Martin van Genderen Interview

Team manager of one of the highest profile MX1 teams in the pits, Kawasaki Racing Team's Martin van Genderen offers us an insight into what it's like to run a factory team in motocross' premier class

Just over one year has passed since the sad death of Kawasaki Racing Team owner and manager Jan de Groot. Already working with Jan up until he passed away on June 4, 2007, Dutchman Martin van Genderen has successfully taken over the day to day running of Kawasaki’s MX1 factory team and with Manuel Priem and Tanel Leok riding the immaculately turned out KX450F-SRs is starting to yield better results as the season progresses.

With the MX1 world championship getting ready to enter its final third and with an overseas race in South Africa on the horizon we checked in with Martin to ask how things are going so far in 2008 and what the future holds for the team and the sport of motocross in general.

It’s just over one year since you took over the running of the Kawasaki Racing Team – how are you finding things so far?

“Well to be honest the plan was of course completely different to how the situation changed after Jan’s death. At first I was of course shocked but then we worked to continue in the way he worked and the people I have to work with have really helped me with that a lot. What has changed is that Jan is not here but the spirit and motivation remains.”

Have you made any changes to the way things are done at KRT?

“Actually, we didn’t change so much you know. There was of course a change in the way there were more responsibilities for some people in the team but I can assure you that everybody made at least two steps more than before to work around this.”

How would you describe each rider’s season so far?

“To be honest I expected much more because we always aim for the highest targets. I know that both riders work very hard. I also know that both riders want to achieve everything that is possible.

“If we look to Tanel, he had – with the testing included – a very good pre-season, until the day that he crashed. After that, you come into a certain circumstance that you have to wait until the injury is healed and if you look from when he crashed to the last race that was the first race that he was injury free and you can see that he is directly again at the top. So for me it is obvious that Tanel is still strong and that Tanel wants to go – as Tanel will always want – to the top. But the bad luck for him was that he was injured at the start of the season. The rest of the season, we will see, but for sure, he will surprise us.

“Manuel came to us as a rookie in our team and what can you expect? I always say with a new rider that you have to give him the opportunity and then you have to give him a chance. Manuel is an easy-going person so that is not an issue. He’s good at promotion and he’s good for Kawasaki. I think he was a little bit too motivated in a few races and I told him to ‘please, slow down and prove that you are a good rider, don’t try to go out and prove something because you’ve proven it already – otherwise you wouldn’t be racing here’.

“I think with him, the only problem at this moment is he has had a little bit of bad luck and because of the bad luck he pushes to try to prove that he can race. I know already he can race. But I hope that the next race will be going the way he wants and if that happens, it’s also what we want. It is hard to say what it will be like for him in the longer term at the end of the season. It’s too early. But of course, he knows that results are an important factor and so from that point, he’s working day and night.”

We’ve got an overseas race coming up in South Africa. On top of everything else that’s going on what extra stress does that create?

“To be honest, what is stressful you know? I have good companies that I work with – travelling agencies and we have one of the most professional transporters anywhere in the world. For us it’s just another race in another place.”

Do you think these overseas races are important for the MX1 world championship to progress? Does it matter to you to go to places like South Africa?

“I feel that the only disappointment I had is that there are only one or two races outside of Europe. To be honest, I like a series to go all over the world. Maybe one in Asia, one in South America, one in America and the rest in Europe, or Australia even. I know for small teams that is a big financial step. So I can understand that for these guys it is very hard. As I mentioned, personally I’d like to have more races all over the world because then you’re talking about a real world championship.”

You were last involved with motocross in the mid-80s – how much has the sport changed since then?

“There’s been a big change. I was surprised when returned how the professional teams – even the small teams – tried to do really professional work, in terms of what their possibilities are. From my point of view it is important that sponsors and spectators are able to get close to the riders because in road race the distance has become too wide. Yesterday I was in Assen at the MotoGP and I saw that this is already more than before.

“So back to motocross, it is still that young kids can approach the rider and ask for their signature and I think that is a plus for motocross compared to road race because that’s what it’s all about. The people have to see the product, have to see the riders and eventually, if it’s possible to have a signature from them. To create that, you need a professional environment and motocross is in this state already. I thought when I came from road race I would have to start all the way at the bottom but as it happened I was starting at 70 per cent which means I was very happy that motocross was already going to that level.”

What are your and the team’s plans for the 2009 season?

“To be honest I’d like to work with three riders. That is one. The other wish is to get the World title, which is for a Factory team, target number one. The circumstances are there, I think the people are there – it’s only a matter of time. For sure, we will go for the title again but it depends on how the situation will be in the next few months, how soon we can make the plan to build in that direction again. For the future, don’t be surprised if Kawasaki is able to win the world championships again because I know that the factory in particular is working very, very hard to meet this target.”

The three riders, would they all be MX1 or a mixture of MX1 and MX2?

“They would be all MX1. The policy is going in a direction which is not confirmed yet but I think in the future there will be one MX1 team and one MX2 team. It’s dependent on the next two or three weeks. We know that next year there may be also one supported team. In the future I think that all the teams will share and all the brands will merge as well.”

The 2009 KX450F – will that be a big improvement over the ’08 model do you think?

“The fuel injection system is a big plus and generally the bike seems much better believe it or not so that gives me a good feeling.”

What are your views on Youthstream’s plans for the future of the sport?

“When I left motocross it was at an uncertain stage and when I stepped over to road race it was much more professional - like living in a different world. Now I have come back from road race to motocross and first of all I was surprised to find it was already on a higher level. The plans from Youthstream, I am sure that they are good plans if we want to bring motocross in the same direction as road race, which we want. Commercially or whatever we have to go one step higher.

“I think with their ideas, we’re going in the direction that will take us to the next level. But there are some points that that some people don’t like. For sure, I can understand that. For some points, I agree with them. But to make it go in a direction that we all want, yeah we have to work hard to go to the next level and that also means we have to go in a different direction. The plans put on the table are fulfilling – let’s say 80% of – what we need to go to the next level.”

What extra changes do you think could be made to help reach that next level?

“I think more in the direction of sponsorship and television. Let’s say also advertising possibilities on the race track, better set-up in the paddock, a nicer set-up in the pits for sponsors and so on. I think it will give them the opportunity to proceed in a different way than before and if you have a pit like that, it looks professional. It will be a lot of work – so there will be things that we do not know yet – but for sure, if the plan is there, within a few years we are one step closer.”