Cullin Park Talks Paris | Vital MX Transcript

Cullin Park is adopting a unique approach as he gears up for his assault on 250SX East in 2024 Monster Energy Supercross. Riders in the 250SX division tend to maintain a low profile during the off-season whereas Park is set to ride on four different continents in November alone. The added twist of switching between a Honda and Suzuki adds complexity to his preparation, creating intriguing talking points for an interview. Such a diverse and active off-season is a rarity, making Park's insights particularly valuable.

In the recent Paris Supercross held inside the La Défense Arena, Park represented the Honda Motoblouz SR team. This marked his second appearance in the French capital, and he concluded the six-moto format with a fifth-place finish in the overall classification. Notably, his strongest performance came in the initial stint where he secured a commendable third place. For an in-depth look of Park's weekend and exclusive insights, read on in this interview conducted at the historic fixture.

Vital MX: I feel like you were strong this weekend. Maybe yesterday was stronger than today, results wise, but it was a good showing and you underlined your potential once again.

Cullin Park: Like you said, the results were stronger yesterday. I honestly feel like my riding was stronger today though. I had really bad starts – I have got to stop saying that I got a bad start. I passed [Maxime] Desprey for fourth in the whoops with two corners to go and then he put me down. It was to be expected though. I tried to force it and would have done the same thing, had I been in his shoes. 5-7-4 today and I wish that it could have been 5-4-4. Oh well, I think that I was fifth on the weekend. It is tough. You want to be on the podium, of course, and I am definitely not satisfied. I feel like I have made little improvements. You see flashes here and there. I am going to put it all together sooner or later. I need to do that fast.

The realistic goal for you this weekend would have been third. Jo [Shimoda] and Tom [Vialle] were on a great level. You would have liked to be the best of the rest, huh?

In all honesty, I feel like I could have mixed it up with Tom. That may be a bold statement but I beat him in 'Super Pole' – I must say that was the highlight of the weekend. Second in 'Super Pole' and I am not a one lap guy! To get second in front of the whole stadium was pretty sick. It was crazy. I would have loved to be up there in the mix with Tom and he was all over the place in the results too: he had the crash or whatever. I think that, realistically, I could have been there. No excuses. I just need to be better.

How is the program here? You are riding for the Honda Motoblouz SR guys, but is it similar to the Phoenix bike? Do you bring your own parts?

I have nothing to complain about with the Honda Motoblouz team. They absolutely crush it for me! I show up here and you would think that we have been working together for years. I got to ride for them last year, of course, and they brought me back over this year. I ran their suspension. The only thing that I brought with me were my bars and a tall seat. It was pretty unbelievable how comfortable I felt right off of the rip. The bike was good – my mechanic crushed it. I was smoking my clutches every time that I went out on track, so I kept him busy all weekend. Coming overseas feels very foreign at first, even though I bring my stuff, but you get going. Figuring out suspension right off the rip is pretty nerve-racking, but they crushed it. Thank you to them. I just love this Paris race! I honestly think that it is one of my favorite races of the year.

Is there any concern that overextending yourself here? You are on a Suzuki one week and then the Honda. You were in the Middle East, now Europe and Australia next. Is there any concern in the back of your mind that you are doing too much and it could bite you in the ass come March?

I will be honest. I looked in the mirror this morning and said, "I do not know if travelling this much was a good decision." I need to race, since I did not race outdoors. You don't know where you stand until you go racing. The more racing the better. I've still got two months before I go racing in 250SX East – I have plenty of time. I will take a lot of naps between now and February! You are spread a little thin, yeah, but it is only for about three weeks with Abu Dhabi, here and Australia. I should be all set once I am back home. I am on a program, so from then on it will be boot camp to get ready for round one of east coast.

You are going straight to Australia from here. Does that mean that the next time you ride will be the Suzuki in practice on Saturday?

That is correct. Well, practice on Friday. It is straight to the Suzuki – I do not get a day on it or anything. It is going to be tough, but I would rather be put in that situation than sat on the couch. I am grateful to have these opportunities. It is going to help me better myself for the races next year.

You can answer this, so be honest. Comparing the Suzuki to this bike, what is one thing that you prefer about the Suzuki and one thing about the Honda? What does each bike do good and bad?

That is a really good question!

Thank you!

A lot of people want to know! I will be honest, man, the Suzuki handles so well. Matt [Andruk] at Active Ride on the PMG Suzuki team crushes it. That bike handles really well and I feel like I can put it wherever I want it. You can do the same on the Honda, but it will get out a little bit here and there. I like that the Honda is a little bit skinnier but, on the flipside, I feel that I fit the Suzuki better. I feel like I am more in the chassis on the Suzuki, so me being a taller guy… I do not feel so much like a monkey on a football. I almost feel like the Honda is made for a shorter rider. I could be way off, but that is just the feeling that I have.

I do feel like you look like you fit the Suzuki better. You do not look as tall.

Exactly! I watched videos from press day here and I was like, "Oh my god! I look like I am six foot eight on this thing." I do not know. It is just the chemistry of the bike or whatever you want to call it. It is definitely different.