My favorite interviews we do here at MotoXAddicts are the Privateer Showcase interviews. Sure, it’s awesome chatting with the stars, but it’s the privateers that are the life blood of the sport and the truest motocross addicts. Week in and week out, these kids struggle just to find a way to test, train, work on their bikes, drive to the races and put together funds, but they still somehow find a way to get it done.
One of our favorite privateers is an ultra-talented kid from Alaska—Ben Lamay. Since turning pro, Ben has done anything and everything to get to the races and seems to not comprehend the word quit. In pursuit of his dream to make a living racing, he has moved all over the world to try to get it done. Because of Ben’s passion and never-say-die attitude, he always seems the be the first guy called when a team needs a fill-in rider, and in 2011, he spent a lot of the year with the MotoConcepts squad. While he was able to do well with them and earn the National #52 with some decent results, it seems Ben may once again be without any substantial support in the upcoming season.
We talked with Ben to find out what his plans may be for 2012, and here’s what he had to say to us.
What is up, Lamazing? (laughs)
Not much, just loading up to go ride.
Nice, where you heading?
We’re heading out to Milestone to do some Supercrossing.
Supercrossing, eh? (laughs) Are you still riding the Yamaha?
Yep, still on the Yamaha, but we’re still trying to figure out what I’m doing for 2012.
Do you still have one of the MotoConcepts Yamahas?
No, it’s my bike. I actually rode my bike the whole year. The MotoConcepts bike I raced was my bike. They just bolted on their engine parts, plastics, and all their gadget stuff.
Have you at least removed the 6 off the #526 since you’re now National #52?
I haven’t yet. I need to upgrade that to the five-two, but I’m not factory enough to get the graphics made yet. That’s probably because I don’t know for sure what I’m racing yet. (laughs)
So what’s the latest on the 2012 setup for you? Are you talking with anyone at all right now about a deal?
Yeah, I’m talking to one team right now here in the US, but it’s not too promising. I don’t think anything will turn out from that. I’m also talking to the team in England I rode for two years ago [Samsung Yamaha]. I’m kind of going back and forth with them on that deal, but I really want to stay here and avoid going out of the country. If I can’t afford to race anymore, I don’t know what I’m going to do.
Yeah, you would think that with the lack of rides here in the States, more riders would load up and head over the Atlantic and make some money. But riders seem like they would much rather stay home and ride for pennies than head overseas and make $30 -$40,000 a year.
Yeah, I don’t know if I can make that much, but I guess you could if you were doing good. I was going to do the British Championship and I think a few GP’s, but I’m still trying to figure it all out.
I know you’d rather forget about the 2011 Supercross season, but overall, you did well in a stacked 450 class outdoors. What was your overall feeling about 2011?
Yeah, in SX I guess you could say I struggled quite a bit, but I think I’m a good SX rider. I do good in the rhythm sections and I’ve been killing the whoops, but my starts are terrible. I’ve been working on that though. In SX, I only made one main with MotoConcepts in Salt Lake, so that was pretty disappointing. I mean, I was close in pretty much every race. I was right there, but I have a lot of things to work on and I have been fixing them. Outdoors, though, went pretty decent. I qualified top ten in practice the first two rounds, and I had two twelfth place moto finishes in Southwick and Steel City. So, I mean, overall it was alright. My goal is to break the top ten in a moto or overall, which I never did, but I was close. I think my best start throughout the year was probably 20th. I was always 20th to 30th every race and just coming through the pack. I’m pretty strong from about the twenty to thirty minute mark, and that’s where I gain a lot of my time. But by then, the field is way too spread out, and you can’t make any passes.
Yeah, I definitely noticed that watching you all year long. It seemed like the standard Lamay moto was start 25th and finish 14th. I’m sure if you started fifth every moto, you would be able to begin to acclimate yourself to that pace rather than the mid-pack pace you seem to be stuck in.
Yeah, exactly! I heard from people, “Yeah, you look good, and you’re charging.” But I was like look at my results: they suck. That’s not where I should be at. I look at the results and see the results of people I should be battling with near the top ten and think I should be there, but when you’re battling from the back of the pack every race, it’s not going to happen.
Yeah, overall your speed was top ten most weeks in motocross–which I would think should get you sponsor attention–but do you think it was more your Supercross results that are getting you overlooked?
Yeah, for sure! I think a lot of teams look at Supercross results a lot more than outdoors. I mean, they care about outdoors, but not as much as Supercross. All the money for them seems to be in Supercross. So if you’re not a very good Supercross rider, it’s pretty much pointless to them. Obviously, my Supercross record hasn’t been that great. So it’s hard to get a chance with a good team and a good bike where I can just focus on training, riding and racing rather than having to focus on driving across the country, being my own mechanic and living week to week–which was a big hold back for me in 2011 Supercross.
I know you’re a bigger kid so you prefer the 450, but with the depth of talent in the 450 class in 2012, have you entertained the thought of throwing a leg over a Lites bike in 2012?
Yeah, I’ve thought about that plenty of times. If it was my choice, I’d race a 250F right now. I weigh 180 lbs right now, and that’s too heavy to compete on the 250F. I think I’d need to drop another 10lbs. I’ve been working on that and have already dropped some weight. I have a good trainer named Troy Ross who has been helping me shed some pounds. I’ve lost 5-10lbs already. Last year during SX, I was 190-195lbs. I’ve actually trimmed down a lot, but to be able to race the Lites class, I’d need to drop more. It’s really unfair when you have to race guys like Baggett and Barcia and other little guys that are like 140lbs. That’s a big advantage for them.
Yeah, you factor in 50lbs and their factory machinery, and you’re looking at a 10 horsepower difference.
Yeah, exactly.
You seem to always get the call when MotoConcepts needs a fill-in, but did they talk to you at all about the possibility of being under their tent for 2012?
No, they haven’t offered me anything. I tried calling them left and right about a job, but they showed no interest at all. They signed Jake Canada early in the outdoors season as a fill-in, and I knew about ¾ of the way through outdoors that they were looking at him for 2012 SX. I knew they were talking to him about 250F stuff, and I mean, I know he’s a smaller kid and does have that advantage over me. I think he’s like 160-170lbs. But yeah, they never asked me about a tryout or to get on a bike. I talked to Mike Genova–who I think is a really good guy–a little bit, but nothing came about from it. I’m still really good friends with those guys and hang out at their shop a little bit–to hang with the mechanics and stuff. They’re all really cool over there.
That’s good, and I’m sure you’re friendship keeps you fresh in their head when they need someone to fill in. I know fill-in rider status isn’t the best situation, but at the same time with the amount of injuries in our sport, it’s always a good option to be open for.
Yeah, that’s really not how I want it to be, but I guess that’s just the way it has to be right now. I’m not quite fast enough to get a ride right now, so I guess I’m ok being the guy that’s a fill-in rider. Definitely not how I think of myself, but right now, I’ll take it. I’m probably just going to end up doing my own deal again this year and hope for an opening to fill-in somewhere. But who knows. We have a month before Anaheim I–which isn’t that long–but something could happen. I’m staying positive.
That was my next question: what is your plan consist of for 2012 if the phone doesn’t ring for you?
Well, my plan right now is to probably get Yamahas again and cruise around in the fun-mover. I’ll for sure do all the West rounds, and if I can make some money to afford it, maybe go East and do the rounds I can afford.
So Yamahas again for sure?
Well, I’m not 100% sure I’m going to do Yamahas. I kind of want to switch to get a little better deal on parts and support. Yamaha really doesn’t help me out much. I bought all my bikes this year from a dealership–at an NCY–so I’m kind of looking to go a different direction to get a deal on some bikes or something. I’m working on a few things.
I know in the past Jeff Ward worked with you, and you’re friends with the Wardy family. I heard through the grapevine that you may have talked with him a little. Anything to that?
Yeah, I talked with Jeff a little, but he wasn’t really too interested. I still talk to him, and Brandon [Jeff’s son] and I are good buddies. I hang out with Brandon a lot and see Jeff all the time, but Jeff said he has his two guys with Kawasaki and right now their support is limited.
What’s your gear deal for 2012 look like. Back with TLD, or will we see you in something else?
I’m actually going to go with O’Neal, I think–just because I knew the guy from there when I was with MotoConcepts, and Chris is a really cool dude. He was going to help me out with some gear and stuff.
Everything definitely helps when you’re a privateer, and I hope you can get more help than what you’re working with right now. I appreciate you talking with us again, and we wish you luck no matter how it plays out.
Yeah, no problem. Thanks for doing the interview, Dan.
Ben wanted to make sure and thank Race Tech Suspension for their continued support, and if anyone else would like to talk to Ben about support for the 2012 season, he can be contacted by email at Bensjamin@aol.com or via twitter at @BLamay52.