13 hours in the past | Phrases: Eric Johnson | Images: YMC
Jeremy Seewer was a great distance from residence. Some 5974 miles from residence! The night prior, the 2022 Swiss-born MXGP Vice World Champion was holding station at K1 Velocity in downtown San Diego, California, and in tandem with Yamaha Motor Company teammates Eli Tomac and Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Power AMA Supercross and AMA Professional Motocross) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Power Yamaha MotoGP), exhibited to the bike racing world the all-new world Monster Power Yamaha race group livery. In downtown San Diego, it’s the eve of the Monster Power Supercross Sequence set for that U.S. Navel metropolis.
Sure, second to Crew Honda ace, Tim Gajser, within the 2022 FIM Motocross Championship, Jeremy Seewer gained 5 motos and three Grands Prix (France, Czech Republic and Sweden) earlier than the season wound all the way down to the MXGP of Turkey in early September. So, there it was, Saturday afternoon at 35,000-seat Snapdragon Stadium when 1984 AMA Supercross Champion Johnny O’Mara – by the way in which, winner of the 1982 125cc Grand Prix of Switzerland – walked into the Monster Power Yamaha Star Racing group pit space alongside Jeremy Seewer. Buddies with the Swiss racer, O’Mara pulled up a couple of chairs, shoved a field of Jett Lawrence Donuts earlier than us and mentioned, “EJ, I do know you need to interview Jeremy. So right here you go…” That’s the exact second when this author fired-up his trusty and well-worn Olympus digital recorder.
“I’m right here only for enjoyable, ?” began the pleasant, well-spoken Monster Power Yamaha Manufacturing unit MXGP rider, whereas contemplating if he actually wished one of many pink and glossy Jett Lawrence donuts. “I’m right here to speak with some associates and to have some good instances. I spent two days in an airplane simply to return right here. Yesterday, Yamaha and Monster Power introduced their new bikes and sponsorship settlement, in order that’s why I got here to California. Like I mentioned, I travelled greater than a day to return right here and tomorrow I journey again. It’s an enormous journey, but it surely’s price it. I’ve many associates over right here. It’s good to be right here to speak with them face-to-face and never at all times by cellphone. I take pleasure in all of this though it’s a tricky journey. It’s superior to be right here at supercross. I might additionally love to return right here to do supercross someday, however you’ve bought to commit to at least one or the opposite and if you happen to decide to being a GP rider, then that’s what it’s a must to decide to. If you wish to be a supercross racer, you want to come right here on the age of 18 on the very newest. After that, it simply doesn’t make sense.”
Earlier than we initiated talking about MXGP Motocross World Championship and all that comes with it, I requested Seewer what he considered 2021 MotoGP World Champion and Yamaha teammate, Fabio Quartararo, who was busy working the room at K1 Velocity earlier than being tapped to climb right into a go-kart.
“Yeah, he’s a cool dude,” smiled Seewer. “ I’d by no means actually met him. Positive, I comply with MotoGP and stuff, however the factor with TV is that you simply don’t see the particular person. You see them race. That’s a special story. Fabio and I had lunch collectively yesterday and we talked about regular issues. Okay, I requested him issues about MotoGP which I’m focused on. I requested him about background issues. Fabio requested me motocross. high athletes, athletes like we’re, you simply comply with all sports activities. It’s all we do. If I placed on my TV I need to find out about snowboarding, MotoGP, Formulation 1, supercross and all of this stuff. I’m very into sports activities, so I need to find out about them. To get to speak to a man like Fabio is sort of a huge alternative and also you get to share issues that different folks won’t ever discover about. Fabio could be very attention-grabbing. He’s a cool man. His toes are on the earth. He’s a superb man to speak to.”
The 67th annual FIM Motocross World Championship will elevate its curtain open on March 12, 2023, within the form of the Patagonia Argentina Grand Prix. For that date, Jeremy Seewer has utilized his absolute focus and was candid about the truth that as quickly as he rolled out of San Diego, it was time to get again to Europe and to get to work.
“As , our MXGP season begins in March, so January is the month to place within the arduous work,” identified 10-time Grand Prix winner. “It’s means being in sort of a boot camp for one month within the south of Europe; in Sardinia doing testing and coaching and biking and doing a variety of motos and placing a variety of hours on the bike. It may be wet days and sunny days and it’s simply placing in laps and getting the bike to work and getting my physique to be in high form. That’s what this January is for. It’s not like I’ve days to waste. what we do is greater than a standard job as a result of I can’t cease at 5pm or begin at 8am within the morning each day. Monday is not any completely different from Saturday or Sunday for me, ? I imply it’s a dream that we live, however rather a lot comes with it that the folks don’t see. Like I mentioned earlier than, there’s a variety of arduous work. And it is vitally arduous work. It’s a must to go to absolutely the restrict together with your physique. And the opposite factor we take care of is the stress. Such as you mentioned, we bought on the market and on the finish, oaky, we’ve an entire group and a complete crew behind us and to assist us, however after we are behind the beginning gate it’s me and the bike.”
One thing Seewer was utterly trustworthy on all through our dialog within the sunny San Diego paddock was the tough actuality {that a} world-class racer each lives and dies on their GP outcomes. Dangerous races maintain you up at evening. Dwell and die on outcomes!
“Yeah, it may be robust,” provided Seewer. “100-percent, it may be robust. Racing can provide you a sense that nothing else on the planet can provide you. If you win or when you have got a profitable race, the vitality you get from that’s irreplaceable with anything. However the reverse is that when you have got a nasty day or when you have got a couple of dangerous races. It almost kills you from the within as a result of you are attempting to determine how and why. It’s not a pleasant feeling. That is the alternative. Nonetheless, these emotions make you stronger and make you need to do higher the subsequent time.”
As beforehand talked about, Jeremy Seewer is sort of accustomed to inserting runner-up within the FIM World Championship. 2017 noticed him place second total in MX2, whereas 2019, 2020 and 2022 introduced Seewer FIM Silver Medals within the premiere MXGP classification.
“I imply, the primary time I grew to become the Vice World Champion, I used to be proud. I used to be like, ‘Wow! I’m the Vice World Champion! I bought someplace! Wow!’ After which after I bought it thrice, it was like, ‘Okay, I need to win now.’ You’re not proud of second anymore. Okay, seeing the entire image final 12 months, I misplaced rather a lot in the beginning of the season. With out that, I feel I might have been combating for the world title. The method for this 2023 season is that I need to win, ? I need to exit and be the very best. I don’t need to put myself in a spot the place I have to win as a result of an excessive amount of stress goes within the fallacious method. I need to take pleasure in what I do. I need to win with out feeling like I’ve to. These are two various things. I’m prepared for it. I’m wanting ahead to it. MXGP is the hardest of the hardest. There are various, many good guys on the market. You don’t get anyplace on the observe at no cost. Sure, that is my purpose to win. Okay, I do know I can’t win each race, however I need to be up there constantly and getting podiums and combating for wins. I’ll see race by race. I don’t look too far forward. I positively need to be within the combine and have the purpose to win the World Championship.”
