Nineteen-year-old American Thomas Covington, one of the only American riders to complete two back-to-back seasons in the FIM Motocross World Championship, and a name that has been heavily associated with Monster Energy Kawasaki in the past, has announced that he will join the MX2 bronze medalist Max Anstie at Rockstar Energy Huqvarna Factory Racing where they will line up for the 2016 FIM MX2 World Championship.
After being based in The Netherlands for the last two years, the recent Grand Prix winner recently returned home to the USA where he was spotted out turning laps on his new Rockstar Energy Husqvarna in the Californian sun. We managed to squeeze in a 5 minute chat…
MXGP: Thomas, good to see you back home here in southern California, how are you finding the Husky?
Covington: I’m loving the Husqvarna you know, it’s a big change for me but I think it’s a good change. I really like the team, Jacky Martens and everybody there and the whole company and Rockstar are all working really hard to take it to the next level in giving me everything I need to make the next step.
Is there much difference in terms of the structure of the team where you were at Kawasaki compared to where you are now at Husqvarna?
Yeah, actually it’s a pretty big difference; it’s a lot more structured at Jacky’s in Lommel. I think I had a lot more freedom there at CLS but it’s really good to have Jacky in my corner guiding me on how to train and putting me with the right people and just taking control of my programme there and I’m just trying to learn as much as I can from him.
From the time you first came to Europe to race a round of EMX250 until now where you are entering your third full season in MX2, are you feeling more confident in terms of what you can give now that you’ve found the right structure, with the right people around you? And what is your goal for 2016 bearing in mind you’ve already won an MX2 GP?
After winning my first GP it’s definitely helping my confidence a lot, knowing that I belong up there running with the top guys. I think if everything keeps going the way it’s going now in testing and training I just want to be up there in the top five every week. I think that’s what you need to do to be up there for the championship. If you can be up there in the top five every week you’ll have a pretty good shot at it, so that’s my goal right now.
Do you feel you’re a contender for the title next year?
I’m still pretty young and learning a lot. You always want to win a championship but right now I’m just gonna take it race by race and do the best that I can. I’m not putting too much pressure on myself this year, I’m still trying to progress and get better each week.
You returned home to the US just before Thanksgiving, how long are you planning on staying here and what’s the plan whilst you’re here?
I’m gonna stay until just after Christmas and then get back to Europe and ride on the tracks that I need to work the most on. I tend to do good in the flyaway races on the more American style tracks but when we get back to Europe that’s where I always lose it so I’m gonna spend a lot of time riding there and in the south of France and all over Europe, just to get a feel for those tracks.
Looking at the championship, the calendar is pretty stacked with nineteen rounds with two in the USA, back-to-back rounds in the US; are you happy about that?
Yeah, I really like the schedule. In my opinion it’s always good when they have more races, I think it’s a good sign. The more races, the better it is for the sport and to have two MXGPs in the US is good. I’m originally from Alabama which is not far from Charlotte so I’ll have a lot of family come up there for that one. And then the next weekend in Glen Helen in California where I’ve lived the last five years is good as well; it’s kinda like two home races for me so it’s gonna be fun.
Do you know yet what your pre-season schedule is going to be in terms of international races before Qatar?
I’m not real sure yet, but I’ll do whatever the team wants me to do and whatever they think is best for me.
Thanks for talking to us, enjoy the rest of your time here.
