Herjan Brakke interview

Young Dutchman Herjan Brakke could never have imagined he would be racing the MXGP of Brazil when the 2014 season started. However, when Tommy Searle got injured in Thailand, the CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy team suddenly needed a rider and Brakke was one rider who was available. We caught up with him in Brazil and asked him about this great experience.

Q: How was the experience of racing in Brazil?

Brakke: It was fantastic to ride for a team like CLS in Brazil, normally a dream for me. I enjoyed it a lot.

Q: How did the opportunity come about?

Brakke: I heard the week after Thailand, when Tommy got injured and Harry Nolte called a shop that helps me a lot, and he asked if I could race in Brazil, and of course I said yes.

Q: Do you have a contract with the team or is it just a one off race?

Brakke: I don’t have a contract or anything; it is just a favour to the team and fantastic chance for me. The team didn’t put pressure on, they didn’t expect anything from me, no pressure at all. Just enjoy the experience.

Q: What is it like racing for one of the best teams in the MXGP series?

Brakke: It is so professional, everyone is working really hard and it is so nice. It is really a great team and for me this is unbelievable. I have ridden in other good teams, but this is just another step up.

Q: Will you do more races for the team this year?

Brakke: We only spoke about Brazil at the moment, and I have my own team and we also want to race the European Grand Prix’s, so at the moment it was just for Brazil.

Q: What class and GP’s will you do in 2014 with your own team?

Brakke: We would do the MXGP class, and that’s it at the moment. I also do the Dutch Championship. The Dutch Championship and the European Grand Prix was the main goal, and maybe some Belgian races if we have the time.

Q: Last question is about the Motocross of Nations. Holland have two very competitive riders in, Jeffrey Herlings and Glenn Coldenhoff, but the third rider is always up in the air. Do you think about that, being the third rider in the team for this year’s Motocross of Nations in Latvia?

Brakke: I don’t think about the Motocross of Nations really. It is always a critical point in Holland, and it is great for our country that we have Jeffrey Herlings and Glenn Coldenhoff riding so well, but the third rider, I don’t care, there is always discussion and people always talk down about the third rider, so I don’t care.

Author:

Geoff Meyer