Dean Ferris
You know what? I’ve never seen you
look so relaxed as you have this year,
especially over the last two rounds.
I’m guessing having built such a
huge lead in the championship
contributed.
“
I never really
wanted to leave
Europe, but I
was in a pickle
and it felt my
career was going
nowhere.
I still feel like… I have a bit of
different demeanor now. I’m in a
good place with the CDR (Craig Dack
Racing) Yamaha team and my whole
programme, and I don’t have any doubt
in my mind when I go to the races. I try
and keep it light and we always have a
good time, but yeah, having a big lead
definitely made it easier than last year.
So how does this championship
compare to your first one in 2016?
No championship comes easy, but
man, that first one was extra hard as it
came down to the final lap of the final
race. The pressure was just immense
and you can’t explain it. It was extra-
special to win in those circumstances,
but this one, I went as the defending
champion and I knew exactly how
to win a championship, which I think
made a big difference. I already had
that mindset and confidence that I
knew I could win. Even though we
dominated, it was the exact same
feeling crossing the line and wrapping
up the championship again. Both titles
felt equally amazing.
What changes did you make
between last year and this year?
This was my second year with the team
and we improved little things on the
bike that made a big difference. We’re
talking a spring rate, and the team built
a faster engine so my starts were a lot
better. My game plan was good, I was
consistent and I only crashed once in
20 races.
That’s amazing in itself.
I know! My mistakes were minimal,
and I kinda executed everything right.
I almost always got good starts and
when I didn’t found my way to the front
really quickly.
My training last year was spot-on, but
my trainer Guy Andrews and I went
back to the blackboard and thought
‘what about changing this and that’,
and tried things to improve the body,
and I was more comfortable at home.
Renae moved in with me and helped
out with pit-boarding, which meant
there was less stress trying to find
someone to ride with. Everything we
could improve, I did - and that meant I
was dominant on the track all year.
I commented to another
photographer that when you’re
on the track you’re like a robot;
everything is so clinical and precise.
Does that come back to those
improvements?
Yeah it does. When I’m home and
doing my motos, I’m pushing to my
limit and chasing my times and nailing
my laps to the decimal point, and the
only way to achieve that is through
good technique. If you bobble, you
know about it on your lap times. I
worked day-in and day-out on my
technique and my body had to be able
to cope with those demands too. You
can’t do 35-minute motos wide open
without putting in a s**t-tonne of work
away from the bike.
For sure. One of the biggest things
this year was your shock second
place at the High Point AMA Pro
Motocross. How did it all come
about, and why did you go all the
way there for one event?
I have aspirations to get to the US in
2018, and I knew I had to race and
see where I was at. We had a break
in our Australian championship and
High Point fell right in the middle of it.
I didn’t want to do three rounds and
have it interfere with my championship
here: I’m set up at home, I have my
tracks, training, I’m eating properly
and resting properly. To go to America
for four weeks would interfere with my
programme. Not to mention living in
motels, having mechanics with me…
the budget just blows out.
So I went all-in for one race. Me, two
mechanics and all my parts flew in and
flew out. Honestly it was hectic and I
had really bad jetlag, it was hot and I
wasn’t acclimatised. I put everything
into moto one and was pretty fried from
the heat, but I think it paid off. I wanted
to get my feet wet and see where I’m at
for 2018. u