Catching Up With… Tim Ferry

elmo

• January 16 2009
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Tim Ferry has experienced the life of both a factory rider and the life of a privateer…numerous times. After a couple of years under the Moto XXX tent, Red Dog signed a deal with Monster Energy Kawasaki and has been making the best of it ever since. Ferry is now in his third season with Kawasaki and hungrier than ever. We caught up with Ferry to chat about his thoughts on the season, the new EFI bikes, and how many more years Red Dog has left in him.

Two rounds into the season, how are things going for you thus far?

My riding is going well. I think my fourth place at AI was good. I did struggle out of the gate, though. Last weekend, at Phoenix, I spun really bad coming out of the gate, but so did 80 percent of the other guys as well. I had my work cut out for me last weekend, and I managed to pull off a ninth place. I was a little disappointed in the overall result, but the new EFI is really good. I think we have some good races coming up.

What are your thoughts on the new EFI bikes?

Last year’s bike wasn’t bad, obviously. James [Stewart] won the outdoor title and I was second; I also had a ton of podiums during the Supercross season. I think EFI is just the next step in the future of dirt bikes. I really enjoy the new EFI when I’m riding Supercross. Most riders can’t feel it, but I feel everything on the bike and there is no hesitation with the fuel injection. The throttle response is awesome, plus, we don’t have to worry about jetting. Having to deal with the jetting is a pain in the butt (laughs).

How’s everything going with your new teammate, Ryan Villopoto?

It’s been going great! I couldn’t be happier. Ryan is a really good kid. He’s a really down-to-earth person, which is really hard to find nowadays. Racing has changed a lot since I first began. Ryan’s just a normal kid who wants to win, and you can’t fault him for that. He has some good races coming up, along with me. I think the team is really happy so far.

What are your expectations for the rest of the season?

I was hoping to be inside the top five every weekend. I wanted to be consistent every single weekend, but I kind of blew that out of the water (laughs). I’m still fifth overall right now–I’m tied with Ryan. I feel like I have more podiums in me than I originally thought coming into the season, and I think I my speed is a lot better than I thought. I definitely feel like the podium is within my grasp.

With the likes of RV and Josh Grant making the transition to the 450 class, have you changed anything in your training regimen?

I haven’t done anything different, really. I’ve been working on my speed, but you’re always trying to go fast. We all knew that Josh Grant was fast, but he’s definitely surprised me and everybody else. So far, he’s proven to be a very consistent rider. He wasn’t somebody I was expecting to up there like this, you know? There were a few other guys I had on my mind that I thought would be faster, but I guess it’s all a balancing act.

Coming into 2009, you signed with Scott to wear their Genius Boot; however, recently we’ve seen you wearing what seems to be a 661 boot. What’s the story?

I don’t know if I really have a lot to say about that. We had some problems with the contract, but that’s about all I can say. It has nothing to do with Scott, and we’re actually still working with them as we speak. It’s just a contractual thing, and we’ll have everything worked out pretty soon.

You’ve been at this racing thing for many years now. How many more years do you think you have in you?

That’s a good question. I think if I can keep up this pace and progress each year like I have so far things will be good. I really want to stay on a good team like Kawasaki, and if they’ll have me around I think I have a good two to three years left. Heck, it could be longer, too. With the equipment I have I feel like I can progress with my riding, but in the past, I haven’t had the best stuff. I’m not planning on retiring at all. I’m ready for them to re-sign me right now (laughs)!

Is there any chance you would find yourself signing a Supercross-only contract? Or are you happy doing both Supercross and motocross?

Nah! I want to do both indoors and outdoors. The schedule is long and can be tough to do, but I enjoy racing in both Supercross and motocross. I don’t know what my future will be after racing, but I’ve talked to a lot of the WORCS riders and they seem like they have a lot of fun. We’ll see what happens, but I am not going to do a Supercross-only contract unless Kawasaki decides we’re not doing the outdoor series. I like racing, I like being busy, and I like being at the races.