"There Weren't a Lot of Factory Teams Available." | Gavin Towers Check-In

The path to becoming a pro-Supercross/motocross rider is not always straight. A rider can come out of the amateur ranks and find success early or struggle and have to reorganize their plans. Gavin Towers finished his amateur career with a 250 Pro Sport Loretta Lynn's title and a spot on the Star Yamaha Racing team in 2023. He had three Supercross Futures podiums this season but did not receive a pro contract to continue with Star. In May, he announced he had accepted a fill-in ride for the VRT Yamaha team to race the EMX250 in the MXGP series. Although this may not have been in Gavin's original plan, he considered it an opportunity he may not get again. Gavin answered some questions for us recently about his decision and how things are going so far.

Jamie Guida - Vital MX: Was the decision to travel to the GPs difficult? Who helped with making the decision? 
Gavin Towers: The decision to come to the GPs was definitely a difficult one. It was a very quick decision that weighed on me a lot. At night, I would think, "I don't know what to do," but I also knew that this opportunity wouldn't always be available. There weren't a lot of factory teams available for me to stay in the States, so I said, "It's a chance to travel the world at 20 years old," which is pretty cool. That led to my final decision.

Vital MX: What were your biggest concerns? Leaving the US could potentially mean missing an opportunity here but, at the same time, open unknown opportunities. 
Gavin: My biggest concerns weren't about missing an opportunity but more of the unknown going into everything. Being alone and away from my family was more of what weighed on me because there wasn't really anything available.

Vital MX: Now that you've been there a few weeks and done some races, how has the adjustment to life across the pond been? 
Gavin: After my first couple of weeks here and the races I've done, I've experienced culture shock and the language barrier. You don't realize until you go to another country, especially in France, that most people do not speak English. That's been the hardest part. Luckily, I have some really good people here who can help me and give me a feel for life here. I've become good friends with my teammate Ivano (Van Erp), which has made life a little bit more fun. As far as the racing, the tracks are very different. Coming from the US, it's small things like loading into the gate at the last minute. Those things brought a lot of nerves into play for me. 

Vital MX: What are the most notable differences between the Star bike and team and the VRT one? Good or bad. 
Gavin: Initially, I'd say the most notable difference is that there is no good or bad from either bike. They're both really solid bikes but with different power distributions. I don't know if that is because of the fuel, different pipes, or something else. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but the power is distributed differently.

Vital MX: How do you feel about the two-day format of the GPs? Has it affected you positively or negatively? 
Gavin: Now that I've done EMX and MX2, the MX2 guys do a ton of riding. I mean, it is a lot. It is a big weekend with a 25-minute warm-up, 25-minute qualifying, and a 20 +2 lap race all in one day. Then, you back it up the next day with a 15-minute warm-up and two 35-minute motos. It is a big day. Regarding the EMX class, it wasn't a massive difference from a normal weekend at an amateur national. So, that adjustment hasn't been too bad. It's kind of like Loretta's. You don't get a lot of time on the track. You get ten minutes versus one lap at Loretta's, so that adjustment wasn't too bad. I wouldn't say it's positive or negative, and it's just a lot of riding.

Vital MX: What were your goals before the first round in Germany, and what are they for the remainder of the season?
Gavin: My goals going into the first round were to do the best I could and have two solid motos, and that's what I did. I actually rode really well and had good starts, which helped a lot. I'll never say a track in the States is hard to pass on again because it is very difficult to pass over here. The three tracks that I've raced here were some of the toughest to pass on that I've raced. Germany was probably the easiest, but I had good starts there, whereas in Latvia and Italy, my starts weren't as good, so it was very difficult. So, the goal will be the same for the remainder of the season. I'll go out there and get used to the tracks, the bike, and the format, and if I stay for another year, at least I'll have all that experience from the season. I would love to get an EMX podium and finish the rest of the season strong. 

Vital MX: How have the fans reacted to you being there? American riders usually experience a lot of excitement. 
Gavin: The fans have been sweet. It's been really cool because many people have approached me and asked for pictures and stuff. It's a far different feeling. Especially after my first race, when I got on the podium for the second moto and just missed the overall podium. It's just a different feeling when only two of us are here: Jack Chambers and me. 

Vital MX: Has there been any discussion, and could you see yourself staying for an extended period after the fill-in ride is over? 
Gavin: I will know more soon about staying here. I'm just trying to see how everything goes, and we'll go from there. I will make the decision over the next month and a half.