Catching Up With…Nick Wey

Brendan Lutes

• April 25 2009
• 1,276 views
• 4 comments

By Brendan Lutes

Team Boost Mobile/ampm/Monster’s Nick Wey has had a tough Supercross season this year. After finalizing his team and bike right before the season began, NYK was forced to essentially test as he raced. With some top-10 finishes to his credit, however, things are beginning to look up for him heading into outdoors. We caught up with Nick before practice at the second to last round of the 2009 Monster Energy Supercross series in Salt Lake City.

Tell us a little about your season, and how it’s all gone down…

This season has definitely been a tough one for me. With the field being so deep and me having to adjust to a new bike, I’ve been struggling a bit. But, I’ve been working hard and I have been getting a few bugs worked out. I plan on coming out for the outdoor Nationals swinging.

What are some of the things you have struggled with, trying to adapt to the Yamaha YZ450F?

Well, we are a privateer effort, you know? We are a rolll over from the old Yamaha of Troy team. They had a lot of parts left over for the YZ250F and a lot of experience with it, but not a lot of experience with the 450. We’ve kind of been learning as we go. There are a lot of Yamaha 450s out there doing well, but those teams have a lot of support from Yamaha, and we are doing it alone. It’s coming along, though and I think that the Nationals will go much easier because we will be trying to maintain, instead of trying to develop as we go like we did in Supercross. We won’t be as behind the eight ball, you know?

You have had some top-10 finishes, though, and that’s something to be proud of…

Obviously, everyone’s goal is to get into the top five, top three or even win. Right now there have been a few top 10s, but right now, I feel that if I get into my groove, a top five is not out of the question. Now, in Salt Lake, with the incelment weather, I’d say that gettinga trophy here tonight could be a possibility.

That’s right, you’re from Michigan. You have done quite well at mud races in the past…

I could go either way. It’s not like I am a consistently good mud rider, but usually when the track is more technical and muddy, I tend to excel. So yeah, if the track is wet tonight I will be looking forward to it.

What are your plans and expectations for the Motocross Nationals?

For the outdoors, first and foremost, I am looking to come in prepared. I’d like to start out in the top 10 and work into the top five, then be in contention for a podium by the end of the season. The Nationals will be stacked also, but if I can come in with my bike dialed in and my mind mentally prepared, I should be good to go. Right now, it is a work in progress and I am just trying to stay positive and improve on a steady basis.

Have you been doing some outdoor testing already?

I’ve ridden outdoors on the Yamaha a few times, but we haven’t really done any serious testing on it yet. Obviously, after Vegas it will be wide open with testing and trying to get the bike dialed in before Glen Helen.