Zach Osborne Interview

if he can be consistent I cannot see why not. He has the speed and has had a season to acclimatise to the european conditions.

Good luck to him too, cause it takes balls to put yourself in a foreign country at a young age.

Zach Osborne is very much one of a handful of riders who have a chance to win the 2009 World MX2 championship. The American racer who won a moto at the Grand Prix of Ireland in 2008 has been working hard in the winter to prepare for his assault on the title.


Along with names like Shaun Simpson, Nicolas Aubin, Jeremy Van HoreBeek, Rui Goncalves and Stephen Frossard the Steve Dixon Yamaha rider is very much going to be in the public eye.


We gave Zach as call as he prepares for the Liverpool Supercross in England this weekend and asked him about his 08 results and what he expects from 09.


Q: Zach, hey, how are you. What are you up to at the moment?


Osborne: I am sitting in Liverpool man, and it is really cold here. We have the Liverpool Supercross coming up this weekend and then London later on. We do a press conference this afternoon, so I am getting ready for that.


Q: What have you been doing in the off-season?


Osborne: I just been training and riding a lot, just been going to different tracks, and turning out motos, and see what we can do. I am really wel prepared, and feel good. I have also been doing a lot of small arenacross races at home, it gives you the intensity and you have to get the start to win, and locally I am expect to win so I need to get the start. I am also looking forward to the Liverpool and London Supercross races over the next couple of weeks. I want to do good for the team and make some good money.


Q: Obviously the sand races for you last year were the most difficult, but that moto at the Grand Prix of Ireland was amazing, and your performance at the Motocross of Nations also impressed a lot of people. Ireland was a little like an American track I guess with the jumps and stuff, and the MXoN was your chance to show the world who Zach Osborne was. Tell us about those two races?


Osborne: I mean I guess you could say Ireland was like America as far as the jumps, but honestly when we went out for the track walk, it was just woodchips, then when the races came it was rocky and the woodships were gone and it was a different track all together. To say it was American was okay, but the surface was not American, it wasn't American soil, that is for sure, we run woodchips, but not liek that. I liked many of the tracks last year, but in Ireland it was just a day I felt really comfortable, it went just right. At the Motocross of Nations I was nervous coming in because of that reason (world press attention). I knew the GP series is not a bad series, but I knew I could prove that I could run with the AMA guys. I was really happy, I would have like to have done better in the second race, but had problems. I can't be dissapointed though.


Q: Can you turn your career around after the disappointment of previous years?


Osborne: Timing is everything and I think it was good timing to come here to europe and race the world championship. I mean obviousy the sand races were not the greatest, but I thought I did good in many of the others though. Loket I got cleaned out in both races. I really enjoy living here in England, it is low key and I have good friends, and the whole team is behind me, and that is what I needed to be where i want to be.


Q: What will it take to win the world title?


Osborne: Just being consistent will win the championship. I don't feel any pressure, the pressure is on Simpson and Aubin and those guys, they have been here a few years. It isn't all about me winning.


Q: Faenza will be the first round, not your typical American circuit, and very old school europe, but from memory you did okay there last year?


Osborne: In the first moto I got a bad start and got seventh and second race I just missed the podium. I enjoyed the track, was second fastest in practise and won my qualifiction heat race so I am glad we start the 09 season there.


Q: What was the problem with you between your amateur career and arriving at the GPs. You came into the seniors as one of the new kids on the block and didn't really live up to your headlines.


Osborne: It was a lot of imaturity. I couldn't do anything else in the amateur races, I won everything, and we decided to do some nationals, I got a 6th in my first race in Hangtown, and then the Budds Creek and I lead the race and did the big bonk. That race started the bad press, and people thought I didn't train, they say any press is good press, but that bad press didn't help. If you get the name as a bad training person you can't dig out of that hole. Finally I was in shape but I didn't have a good bike, I went from having a good bike and not be ready to being ready and not having a good bike. Then I arrived in europe and the bike was good and I was fit, so that is why it started taking off again.


Q: interest for you must have improved back home in America after your GP results and MXoN performance. What is your future?


Osborne: I had a few things (offers from teams), but I want to stay here and regroup and everything and go back to America in a year or two, I don't want to be here my whole career. Here I have good bikes and am training hard, we will see what the future brings from that.


Q: With the American GP now off, and South Africa off, you won't have the busy scheduel you first thought. Are you bummed to miss America?



Osborne: I was pretty pumped to do American, but I understand it was a lot of travelling. I was more interested in going to South Africa to be honest, I have never been there. Just to say I have been there and see what it is like there, but whatever we have to do, I will get a chance to go ther. Brazil will be cool, and all the others, so I am pumped.


Q: Bobby Moore was the last American racer to win a world title back 15 years ago. Do you have any extra pressure to follow in the footsteps of Moore, or some of the other American world champions?


Osborne: I don't feel pressure, but I think it would be cool. I couldn't have been more happy if I win the championship. Only four of five have won it before, and I think we have the bikes and I am doing my best to be in the best shape I can be, and I want to be fast in the first GP and it might turn into a winning season.

Yeah I agree, he can definitely be the next US World Champ if he's consistent. It will be between him and Simpson this season I think.

I love watching him ride, he's got an awesome style, Hamblin was the same, both so fluid over the jumps. I guess thats what top SX racing does for you.

With the American GP now off, and South Africa off, you won't have the busy scheduel you first thought. Are you bummed to miss America?

but I want to stay here and regroup and everything and go back to America in a year or two, I don't want to be here my whole career.

everyone miss this ?

was the American GP ever really "on"? They never announced a location, did they?

I noticed it, but it seems logical to me that someone from elsewhere in the world would say the same thing about racing in the US.

It's good to have some Yanks to cheer for in the GP series.

Remember when they were coming over here to show us how it's done ?

even had another special race planned called the Manufactures cup what happened to that ?

almost seems like it was a bunch of smoke and noise doesn't it ?

Stop getting Bob into trouble with Mario, Jay.

One thing for sure with ZO, he deserves a lot of credit for turning it around and getting reborn hard. Many more riders who went through the circus of going pro with big expectations but not following through on those expectations just faded away. The guys seems to have out his head down and worked harder. That's a great thing to see, and even better to see the pay off.

Yes Zach seems to be in a good place, super nice kid , I hope he is very sucessful.

speaking of that I saw Susexful "Craig at phoenix and A-2

I for 1 like Zach Osborne.
When I 1st met him, he was nice, &
miles from being a "punk/star" kid racer.
He's the same age as my son, & again he
always came across well to me. Many of the
situations & people around him when he turned
"Pro" clearly weren't the best for him & unfortunately
for Zach it showed. It showed big time. Certain people
& certain sponsors didn't do him justice. Sure, now
he has to rebuild his "short' career, but I feel he'll do it,
& so far it shows. Best of luck in '09.........
Dave O.

Good kid and his speed is looking awesome, he seems to hint at racing a AMA SX in the his new video interview..

Excellent interview.

I like that Tetleys Tea too, my friend Adam sent a big bag of it over here.