Dean Wilson goes into the 100th night of Arenacross this weekend at Manchester’s AO Arena as favourite to the win the Arenacross British title. He’s taken victory at all five rounds to this point and is looking for the clean sweep to emphatically win his first ever British title.
He’s been an incredibly popular addition to the Arenacross British and World Tour, with fans and riders alike. So, with the final round of the AX British championship this weekend before ‘Deano’ heads back to California the Arenacross team caught up with Wilson to chat about his thoughts and experiences on the tour.
What’s it been like being back in Scotland and the UK for a prolonged period? How have you been spending your time away from the races?
Being back in Scotland and the UK has been really cool. I’ve really enjoyed living back in Scotland and the tour has been a lot of fun. The only downfall has been not being able to get out and ride because the weather here this time of year sucks compared with what I used to back in California. We’ve visited a lot of city centers and a few nice spots in Scotland. I’ve also done a couple of MX training schools, which have been fun, even with the U.K weather!
How have you found the tour so far? Has it been what you expected?
It’s been good. The tracks have been fun to ride and to be honest it’s everything I expected it to be because I’ve been following the series the past few years and been watching the videos from it. The arenas have been good and visiting all the cities with the family has been cool. It’s just been a fun tour and I’m looking forward to signing it off in style at Manchester this weekend, hopefully with another win and the British title. I think the World Tour finals in Abu Dhabi will really help elevate the series globally, so I’m also looking forward to them and being part of it. I glad I made the decision to come and race the series because it’s all put together really well by Matt and the team and they’ve been good fun to be around.
You’ve raced all over the world, how does Arenacross compare as show?
Yeah, I’ve been fortunate to race all over the world and this might sound biased, but I think the U.K Arenacross tour as a whole show is really, really cool and does a lot for the sport. It’s got so much for the fans and it really is a show, you know. It’s got racing, it’s got FMX, it’s got pyros, lights, the Fuel Girls and kicking music. There’s a lot to keep the fans entertained all night from start to finish and I think that’s cool and they really get their money’s worth. It’s good for families and it’s definitely ranked up there high as far as exciting racing and entertainment goes.
What’s the vibe like amongst the riders?
It’s been awesome and we’ve had a lot of fun. Obviously, Tommy (Searle) and Adam (Chatfield) are good friends of mine and I’ve known them a long time so it’s always good to catch up with them. Everyone else I’ve been racing against has also been good to hang out with and get to know and the vibe and banter between the riders has been great and everyone has made me feel welcome. I’m 33 years old now so I don’t want to be bashing heads or cleaning each other out, we want to go out there and race our bikes hard and have a good laugh and stay safe. It’s been good and I’ve been enjoying that part and that’s why it’s been such a fun series to do.
Who has surprised or impressed you the most on the tour? Who’s the funniest?
I wouldn’t say anyone has surprised me because I knew all the lads would be good. I know there’s more indoor racing in the States but I wasn’t naive to think the standard would be poor in the U.K because there’s some really good riders here and the series has been going strong for 10 years or more. I knew Conrad (Mewse) would be quick and he’s kept me honest, especially at Aberdeen, he was hauling there. I guess Tommy’s starts have surprised me a little considering he’s racing a 250. I mean I know the starts are short, but still, he’s got the gate drop sorted. I’d say Adam is probably the funniest, just because I like to take the piss out of him the most and he always bites back, it’s good banter.
How receptive have the UK fans been to you?
The fans have been awesome and that’s one of the best things about coming back to the U.K to race. Everywhere we’ve been they’ve all just been so supportive and given me so much love and that’s been really cool, I’ve been enjoying that. It’s the first time in my career I’ve raced a full championship in U.K so it’s been a chance for those who have followed my career in Canada and America to come out and watch me race and say hello. I’ve enjoyed meeting all the fans at the autograph sessions and so many of them have said complimentary things, so that’s been humbling and made me feel patriotic. It’s always good to hear the roar of a crowd when you’re introduced to them.
Having never done AX in the UK before and coming in from racing in America how important do you think AX is for the growth and development of off-road motorcycling in the UK?
Growing up in America and doing the Supercross and MX there and coming through the amateurs I can see the value of racing Arenacross here regarding growth and development. I think it’s really good for the kids to race Arenacross in the U.K, especially if they want to race AMA or World Supercross in the future. It will also help them become better motocross riders and help raise their profile. As far as I can make out, Arenacross is getting loads of people coming out to watch them who wouldn’t go to a motocross race so that has to be good for the sport and help their careers. John Slade for example seems to be on a good path. He’s taking the right steps and the right advice and is looking at a career in Supercross and not just motocross, like Max Anstie did. I think more riders globally should look at Arenacross and Supercross rather than just always focusing on motocross. I would love to see more British kids come out and race Arenacross because I know there’s some real talent in the U.K and I think it would help them become better riders and set them up better for life as a professional racer. Hopefully more British youth riders will start racing Arenacross and go on to have a successful pro career and maybe end up racing the AMA Supercross and I’ll be an old has been fart in the crowd watching them! I would love to see more Brits at the sharp end of the sport.
What would winning the British AX championship mean to you?
It would be amazing because it’s something I’ve never done and could add to my resume. It’s always nice to win a championship, no matter where it is. My outdoor days are over so I’m not going to ever have a shot at winning the British Motocross title, but to win a British title would be cool. It’s definitely gained more importance since I started the tour and seen the passion from the fans. I’m in a good position to win, so hopefully I can wrap it up this weekend and be able to say I’ve won national championships in the U.S and the U.K. Obviously I missed a lot of years racing in the U.K so to come back at the end of my career and say I’m a British champion sounds good to me. Like I said, I’ve been made to feel so welcome being back here and every time I’ve raced for Team GB at the MXON, so it would be nice to have a British championship to my name and be added to the list of top British riders in the history books over here.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
After Manchester I fly straight back to America to get ready to race some Supercross rounds. Hopefully I’ll get a good couple of weeks under my belt and really start to get some proper training in and jump back into that with some solid results. I’m just going to keep working hard and doing my best to grind out results in America. Everyone knows how tough it is and I’m not getting any younger but I love it and want to keep going as long as I can. Of course, I’ve also got the Arenacross World Tour finals in Abu Dhabi to look forward to in July and I’ll be going all out to win that. Beyond that, I just want to carry on like I am and look at fun events to do around the world and spend time with my family as much as I can. Coming over to the U.K and racing the Arenacross tour these past two months has rubber stamped that. I still want to race hard and do the best I can but now it feels like I can enjoy it more with all my family.
