Photo: Courtesy of Supercross.com
Heading into the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, Western Lites Regional Championship most of the focus was on Dean Wilson and the GEICO Powersport/Honda duo of Eli Tomac and Wil Hahn. Tyla Rattray, though, seems to have plans of his own. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider entered 2012 off of everyone’s Supercross radar, but now after scoring two solid podiums and the Championship points lead, he is definitely a title threat. Tyla has used his patented consistency and great starts to put himself in good positions, and he now sits with a slim one-point lead in the points.
The former MX2 FIM Motocross World Champion is in his twelfth year as a professional, but having spent most of his career in Europe, he is still very new to supercross. Last season, in his first full season of Monster Energy SX, Tyla scored two podiums en route to finishing seventh overall in the Western Regional Supercross Lites Championship. This year, though, after a full season of SX under his belt, Tyla is focused on the goal of winning his first SX title.
After the Phoenix Supercross where he took the points lead with a third place finish in the main event, we sat down and talked to Tyla about the 2012 season. Here’s how that conversation played out.
How’s it going, Tyla? Are you now an FIM Motocross World Champion turned Supercross specialist?
No. (Laughs) It’s been going really good. I’ve been feeling good riding, and everything has been going good.
Nice. So should we expect a supercross-only contract next year? (Laughs)
Yeah, I wish. (Laughs)
Last year you landed on the podium twice during the Western Regional Lites series, and this season you are two for two on the box. What do you attribute the difference to?
Yeah, I have been working on my starts and putting time in on the bike, getting a lot of riding in on supercross. Last year for me was a learning year, and this year things are coming to me a lot easier than they were last year.
Yeah, that’s obvious from an observer’s stand point as well. Have you seen the new red plate on your bike yet?
No, not yet, but I saw it at the Nationals, so I know what it looks like–and it always looks good. (Laughs)
Is your strategy to winning a short regional series championship different from your strategy for a longer championship?
No, not really. Obviously your main goal in the off-season is to get ready for Supercross. You want to get down your breathing and timing and make sure you are good to go racing. That’s the main thing, to focus on doing your training and getting the season ready to go. Eight races isn’t a lot, but we have six races in a row. You can start the season off by really messing up and losing the Championship. You also have to be smart ’cause you can’t win the Championship in the first three rounds. My main goal is to keep getting good starts and hopefully try to win a SX soon. I’ve been feeling good, and my speed and everything has been there, so it’s just a matter of minimizing the mistakes I’m making in the Main Event. If I do that, I should be on my way to an SX win.
Are you still working with Aldon Baker for 2012?
Yeah, I’m still working with Aldon Baker, and things have been good. We have been working on a couple little things for Supercross that I’ve been struggling with–like the first part of the race.
Having come from South Africa by way of the GP’s, Supercross must be very different. How hard is it to adapt to the early sprint out of the gate in SX?
Obviously now I’ve been working on that during the week, so that’s been helping me out. I’m still slacking a little bit there the first two laps. I have been working on that quite a bit so that when I do get the holeshot I have that speed straight away. I’ve been working on that a lot, and hopefully if I get the holeshot in L.A.–if it’s not a mud race–I can win.
I know as racers we talk a lot in our helmets, and on Saturday night–when both Dean Wilson and Marvin Musquin slipped by you at the same time–I was wondering what you were saying to yourself.
Yeah, I knew I was going to get passed because I over jumped that triple by a pretty good way. So when I missed the landing by quite a bit, I tried to make the turn on the inside, but obviously after over jumping so far, I didn’t have time to stop. That’s when they snuck up the inside of me. Yeah, that’s a mistake I made, and that could have been the win.
Yeah, with the tight and slick Phoenix dirt, being up front was huge. What are your thoughts on track designs so far in 2012?
Yeah, the first one was a little bit weird. Anaheim 1 was weird, but this weekend was more of a legit supercross. In Phoenix the dirt always gets really compact and slippery, but other than that, I thought it was really good. Track-wise, the second round was a lot better than the first. I’m really looking forward to racing the next four rounds, and hopefully I’ll still be in the points lead by the break.
Speaking of the break, I know you’ll be doing some outdoor training during that time off, but the question is which size bike. Will you be switching bikes with Broc Tickle and racing the Monster Energy/Procircuit/Kawasaki 450, or will you stay on the Lites bike?
I don’t know yet. I still need to speak to Mitch [Payton] about that. I will probably have a meeting with him after these next couple of rounds of supercross before I start any outdoor testing, but I would like to race the 450 in motocross. I’m contractedto race the Lites, but I would like to race the 450. I’ll sit down and speak to Mitch, though, and see what he has to say.
Because your career was started in Europe, a lot of people don’t realize this is your twelfth year as a professional. You have been in this game a long time.
Yeah, since 2000 I’ve been pro, you could say. It’s been twelve years on the little bike, so I think it’s time to move up. (Laughs)
(Laughs) Well, I think you proved your worth at the 2011 Motocross of Nations finishing second overall in the MX1 class. Beating guys like Chad Reed in the overall had to be a good feeling.
Yeah, it was good. I felt good on the big bike. Obviously, it has a lot of power, and I really enjoy racing it. It was a good day. I felt like my riding was good, and that’s probably the first time I did that good at the Motocross of Nations. It was definitely a great day for me–not such a great day for our team [South Africa]–but I think the next Motocross of Nations in Lommel with be good for us.
Is the race a big deal for South Africa?
Yeah, it’s pretty big. Not just for us, but more for the sport in South Africa–especially if we do good because it gets onto the news and helps innovate the sport in South Africa. Motocross in South Africa is really small, so us going there and doing good lifts the sport in South Africa which is really neat and grows the sport.
Nice. I have heard a lot people say they are surprised that you’re leading the SX championship, but my question is are you surprised?
Ah no, I’ve been consistent and feeling good in SX and have been putting myself in good positions. It’s still pretty tight at the top in the points. I’m not really worried about the points lead now–just going to the race and focusing on my job.
Well, so far that has gotten the job done. Thanks a lot for speaking with us, Tyla.
No problem, Dan.
Last yeay we interviewed Tyla about his early career. You can check that out here>>>
