what would you put in its place?
I don’t know. It would be nice if there was something new. Maybe something in the Southeast like Florida. I know they used to have a national down there, so it would be nice to go down there.
Well, that’s all I got. Thanks again for doing this interview with a huge fan. The best part of this gig is talking to my idols.
Hey, no problem. It’s nice to talk to someone so enthusiastic. This sport could use some new people.
I hope I can stick around long enough to be that guy. Thanks again!
Brett’s sponsors are: Rockstar Energy Drink, Makita Tools, Factory Suzuki,Yoshimira, Scott, Pro taper,Vortex and D.I.D., & Schaefer Tracks
